Former HubSpot CRO on the Math Nobody Uses to Scale | Mark Roberge

Former HubSpot CRO on the Math Nobody Uses to Scale | Mark Roberge

Author: Ryan Hanley March 25, 2026 Duration: 1:11:59

Subscribe to Finding Peak for frameworks that actually work: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

Watch the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9gToRCbu1TU

Your retention problem isn't product. It's not customer success. It's sales.

Mark Roberge was the 4th employee at HubSpot and took them from $0 to IPO as their founding CRO. Now he's a Harvard Business School professor, co-founder of Stage 2 Capital, and author of The Science of Scaling.

In this conversation, Mark and I break down why most founders get the scaling question wrong, how to build compensation plans that kill coasting, the one interview technique that reveals a salesperson's ceiling, and the brutal math behind knowing when you're actually ready to scale.

I also share the story of selling my own company to the wrong buyer and the single question I wish I'd asked before signing.

📕 Get Mark's book — The Science of Scaling: https://amzn.to/4uS6Z0s

🔗 Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/

🔗 Stage 2 Capital: https://www.stage2.capital

Subscribe to Finding Peak for frameworks that actually work: https://ryanhanley.com/subscribe

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Ryan Hanley hosts a conversation that lives at the intersection of ambition and practical reality. Finding Peak w/ Ryan Hanley is built on the idea that meaningful progress-in business, in personal development, in life-often requires a slightly unreasonable perspective. Each episode delves into the mechanics of power, not as an abstract concept, but as a tangible tool for building something worthwhile. The discussions explore leverage, examining how individuals can amplify their efforts and influence to create disproportionate results. You’ll hear from guests who have applied these principles in diverse fields, dissecting their journeys, their strategic decisions, and the mindsets that allowed them to push beyond conventional limits. This isn't about quick fixes or superficial success stories; it's a deep, often challenging, look at the frameworks that enable exceptional outcomes. The podcast provides a space for nuanced dialogue where ideas from education, self-improvement, and raw business strategy collide. Listeners will find themselves equipped with new ways of thinking about their own goals and the paths to achieve them, all through conversations that are as substantive as they are engaging. Tune in for a regular dose of actionable insight from those who operate at the edge of what's possible.
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