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Revenue Operations

Comparing Revenue Operations Teams: Datadog vs. Twilio

January 9, 2024
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It's important we start by acknowledging there is no one-size-fits-all for Revenue Operations team structures.

This is not a case for 'one team being better than the other' - both Datadog and Twilio are powerhouse Go-to-Market organizations in their own right but spotting differences in decision making can help inform on your own Revenue Operations resource strategy.

Background on GTM Teams

Revenue:

  • Datadog: $2B ARR (+25% YOY)
  • Twilio: $4B ARR (+5% YOY)

GTM Headcount:

  • Datadog: 1,400 Sales Reps + 250 CS Reps
  • Twilio: 1,100 Sales Reps + 120 CS Reps

Rev Ops Team Structures


Datadog
95 people (61% Individual Contributors)

  • 36 in GTM Strategy
  • 3 in Sales Strategy / Execution
  • 1 in GTM Analytics
  • 7 in Compensation
  • 4 in Success Ops
  • 24 in Deal Desk
  • 17 in Enablement

Twilio
84 people (38% Individual Contributors)

  • 15 in GTM Strategy
  • 8 in Sales Strategy / Execution
  • 16 in GTM Analytics
  • 19 in Compensation
  • 3 in Success Ops
  • 1 Channel Ops
  • 12 in Deal Desk
  • 11 in Enablement

Biggest Takeaways

  1. Team Composition
    Twilio is significantly more top-heavy - only 38% of the team sit at IC level.
    At-a-glance, more ICs per Manager could signal efficiency. But it’s all a question of how that IC headcount is allocated.

    Is their delivery efficient?
    Are they working on high impact initiatives?

    At Datadog, some of the 58+ Associate-level team members in Rev Ops do appear to be filling in systems or process gaps with manual execution.
  2. Deal Desk Structure
    There is a glaring difference in Deal Desk team size in this comparison.
    Twilio has 12 on Deal Desk vs. 24 at Datadog.

    But context matters here!
    Twilio has 306,000 customers generating $4B in annual revenue.
    Datadog has ~25,000 customers generating $2B.

    This means an ACV of $13,000 for Twilio’s vs. $80,000 at Datadog. More complex deals requires a greater investment in Deal Strategy.
  3. Team Background
    The background of Twilio’s Rev Ops team is fairly singular. Most come from prior roles in Rev Ops & Sales Strategy.
    A logical hiring strategy.

    In contrast, Datadog has far more diverse experience on the team.While some come from Rev Ops, many on the team come from:
    • Broader Biz Ops Strategy roles
    • Management Consulting and M&A
    • Business Intelligence & Analytics
    • Investment Banking

    They have a clear focus on analytical rigor, in addition to a background specifically centered on Sales Strategy.

Regardless, both of these Rev Ops teams know what they're doing.

Twilio generates ~$3m in Revenue per Rep. Datadog generates $1.4m in Revenue per Rep.