Joey Gilkey: Acquiring intellectual property boosts company valuation, the truth about proprietary data in the industry, and scaling tech services without sacrificing quality | SaaS Interviews

Key takeaways

• Acquiring intellectual property can significantly enhance competitive advantage and speed up development.
• The acquisition of IP has led to a substantial increase in company valuation.
• Many companies claiming proprietary data are often repackaging existing data.
• Scalability in tech services requires maintaining quality while increasing efficiency.
• Recent funding rounds reflect significant growth and favorable valuation multiples.
• AI is crucial for transforming data into actionable insights for better decision-making.
• Outbound sales are heavily regulated under FCC’s TCPA guidelines.
• A consumption-based credit model is effective for driving upsell revenue.
• High net revenue retention indicates strong customer loyalty and growth potential.
• The company is on track to achieve a high ARR by 2026.
• Proprietary data is a key differentiator in the competitive landscape.
• Effective scaling strategies are essential for maintaining service quality.
• Regulatory compliance is critical in outbound dialing practices.

Guest intro

Joey Gilkey is Founder and CEO of TitanX, a predictive sales intelligence platform founded in 2024 that has achieved $9.7M ARR by helping enterprise sales teams identify prospects most likely to answer outbound calls. Previously, he founded and exited Sales Driven Agency, an outbound sales agency that served digital marketing companies, and earlier built Sales Funnels for software companies during the growth hacking era. TitanX has raised $27 million in funding and delivers 25%+ connect rates—roughly 6x the industry average—through proprietary AI-driven behavioral scoring.

The strategic advantage of acquiring intellectual property

• Acquiring IP can provide a significant competitive edge and save time in development.

• I realized pretty quickly that it was… heavily expensive and very slow… it bought me a ton of time for one… the goal is to both build the moat and pull the drawbridge up from competition.

  — Joey Gilkey

• This strategy allows companies to focus on enhancing their core competencies.

• The financial success of acquiring IP is evident in the company’s valuation growth.

• I turned $200,000 into what is currently valued at a 100,000,000.

  — Joey Gilkey

• Understanding the competitive landscape is crucial for leveraging IP effectively.

• Acquiring IP rather than developing it internally can lead to faster market entry.

• The strategic rationale behind IP acquisition is crucial for competitive positioning.

The reality of proprietary data in the industry

• Many companies claiming proprietary data are simply repackaging others’ data.

• I interview a lot of folks that tell me they have proprietary data and then when you dig into the hood all they’re doing is buying other people’s data they’re running an etl process on it and then selling it back to customers.

  — Joey Gilkey

• True proprietary data is a significant differentiator in the competitive landscape.

• Companies need to ensure they genuinely own and control their data assets.

• The misconception around proprietary data can impact competitive differentiation.

• Understanding data ownership is essential for building a sustainable business model.

• The industry often faces challenges in maintaining data integrity and originality.

• Proprietary data can enhance the value proposition and customer trust.

Scaling tech-enabled services without compromising quality

• Scalability relies on maintaining quality while increasing speed and cost-effectiveness.

• For us it was more about how do we make this scalable without having a deprecation of the quality of the outcome so if anything it’s actually gotten faster it’s gotten cheaper it’s we can do it at scale at this point.

  — Joey Gilkey

• Efficient scaling strategies are essential for long-term success.

• Companies must balance growth with maintaining service quality.

• The ability to scale without quality loss is a competitive advantage.

• Operational strategies are key to successful scaling in a competitive market.

• Cost-effectiveness is crucial for scaling tech-enabled services.

• Maintaining quality during scaling can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The impact of recent funding rounds on company growth

• The valuation of recent funding rounds reflects significant growth and favorable multiples.

• I mean it certainly adds some padding… we raised the 27,000,000 at what valuation just under 100, 90 something 92 but since then we’ve grown… we’re well over a 100.

  — Joey Gilkey

• Funding rounds provide financial stability and growth opportunities.

• Investors are confident in the company’s growth potential and strategy.

• The favorable valuation multiples indicate strong market positioning.

• Understanding the context of funding rounds is crucial for assessing company health.

• Growth metrics are essential for attracting and retaining investors.

• Funding rounds can accelerate expansion and development initiatives.

Leveraging AI for better decision-making in sales

• The future of data utilization lies in manipulating data with AI for better decision-making.

• I think data is a commodity but it’s how do we manipulate that data how do we use AI to really help inform better decisions.

  — Joey Gilkey

• AI transforms raw data into actionable insights, crucial for sales strategies.

• Leveraging AI can enhance decision-making processes and outcomes.

• The role of AI in data processing is becoming increasingly important.

• Companies must invest in AI to stay competitive in data-driven industries.

• AI can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of sales strategies.

• Data manipulation through AI is key to gaining a competitive edge.

Navigating regulatory challenges in outbound sales

• Outbound dialing is regulated by FCC’s TCPA guidelines, impacting data use.

• Outbound dialing is regulated by FCC’s TCPA guidelines so you can’t touch that.

  — Joey Gilkey

• Regulatory compliance is critical for outbound sales practices.

• Companies must understand and adhere to regulatory frameworks.

• Non-compliance can result in significant legal and financial consequences.

• Regulatory challenges can impact operational strategies in sales.

• Companies need to stay informed about changes in regulations affecting sales.

• Understanding regulatory impacts is crucial for sustainable business operations.

Driving upsell revenue through a consumption-based credit model

• A consumption-based credit model drives significant upsell revenue.

• we’re unique in a sense not not unique we’re we’re consumption based so it’s a credit model and so we’re very hands on account management technical account management technical solution consultant…

  — Joey Gilkey

• The model encourages increased customer engagement and spending.

• Effective account management is crucial for maximizing upsell opportunities.

• The credit model aligns with customer needs and usage patterns.

• Companies can enhance revenue growth through strategic upselling.

• The model supports long-term customer relationships and loyalty.

• Understanding customer behavior is key to optimizing upsell strategies.

Evaluating business performance through key metrics

• High net revenue retention (NRR) indicates strong customer loyalty and growth potential.

• our nrr is out the roof it’s why our magic number is a 4.1 the last quarter

  — Joey Gilkey

• NRR is a critical metric for assessing SaaS business performance.

• A high magic number reflects efficient sales and marketing strategies.

• Key performance metrics provide insights into company health and growth.

• Companies must monitor and optimize key metrics for sustained success.

• Understanding the significance of NRR is essential for evaluating business performance.

• Metrics like NRR and magic number are crucial for strategic decision-making.

Projecting future growth and strategic goals

• The company predicts an ARR of 18.7 million by 2026.

• 2026 18.7

  — Joey Gilkey

• Strategic goals are set to drive future growth and expansion.

• Accurate forecasting is essential for aligning business strategies with goals.

• Companies must assess current trends and growth strategies for feasibility.

• Projecting future growth helps in planning resource allocation and investments.

• Strategic goals provide direction and focus for company initiatives.

• Understanding growth projections is vital for stakeholders and investors.

                  **Disclosure:** This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.