In this episode of All Things Being SQL, we sit down with Eli Kaufman, Senior Manager of RevOps at Nova Credit. Eli’s story is anything but traditional—starting in sports and sales before eventually finding his way into the world of RevOps. Throughout the episode, he shares his career journey, how he defines RevOps, the role of AI, and ofcourse, his most controversial opinion.
From the Dugout to the Data Room
Eli’s early career was rooted in sports, where he worked for the Boston Red Sox and Madison Square Garden. After years of sales roles in sports, he never imagined switching to tech, let alone RevOps. However, a personal tragedy in 2018, the sudden loss of his mother, led Eli to make the unexpected shift into operations.
Once in RevOps, Eli dove headfirst into the technical side of things. He enrolled in courses on Excel, SQL, and data analysis, determined to master the tools necessary for his new path. Now, leading RevOps at Nova Credit, Eli reflects on how far he’s come and how his unconventional background has been an asset.
What Exactly Is RevOps?
According to Eli, defining RevOps is as much about alignment as it is about operations. At its core, RevOps is about breaking down silos between departments—sales, marketing, and customer success—so they can work in unison toward common goals. Eli's role involves ensuring that all aspects of the go-to-market strategy are tightly aligned, from defining the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to tracking customer renewals.
For Eli, one of the biggest challenges in RevOps is that the function is still evolving, and expectations can vary greatly from company to company. Some see RevOps as a glorified Salesforce admin role, while others expect heavy data analysis and process optimization. Eli emphasizes the need for clear alignment on what RevOps should achieve within an organization—without it, it’s hard to deliver value.
AI Use Cases in RevOps
Eli is particularly excited about the potential of AI in RevOps, though he’s cautious about its limitations. Tools like ChatGPT can already assist sales teams by summarizing complex documents, helping to identify customer pain points, and automating parts of the research process. At Nova Credit, AI plays a key role in improving deal health through platforms like Gong, which provides insights that traditional CRMs like Salesforce may miss.
However, Eli notes that AI isn’t a magic bullet. RevOps leaders need to stay vigilant about the assumptions baked into AI algorithms, especially when it comes to forecasting or pipeline analysis. Data hygiene and contextual understanding are still critical components that AI can't yet replicate fully. But Eli sees a future where AI will increasingly handle these nuances, allowing RevOps professionals to focus more on strategy.
Want to Know Eli’s Most Controversial Opinion?
Curious about what Eli considers his most controversial opinion in the world of RevOps? Spoiler alert: It has to do with how companies should manage their tech stacks and why Google Sheets might sometimes be better than Salesforce for certain tasks. To hear more of Eli’s insights, listen to the full episode.
