Veteran RevOps leader Jeff Klein shares lessons on team building, executive alignment, and operating with intention as a growth partner, not a service center.
We sat down with Jeff Klein (LinkedIn), a RevOps leader at Lumafield with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations scale from startup to IPO. From early days in small businesses to supporting complex enterprise growth, Jeff has developed a clear philosophy: RevOps is about more than systems and data, it’s about clarity, structure, and cross-functional trust.
In this conversation, Jeff shares the habits, mindset, and signals that differentiate tactical operators from strategic leaders, and why hiring early, investing in relationships, and prioritizing communication can reshape how RevOps drives business performance.
How do you define RevOps, and how has that definition evolved over your career?
“Revenue operations to me is really the connective tissue behind the life cycle of the customer.”
Jeff views RevOps as the team that enables go-to-market execution across every stage of the customer journey. He’s clear that RevOps is more than sales support, it’s a coordination layer that spans functions, aligns stakeholders, and ensures the business grows with intention.
What inspired you to stay in RevOps after initially falling into the role?
Many RevOps leaders didn’t choose the job, it chose them. Jeff is no exception. What kept him in it was the mix of systems thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic problem-solving.
When is the right time for a company to hire its first RevOps leader?
“The earlier you can bring on somebody of the caliber of the growth path of your business, the better it’s gonna be long term.”
Startups often wait until the CRM breaks or pipeline reporting becomes unreliable. But by then, Jeff argues, you’re paying a premium to fix what could’ve been built right the first time.
The best time to bring on RevOps isn’t when there’s a mess, it’s when you’re about to grow.
How can RevOps professionals avoid becoming reactive task-takers and instead operate as strategic partners?
“If all you’re doing is responding to ad hoc requests… you’re caught in the trap. We have to elevate ourselves into the role of strategic thought partners.”
Jeff describes two common career paths: falling into RevOps and staying reactive, or actively evolving into a strategic operator. The difference comes down to mindset. Strategic RevOps leaders anchor their work to business goals, advocate for long-term priorities, and resist the pull of low-leverage work.
What does effective communication look like for a RevOps leader, both with executives and the field?
One of Jeff’s strongest beliefs is that RevOps needs to set its own communication cadence, not just respond to others.
“Create a cycle of communication that people see coming, and it’s consistent.”
He uses a quarterly priorities deck to show what the team has done, what it’s doing, and what’s next. This cadence creates clarity and serves as a reference point when new asks surface.
“Agreement is toxic. If you’re constantly getting agreement, your priorities will constantly change.”
It’s not enough for stakeholders to nod. Real alignment requires clarity about tradeoffs and visible commitments to shared goals.
How should a RevOps team scale as the company grows from early-stage to enterprise?
Jeff recommends starting as a team of one, then watching where time, complexity, or risk signal the need for specialization. Commissions taking 40 hours a month? Hire for it. CRM data slowing everything down? Invest there first.
“You start peeling off those specializations as they reach a critical mass within the organization.”
He often hires a CRM admin first, not because it’s always the biggest problem, but because better systems free him up to think strategically.
What’s your best advice for RevOps leaders looking to drive impact during the leap from 8-figure to 9-figure revenue?
Jeff urges RevOps leaders to build relationships beyond their function, especially in finance, marketing, and CX. Not only does it sharpen execution, it builds trust. And that trust is what earns RevOps a seat at the strategic table.
“Go find the guy on the FP&A team that’s racking your numbers. Be his best friend. Get their perspective.”
Go Deeper
If you enjoyed this Q&A, check out the full conversation with Jeff Klein at YouTube or Spotify.
About AccountAim
AccountAim is the planning and analytics platform built for Strategic RevOps teams. With AccountAim, RevOps teams connect all of their fragmented GTM data, automatically snapshot and see trended changes over time, and build full-funnel reporting — all without SQL or data team support. Learn how Strategic RevOps teams use AccountAim to streamline forecasting, territories, cross-sells and more here.
