Hey GTM Engineers,
The news is out: Clay has secured a $100M Series C, valuing the company at a $3.1B (up from $1.25B 6 months ago). 🤯
The round was led by CapitalG (VC arm of Alphabet, Google’s parent company) with existing investors Meritech Capital & Sequoia Capital throwing more in.
When a publication like The New York Times dedicates a story to a funding round, it's because there's a bigger narrative unfolding—a story that goes beyond the numbers.
This investment isn't just about Clay; it's a massive vote of confidence in the rise of a new kind of professional.
We are moving from a "Digital Native" to an "AI-Native" era, where the most valuable skill isn't about knowing a tool, but about mastering the art of how to use and apply AI.
The GTM Engineer is the pioneer of this new world.
An AI-native knowledge worker treats large-language models, agents, and automation APIs the same way a previous generation treated spreadsheets and email: they’re the default canvas for thinking, creating, and shipping work. That means they co-create with AI, design workflows around AI, and measure success by how much human attention they can redeploy to higher-value problems.
Digital native | AI native |
|---|---|
Uses software tools step-by-step | Orchestrates AI systems to ship outcomes |
Automates with macros & scripts | Chains LLMs, agents, and APIs end-to-end |
Consumes dashboards | Asks AI to explore data, surface anomalies, suggest actions |
Optimises personal workflow | Optimises org-wide knowledge loops |
As one of the first GTM Engineer at Clay, I’ve had a front row seat to see this story unfold.
Clay in numbers:
Number of employees: 180
Paying customers: 10,000+
Revenue: $100M by EOY
GTM Engineering Reddit: 900+
Clay Clubs around the world: 60
Dataproviders + Integrations: 150+
Number of GTM Engineer job openings going live each month: 100+
Below are some observations that are worth taking note of.
P.s. are we connected on LinkedIn yet?
The New AI-Native Workforce: Beyond the GTM Engineer
The GTM Engineer was the first sign of an AI-native knowledge worker. But as AI agents become more sophisticated, we're seeing an evolution beyond this initial role. The future workforce isn't just adapting to AI; it's being built around it.
This shift is already visible in the market:
monday.com has a Head of AI for GTM
Conductor is hiring for a AI Growth Marketing Manager
Snorkel AI is hiring an AI-driven GTM expert.
These roles are just the beginning. The next wave of specialized, AI-native positions will drive business growth and operational efficiency in ways we haven't seen before.
Here are some of the new roles we can expect to see emerge:
GTM Agent Builders: Experts in designing, training, and deploying AI agents to execute specific go-to-market strategies.
Agent Managers: The conductors of the AI orchestra, responsible for overseeing and optimizing the performance of multiple AI agents across an organization.
Prompt Engineers: Specialists who craft highly effective prompts to guide AI agents toward desired outcomes, ensuring precision and quality.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Managers: Professionals focused on optimizing content and campaigns specifically for generative AI platforms.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) Managers: Experts who ensure a company's information is discoverable and accurately represented within new AI-powered "answer engines."
GTM Engineers are the only evolution from a digital native to an AI native knowledge worker.
I’ve started to seen others emerge. Below are some examples:
I can see other roles emerging such as:
GTM Agent Builders
Agent Managers
Full time Prompt Engineers
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Managers
Answer Engine Optimization (AE) Managers
Beyond the ICP: The Rise of Ideal Customer Signals
We've all defined our Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) and Personas. They've been the foundation of GTM for a decade. But what if we could move beyond static lists to a dynamic, real-time understanding of our market?
We now must define Ideal Customer Signals (ICS)
Agentic GTM makes this possible.. Instead of just having a profile, you now have a system that can actively listen to the entire public web for signals of intent.
This is the power of a tool like Clay and its Custom Signals. It allows you to:
Turn any data point into a buying signal. Your competition is looking at job titles and funding rounds. You could be tracking when a prospect's website mentions a specific compliance certification, when they open a new office in a regulated state, or even when a key employee is tagged in a product launch video on LinkedIn.
Enrich signals with superior context. A simple job change is a decent signal, but what if you could instantly enrich that with the new company's tech stack, recent product launches, and key initiatives? Clay's platform can automatically do the research for you, turning a generic "congrats on the new job" email into a hyper-personalized, high-intent conversation.
Act on "GTM alpha" that others miss. By creating unique, custom signals, you're not just playing the same game as everyone else—you're playing a new one. This is the difference between a reactive GTM team and a proactive one that uncovers opportunities before they become public knowledge.
Vibe Coding: The Future of Democratized Engineering
Writing code is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Thanks to AI agents, building MVPs, apps, and websites is no longer a task reserved for engineers. It's becoming accessible to everyone. This is the era of Vibe Coding.
We're seeing a new kind of Moore's Law for AI agents. The complexity of the tasks they can handle is expanding at an exponential rate.
Consider this trend:
In 2022, when ChatGPT was released, AI agents could handle simple coding tasks lasting around 30 seconds.
That capability is doubling approximately every 7 months. Based on this trajectory, we can expect AI agents to handle:
Today: Tasks up to 1.2 hours
2026: Tasks up to 2 hours
2027: Tasks up to 8 hours (a full workday)
2028: Tasks up to 40 hours (a full work week)
2029: Tasks up to 167 hours (a full work month)
This isn't only about cranking out code faster. It's about a fundamental shift in who can build and innovate. The bottleneck isn't implementation; it's imagination.
The New Frontier: From Coding to Orchestration
The age of the developer as a coder is coming to a close. As AI and agents commoditize implementation, a new bottleneck is emerging—and with it, a new set of essential skills.
The bottleneck is no longer about writing code. It’s about creativity, oversight, and integration.
This shift means our skills must adapt. The future demands a new kind of expertise:
System Architecture: Designing the blueprint for how AI-powered systems work together.
Creative Orchestration: Managing and directing "teams of agents" to solve complex problems in novel ways.
Strategic Oversight: Ensuring that these automated systems align with our broader goals and values.
This isn't about replacement; it's about empowerment. By automating the mundane, we unlock our capacity for higher-level thinking. Humans will be free to focus on strategy, innovation, and solving bigger problems.
The result? We’ll all have a greater ability to impact the world around us. This future is not a distant fantasy; it’s a tangible reality that leaders like Mark Zuckerberg are already outlining in their vision for superintelligence.
System of Record to System of Action
The way GTM teams operate is fundamentally changing. The old model, centered around the CRM as a system of record, is no longer enough. The future is a system of action, and Clay is leading the charge. This is the new battleground for enterprise mindshare and real business value.
Here's what that shift means for your GTM team:
Your reps won't need to live in the CRM. Instead of manually updating records, they'll have the information they need delivered directly to them, right when they need it.
Proactive, not reactive. Custom Signals in Clay will automatically trigger the perfect campaign at the perfect time, ensuring you're always one step ahead.
Workflows that enable, not just automate. Your team will get 'just-in-time' intelligence and enablement, providing reps with the insights they need to close deals faster.
A GTM machine that never sleeps. With autonomous systems running 24/7, your GTM motion isn't limited by typical working hours. Your team can focus on strategy while the engine runs itself.
More time for what matters. By automating all the mundane work, your reps can spend their time where it truly counts: helping customers succeed.
The CRM is a great database, but it's time to move beyond records. It's time to act.