BSMS98 - Leveling Up Together: Building High-Performing B2B SaaS Teams

In this episode, Stijn sits down with Antoine, Kalungi's new CEO, for an energizing conversation about what it really takes to grow as a marketing professional in 2026. The centerpiece is Antoine's upcoming book, Level Up — a practical, story-driven guide to becoming the kind of marketer, manager, and teammate that no AI can replace.

Antoine pulls from an unconventional journey — from chasing a professional soccer career to leading one of the top B2B SaaS marketing firms in the world — to show that the principles behind great teams aren't that different whether you're on a pitch or in a pipeline review.

You'll hear about the frameworks that actually move the needle: situational leadership, managing up and down, self-awareness, and the Super Communicator model — a concept that bridges how you lead your team with how you get the most out of AI tools. Spoiler: the skill that saves you from a 6am angry message from an ambassador might also be the skill that saves your next campaign.

Whether you're an individual contributor trying to stand out, or a marketing leader building a team that punches above its weight, this episode will leave you with new language for old challenges — and a few ideas worth acting on today.

 Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
00:27 Antoine's background and journey into marketing
03:36 The importance of continuous learning and development
07:42 Adapting leadership in a changing world
10:48 Managing communication and expectations with examples
13:13 Practical advice for leaders and individual contributors

In this podcast, you'll learn:

• The concept of leveling up in professional and personal growth
• The parallels between sports and SaaS leadership
• Frameworks for building high-performing teams
• Managing up and managing down effectively
• Using AI as a superpower in professional development

By the end, you’ll have a clearer view of why the old inbound playbooks are failing and how to build a quality-led, pipeline-focused go-to-market strategy that cuts through the noise.

• SYNTROPY: How Humans Create Value in the Age of AI Entropy
• The Foundation of a Successful SaaS GTM (Go-to-Market) Strategy 
• T2D3 CMO Masterclass
• Submit and vote on our podcast topics

ABOUT B2B SAAS MARKETING SNACKS

• Stijn Hendrikse: Author of T2D3 Masterclass & Book, Founder of Kalungi
  As a serial entrepreneur and marketing leader, Stijn has contributed to the success of 20+ startups as a C-level executive, including Chief Revenue Officer of Acumatica, CEO of MightyCall, a SaaS contact center solution, and leading the initial global Go-to-Market for Atera, a B2B SaaS Unicorn. Before focusing on startups, Stijn led global SMB Marketing and B2B Product Marketing for Microsoft’s Office platform.
  
  
• Antoine Vial: CEO at Kalungi
  Antoine is the CEO of Kalungi, a fractional marketing firm helping B2B SaaS companies at the $5M–$30M ARR stage build go-to-market engines that drive real revenue growth. With over a decade of experience as a fractional CMO and growth leader, Antoine has partnered with 25+ B2B SaaS companies and contributed to more than $100M in attributed ARR. His work centers on a core belief: most SaaS companies don't stall because of their product — they stall because they mistake marketing activity for distribution strategy.