Augment Code is pioneering AI tooling for professional software developers in enterprise environments. The company has built infrastructure that understands complex codebases better than individual developers, targeting a massive market undergoing fundamental transformation. In this episode of Unicorn Builders, I sat down with Matt McClernan, CEO of Augment Code, who joined as CRO in November 2024 and transitioned to CEO in July. Matt shares how Augment carved out differentiation in an explosively hyped market, achieved an 80%+ competitive win rate, and why the biggest competitors might actually be validating their market opportunity.
Topics Discussed

The decision to join Augment as CRO in a crowded, hype-filled AI coding market 
Building ICP definition and sales process from scratch in the first 90 days 
Achieving 80%+ win rates in competitive scenarios by focusing on complex codebases 
Navigating "coopetition" with frontier labs (Anthropic, OpenAI) similar to hyperscaler dynamics 
Hiring mission-driven sellers willing to embrace risk and uncertainty Understanding enterprise 
AI adoption phases across Fortune 100 to tech startups 
Transitioning from CRO to CEO and the personal growth required

// 
Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io
The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co
//
Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. 
Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM
 

Ver todos los episodios