From 0 to $5M in ARR: How to create a predictable outbound machine

On this week’s episode of the SaaS Revolution Show, we talk with
Nazma Qurban, Chief Revenue Officer of Cognism about how she has
managed to build a predictable outbound sales machine in the past
2.5 years.


When Nazma joined Cognism she was the first sales employee. The
company had one paying customer so the world was hers to conquer
and bring in the revenue. Nazma knew the way to go was outbound
so she started building a predictable outbound strategy. Driven
and ambitious, Nazma would go to every networking event she could
and knock on many doors to get a ton of advice and spur as much
interest about Cognism as possible.


Two and a half years later she has built a team of 25, mostly
comprised of graduates that she carefully upskills. The learning
mentality is still present among them and you would be
hard-pressed to go to a meetup in London and not run into someone
from Cognism. The efforts have paid off. The retention of
employees is incredibly high and nowadays Cognism earns $5M in
ARR. Cognism’s is a truly remarkable story, with outstanding
salespeople in the heart of it.


Listen on to hear:


How Nazma makes sure the graduates she hires stay in the
company 

The secret to upskilling graduates

One key tenet to building a predictable revenue machine



Nazma Qurban is one of many excellent speakers we will host at
SaaStock19 in Dublin this October who will help you improve your
sales efforts. During the three days, you will learn much more
from the likes of Jacco vanderKooj, CEO of winning by design,
Steli Efti, CEO of Close.io, Patricia Duchene, VP Sales, and GM
Europe, Wrike and many others. Grab a ticket now at saastock.com
for the best possible price.


 


 


 


Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move
their business forward: 


SaaStock Europe: 14-15 October 2025 | Dublin, Ireland
Book you tickets: https://saastock-europe.com/tickets/


SaaStock USA 2025: April 2026 | Austin, Texas
Join the waitlist: https://saastock-usa.com/


SaaStock Founder Membership: A private members group of B2B SaaS
founders between $100K - $10M ARR who are committed to growth and
helping others (https://www.saastock.com/founder-membership/)


SaaStock Local: Monthly meet-ups in cities all around the world,
bringing together SaaS enthusiasts and experts to discuss the
most pressing topics in SaaS (https://local.saastock.com/home)