#22 - How RevOps works at the Booking.com alternative Smartness, with Lorenzo Saccardi

️ Episode Summary


In this episode, we welcome Lorenzo Saccardi, our first guest
from Italy, now based in Madrid. He shares his journey from
digital transformation consulting to becoming Head of Revenue
Operations at Smartness — and what truly defines a modern RevOps
role today.


Degree in Economics
Started in consulting, focused on digital transformation
Moved into CRM and B2B marketing projects
Got hands-on with RevOps topics before the term even existed
(~2018/19)
Completed an MBA — a transformative experience he recommends,
even for startup professionals
Joined Scalapay (Italy’s first BNPL unicorn) in 2021
Moved to Spain in 2023 and joined Smartness in April 2025


Lorenzo describes Smartness as:
Originally launched as a dynamic pricing tool
(Smart Pricing)
Now a growing product and services ecosystem for the
hospitality industry: hotels, vacation rentals,
campsites
Products include: pricing tools, property management systems,
AI chat tools, marketing services
Mission: Help hospitality businesses regain
control over pricing, distribution, and margins —
instead of relying heavily on platforms like Booking.com or
Airbnb
Ideal customer profile: Hospitality businesses with 10+ rooms
or 30+ apartments, and a growth-driven, entrepreneurial mindset


According to Lorenzo:
RevOps offers a “helicopter view” — you spot inefficiencies
across departments and connect the dots
A large part of the job involves finance — especially linking
revenue, subscription, and cashflow
Interestingly, he reports to the Chief Experience Officer, not
the CRO or CFO — because customer experience depends on how well
internal processes work
This setup helps maintain a more balanced view across sales,
onboarding, and customer success


Lorenzo shares some tactical insights:
As Smartness moved upmarket, the sales approach had to evolve —
larger clients mean more complexity and different buying
processes
Enablement is a huge focus — giving the sales team the tools
and knowledge they need. But it’s hard to keep up with constant
change
Example: In hospitality, you can always call a hotel, but the
person answering is rarely the decision-maker. So reps must frame
conversations in a way that creates urgency and
motivates that person to escalate the call


Think of RevOps as the glue between sales, marketing,
finance, and customer success — not just a revenue
enabler, but a process optimizer
If you're in a fast-growing business, invest early in
infrastructure so processes can scale with the company
In data-driven industries like hospitality, owning your pricing
and channels is a major profit lever
Sales enablement isn’t a “nice to have” — it needs to be
a core strategic function from day one


Who is Lorenzo? What does Smartness do? Why RevOps is exciting
Sales & Enablement Key Takeaways