This is a podcast episode titled, SPOTLIGHT: How CEO Sam Jacobs Is Redefining Pavilion’s Identity. The summary for this episode is: <p>When <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samfjacobs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Jacobs</a> founded Pavilion, formerly Revenue Collective, he set out to build a private community for operators in a startup world that traditionally celebrated only founders and operators. But after the community grew rapidly, now totaling 10,000+ members, questions arose about whether the once-exclusive membership had become too open. In this special <em>Topline Spotlight</em> episode, Sam joins co-hosts AJ Bruno and Asad Zaman to discuss how rapid expansion diluted the community’s focus, what it took to course-correct, and why building something great takes time—and restraint.</p><p><br></p><p>You're invited! <a href="https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-slack" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Join the free Topline Slack channel</a> to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.joinpavilion.com/topline-newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Subscribe to the Topline Newsletter</a> to get the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends delivered to your inbox every Thursday.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.joinpavilion.com/the-revenue-leadership-podcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton</a> every Wednesday. Kyle dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success for revenue leaders like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Moments:</strong></p><p>(00:00) Introduction</p><p>(00:42) Business Challenge of the Last 24 Months</p><p>(01:29) What Is Pavilion?</p><p>(02:43) Launching Pavilion Gold</p><p>(04:01) Why the Community Scaled So Quickly</p><p>(06:51) LinkedIn and Slack as Growth Drivers</p><p>(07:02) Shifting Culture of Openness Among GTM Leaders</p><p>(08:04) The Consequences of Losing Focus</p><p>(10:54) The Biggest Mistake: Removing the Qualification Barrier</p><p>(11:32) The Challenge of Reversing Course</p><p>(13:46) Continued Opportunity for Operator Advocacy</p><p>(15:00) Solving the Challenge: Long-Term Vision</p><p>(15:54) Building a 3-Year Vision for Pavilion</p><p>(16:08) Importance of Patience in Building Exclusive Communities</p>