Episode Overview

Podcast: The Digital Executive
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Juan DeAngulo, Co-founder of Incelligence
Episode: Turning Sales from Art to Science: Juan DeAngulo on Process, People, and Future of AI-Driven Growth | Ep 1126
Date: October 13, 2025

In this episode, Juan DeAngulo discusses his journey from founding a multi-billion dollar real estate investment platform to building Incelligence, a global SaaS company focused on transforming sales from an art to a repeatable, measurable science. He and Brian explore the shift from people-dependence in sales to process-driven resilience, lessons learned from previous ventures, the tension between speed and structure in startups, and the coming transformation of sales operations through AI and data. Juan shares actionable insights, memorable analogies, and a detailed vision of the future for SMB sales teams.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Turning Sales from an Art into a Science

Timestamp: 00:54–06:15

• Juan challenges the notion that sales is “an art, not a process,” emphasizing the importance of systems and data-driven methodologies.
• While human qualities in selling (listening, communication, empathy) are vital, scaling requires robust processes.
• Most organizations are overly “people dependent,” lacking structural insights into their sales pipelines and processes.
• Example: Juan describes working with a global company ($100M+ in revenue) where pipeline segmentation revealed critical differences in deal size between average ($300K) and median ($15K), indicating overlooked market dynamics:

  "We segmented their pipeline ... By understanding those different lines of business, they were much better able to understand where they stood in their overall revenue." — Juan (05:00)

• By leveraging data to differentiate customer types and sales cycles, the company optimized its sales structure and could reliably forecast revenue.

2. Lessons from Real Estate to Tech Startups

Timestamp: 07:04–09:39

• Success in real estate investment—and tech—is built on “data-driven, analytics-driven, and process-driven” approaches.
• As companies scale (from 3 to 75+ staff), process ensures consistency across decision-making and execution.

• “What protects you ... to make sure that you’re being consistent in your execution is your process.” — Juan (08:18)

• Regardless of industry, people are the true foundation for any company’s success. Building a customer-centric culture is paramount.
• Internal operations (playbook, roadmaps) must be methodical to guarantee quality and repeatable outcomes.

3. Balancing Speed and Structure in Startups

Timestamp: 10:26–14:07

• Juan uses a skyscraper analogy:

  “If you’ve ever been in a big city ... you see a skyscraper being built, the first year, all you see is a big hole ... That’s a very good analogy to what building a company is like ... You gotta take the time to build the foundation.” — Juan (10:46)

• Founders must layer in process and documentation—even when speed and survival tempt shortcuts.
• Failing to document or formalize early (example: software build with an external firm and lack of coding documentation) leads to compounding challenges later.
• The art is learning to “walk and chew gum at the same time”—drive revenue and build infrastructure in parallel, making deliberate trade-offs.

4. The Future of Sales Operations: AI, Automation, and Simplification

Timestamp: 14:52–18:02

• Historically, sales organizations had to focus on people and activity due to technical limitations; process was invisible or unmeasurable.
• With AI and machine learning, organizations will gain unprecedented visibility into real sales processes—not just activities.

• “With the advent of machine learning and AI and very sophisticated words to basically talk about algorithms and numbers and computing power, companies are going to have the ability to see that.” — Juan (15:44)

• Difference between top and bottom sales performers is typically process, not talent.
• Juan differentiates Incelligence’s AI platform as deterministic (process-focused) rather than simply activity-driven (like conversational AI):

  “Nobody out there is addressing the process of selling the way that we are. ... We are uniquely positioned to provide that process-driven intelligence.” — Juan (16:25)

• Predicts a trend toward consolidation and simplification of the sales tech stack—winning platforms will provide both conversational and process-driven intelligence in a seamless package.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pipeline Segmentation:

  “Their average deal size was around $300,000 and their median was about $15,000. That immediately told me there is a massive difference in a lot of the deals that they were putting through their pipeline.” — Juan (04:25)

• On People and Culture:

  “At the end of the day ... the number one resource of any company is the people. ... Building a culture that is customer-centric ... is something that I’m really passionate about.” — Juan (09:09)

• On Startup Foundations:

  “As you start to go vertical ... if you skipped steps, it’s going to start to show. ... Usually the implosion is not slow—right? It happens seemingly quickly, but the cracks began to erode from inside.” — Juan (11:24)

• On the Role of AI in Sales:

  “There’s nobody out there that is addressing the process of selling the way that we are ... Companies get a complete solution.” — Juan (16:25)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:54 — Sales: Art vs. Science; the case for process
• 04:00 — Client case example: Pipeline segmentation
• 07:04 — Lessons from real estate to tech; the primacy of process
• 08:18 — People as the core asset
• 10:26 — Speed vs. structure: Skyscraper analogy for startups
• 13:20 — The necessity (and pain) of documentation
• 14:52 — AI, automation, and the future of the sales process
• 16:25 — Incelligence’s unique position: Deterministic, process-driven AI
• 17:39 — Predictions: Simplification and consolidation in the sales tech stack

Tone and Style

The discussion is practical, candid, and full of illustrative analogies. Juan DeAngulo brings humility, technical insight, and a contagious conviction in the power of process and people. The episode is packed with actionable advice for founders, sales leaders, and anyone interested in the intersection of technology and business growth.