The $20M system

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Dear XIR –

Y'all voted for the systems breakdown, so let's dive into how we actually turned community into $20M pipeline in 6 days.

But first, let me take you back to that Tuesday night...

The Trust Element

There I was, staring at my Slack, multiple departments all trying to figure this "community-led growth" thing out. Traditional fintech meets unconventional strategy – you know how that usually goes.

After 6 weeks of strategy docs, interdepartmental meetings, and endless revisions, I hit my breaking point. Sent my supervisor Pedro a message that changed everything:

But remember, here's the thing about trust in B2B: Sometimes you have to show rather than tell. Pedro knew what I'd done at Brex. He knew what I was capable of. But for everyone else? I needed to show them. I needed to prove it.

From Theory to Reality: The Systems

Remember that "pure chaos" I mentioned last week? 200+ inbound messages, phone overheating from notifications, DMs while responding to other DMs?

That wasn't just luck. That was systems at work.

As a team of ONE handling this volume, I had to build systems that could:

• Scale without losing the human touch

• Qualify leads automatically

• Maintain consistent experience

• Turn community into revenue

And I’m about to show you exactly how we did it.

The Numbers Don't Lie

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Let me show you exactly what this looked like in action. I'm sharing these real examples from the campaign so you can see how everything fits together.

(Quick note: These forms and links are from the original campaign and are shared for learning purposes only)

The Social Activation Post

Here's the actual LinkedIn post that started it all: Original Post

Let's break down why this worked:

• Clear value proposition upfront ("$10M to deploy in 40 days")

• Specific qualification criteria (no ambiguity about who it's for)

• Two distinct calls to action (apply now vs. get resources)

• Community-first language that builds trust

After they DMed or commented, I responded with the quick message below. What this does is it helps me respond quickly and create standardization around what is about to be my revenue engine.

From there, that embedded link sends them to a form that sets off the whole process.

Stage 1: The Qualification Flow

This is the exact system I used to turn chaos into pipeline:

1. Initial Response Form: Qualification Form

   

   Top half

See how the form:

• Asks only essential questions

• Maintains a conversational tone

• Sets clear expectations

• Delivers immediate value

2. Self-Qualification Page: Direct Access Details

   
   

The Systems at Work

This isn't just about posting. It's about strategic activation that creates FOMO while maintaining complete authenticity. My founders know that I stay posting fundraising / funding opportunities that actually help them. This post was no different.

Key elements:

• Clear qualification criteria

• Transparent value proposition

• Authentic tone

• Call to action that creates urgency

Stage 2: The Qualification Engine

This is where psychology meets systems. Your inbound flow needs to feel like a conversation, not a barrier. Here's what I built:

• Strategic form design that captures key data while delivering immediate value

• Automated responses that feel personal (because they are)

• Clear next steps that respect founder psychology

• Resource sharing regardless of outcome

  

Stage 3: The Bridge to Revenue

Here's where most community builders drop the ball – the transition from engagement to revenue. You need:

• Clear qualification criteria (not just metrics)

• Systematic SDR handoff process

• Context preservation at every step

• Value delivery even if they don't convert

The secret? Design your system around the entire customer journey. Map out every touchpoint from first interaction to closed deal.

Wrapping us up

I’mma keep it 100: This was not easy.

I was working 15-hour days as a team of ONE. My phone was literally overheating from notifications. There were moments of pure and utter overwhelm.

Yet the genuine JOY that I got from seeing my system turn into millions of dollars was something that I wouldn’t trade for anything in this world.

It sounds crazy (and maybe a bit neurotic lol), but when you build something from scratch that still has the power to generate revenue while emiting loving / warm elements AT SCALE, baybeeeeee there is no greater feeling.

But that exhaustion tho? That's exactly why we need systems.

Because when you build the right systems – ones that scale without losing the human touch – you open up the door for exponential growth.

Your community feels supported, your sales team gets qualified leads, and you can actually sleep at night (well… sometimes 😅).

Next week: The Complete Playbook

I've created detailed templates for:

• Social activation posts that convert

• Qualification forms that feel personal

• Email sequences that drive action

• SDR handoff processes / email templates that preserve context

Starting next week, if you share this letter with one friend who needs this framework, I'll send you the complete template for free. Keep an eye out for it in Letter 6 ❤️

Remember

Community-led revenue isn't about posting and praying. It's about intentional systems that create genuine connections at scale.

When you combine human psychology with systematic thinking, that's when the real growth happens.

Leaders proving different drives millions

She went from tracking disease outbreaks to spotting $16T market gaps and built a $20M fund that transformed community health.

Here’s how Kathryn Finney, GP at Genius Guild turned public health into private wealth.

Jobs / resources / capital for unconventional builders

• Super interesting insights on how to position GTM roles (could be helpful in monetization and/or if you’re pitching a company on an XIR role)

• Another company hiring an XIR (they just don’t know it yet)

• BREZ hiring for 6 pretty interesting roles.

• Ulu Ventures just raised another $208M to invest in next-level founders.

Raw thoughts my ADHD brain caught this week

• A travel realization that hit different: I have flown Southwest Airlines twice in my life and both times gave extreme anxiety. I'm typically a Delta girlie but had to fly Southwest to get to Chicago. Their boarding model? Chileeeee. Not for me. Sometimes different isn't better. No shade. 😂 

• A product I'm cooking up: One of Bridg's companies is a tech platform for XIRs (finally putting this into the universe). In a nutshell, our goal is to help XIRs gain financial independence through our unique skills in a sustainable way. More on this in upcoming weeks.

• A pattern I'm noticing: When systems meet human psychology, growth happens exponentially. The key is designing with intention from day one.

All in all, I really hoped this breakdown helped you understand how to start turning your community engagement into revenue.

Have any questions? Reply to this email. I can even post them into Letter 6 next week as a way to help us all.

Love you all and have the best week!