Recap: Private Fireside Dinner with Joe Kim, CEO of Sumo Logic
Joe Kim took the helm of Sumo Logic — a $1.7B public cloud security company — and immediately started rebuilding the go-to-market engine. At our Austin fireside dinner, he shared exactly how.
Astronomic Team
Founder, Sales Dinners by Astronomic
Joe Kim became CEO of Sumo Logic in 2022, inheriting a public company with $200M+ ARR and a go-to-market motion that needed a reset. At our private fireside dinner in Austin, he spent two hours with 18 SaaS executives talking about what he changed, what he kept, and what he'd never do again.
The Headliner
Joe Kim has led sales and go-to-market at some of the most recognizable names in enterprise software — including Ping Identity, where he was CRO, and LogRhythm. At Sumo Logic, he was brought in to stabilize and grow a company navigating the transition from public markets back to private ownership under Francisco Partners.
The Format
The dinner was hosted at a private home in Austin — a classic Fireside Dinners format. Eighteen guests, a private chef, and an intimate fireside conversation that ran well past the scheduled end time because nobody wanted to leave.
What Joe Shared
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Joe was unusually candid about the realities of enterprise SaaS sales in 2024. He talked about the collapse of the "land and expand" motion in a budget-constrained environment, the return of relationship-based selling, and why he believes the next generation of enterprise sales leaders will come from customer success — not SDR programs.
He also shared his framework for evaluating a go-to-market team when you walk in as a new CEO: the first 90 days, what he looks for, and the three questions he asks every rep in the first week.
The Room
The 18 guests included CROs, VPs of Sales, and a handful of investors who back enterprise SaaS companies. The conversation after dinner was as valuable as the fireside itself — three guests told us afterward that the connections they made that evening were worth the trip to Austin alone.
Host Your Own
Sales Dinners produces this format for B2B companies who want to get their best prospects in the same room as a credible headliner. Schedule a call to see if it's a fit. [blocked]
