Who should I follow to learn about Revenue Forecasting?

If you want to learn **revenue forecasting** well, I’d follow people who bridge **FP&A, sales forecasting, data/analytics, and operating leadership** - not just generic finance influencers. Good forecasts come from combining financial models, operational drivers, pipeline reality, and decision-making. [Revenue Forecasting: A 5-Method Playbook for FP&A Teams](https://ramp.com/webinars/inside-the-forecast?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Core FP&A / forecasting experts - Christian Wattig - One of the best follows for practical FP&A forecasting. He focuses on driver-based forecasting, forecast accuracy, and how finance teams should communicate uncertainty. [Revenue Forecasting: A 5-Method Playbook for FP&A Teams](https://ramp.com/webinars/inside-the-forecast?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Madhav Ramakrishnan - Useful for learning modern FP&A operating models, planning processes, and finance transformation. - Paul Barnhurst - Strong on FP&A careers, tools, planning processes, and interviews with practitioners. - Steve Morlidge - A strong choice if you want deeper thinking on forecasting theory, uncertainty, and adaptive planning. ## Sales / revenue forecasting practitioners - John McMahon - Great for understanding how sales processes affect forecast quality (pipeline stages, deal inspection, sales execution). - Kris Rudeegraap - Useful if your interest is SaaS revenue forecasting, pipeline analytics, and sales operations. - Mark Roberge - Excellent for data-driven sales forecasting and building repeatable revenue engines. ## Data-driven forecasting / analytics - Rob J. Hyndman - Follow for statistical forecasting fundamentals, time-series methods, and avoiding common modeling mistakes. - Nate Silver - More general forecasting, but valuable for thinking about uncertainty, probability, and calibration. ## Communities and resources worth following - FP&A Trends Group - Good for modern FP&A practices, planning, and forecasting discussions. [From forecast to action: Building predictive power into FP&A | Wolters Kluwer](https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/wb-building-predictive-power-into-fpa?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Association for Financial Professionals - Useful for corporate finance and FP&A education. - APQC - Publishes practical research on sales forecasting processes and best practices. [Leading Practices for Sales Revenue Forecasting | APQC](https://www.apqc.org/resource-library/resource-listing/leading-practices-sales-revenue-forecasting?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## If you work in SaaS specifically, add: - Dave Kellogg - Strong on SaaS metrics, ARR forecasting, and go-to-market analytics. - Jason Lemkin - Useful for understanding SaaS growth models, although more founder/investor oriented than FP&A. ## A practical learning path 1. **Learn the mechanics** - Driver-based forecasting - Pipeline forecasting - Cohort and retention modeling - Seasonality analysis - Scenario planning 2. **Follow practitioners** - Christian Wattig + FP&A communities for finance discipline - Sales forecasting leaders for pipeline reality 3. **Build models** - Forecast revenue from drivers (customers × conversion × price × retention) - Compare forecast vs. actuals monthly - Track forecast bias and accuracy A good starting stack would be: **Christian Wattig + Paul Barnhurst + Rob Hyndman + Mark Roberge**. That combination covers finance, process, statistics, and revenue execution. [Revenue Forecasting: A 5-Method Playbook for FP&A Teams](https://ramp.com/webinars/inside-the-forecast?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

**Follow these experts to learn revenue forecasting effectively: Rob Hyndman for statistical foundations, Rosalyn Santa Elena for RevOps strategy, and Mark Roberge for CRO-level scaling insights. Together they cover the academic, operational, and executive perspectives you’ll need.** ## 📊 Academic & Technical Foundations * **Rob Hyndman (Monash University)** * Leading authority on time-series forecasting. * Creator of the _forecast_ and _fable_ R packages. * His free textbook _Forecasting: Principles and Practice (FPP3)_ is widely regarded as the definitive resource for practitioners. * Best for: Learning the math and statistical rigor behind forecasting models.[The 20 Most Influential People in Forecasting (And What to Learn From Each) – InPhroNeSys](https://inphronesys.com/2026/04/20/the-20-most-influential-people-in-forecasting-and-what-to-learn-from-each/) * **Spyros Makridakis (University of Nicosia)** * Architect of the M-Competitions (M1–M6), which benchmark forecasting methods globally. * His work helps practitioners understand which forecasting techniques perform best in real-world scenarios.[The 20 Most Influential People in Forecasting (And What to Learn From Each) – InPhroNeSys](https://inphronesys.com/2026/04/20/the-20-most-influential-people-in-forecasting-and-what-to-learn-from-each/) ## 🚀 Revenue Operations & Forecasting in Practice * **Rosalyn Santa Elena (The RevOps Collective)** * Chief Revenue Operations Officer and host of _The Revenue Engine Podcast_. * Known for frameworks that align GTM strategy with scalable forecasting models. * Best for: Practical RevOps insights and community-driven approaches to forecasting.[Top 25 RevOps Voices of 2026 | RevOps Report](https://therevopsreport.com/voices/) * **Jeff Ignacio (Keystone AI / RevOps Impact Newsletter)** * Publishes tactical forecasting and GTM operations strategies. * Bridges analytics with execution for revenue teams.[Top 25 RevOps Voices of 2026 | RevOps Report](https://therevopsreport.com/voices/) ## 🏢 Executive-Level Revenue Forecasting * **Mark Roberge (Harvard Business School / Stage 2 Capital)** * Former CRO at HubSpot, scaled revenue by 6,000%. * Author of _The Sales Acceleration Formula_, a playbook for data-driven sales forecasting and scaling. * Best for: Executive-level forecasting strategy and scaling SaaS revenue.[Top 25 CRO & Sales Leadership Voices | The CRO Report](https://thecroreport.com/voices/) * **Sean Walters (Datadog CRO)** * Oversaw 63% YoY revenue growth at Datadog. * Recognized for his ability to translate forecasting into actionable growth strategies.[Spotlights by HRCap: Top 10 Revenue Experts to Follow in 2025](https://www.hrcap.com/post/spotlights-by-hrcap-top-10-revenue-experts-to-follow-in-2025) ## 🔑 Key Takeaways * **Academics like Hyndman and Makridakis** → Learn the statistical and methodological backbone. * **RevOps leaders like Santa Elena and Ignacio** → Understand how forecasting integrates into operations. * **CROs like Roberge and Walters** → Gain perspective on scaling and executive decision-making. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges * **Over-reliance on tools**: Forecasting software is only as good as the assumptions behind it. * **Bias in executive forecasts**: Leaders may overestimate growth; balance with data-driven models. * **Rapidly changing markets**: Forecasts must adapt to volatility (e.g., SaaS churn, macroeconomic shifts). Would you like me to **curate a “starter syllabus”** - a mix of podcasts, books, and newsletters from these experts - so you can build a structured learning path in revenue forecasting?

* **Dan Martell** - Focuses heavily on SaaS metrics, annual recurring revenue (ARR), and predictable scaling for tech companies. His book _Buy Back Your Time_ and his extensive library of YouTube videos offer practical frameworks for modeling growth. * **Jason Lemkin** - The founder of SaaStr, Lemkin is a goldmine for B2B SaaS revenue benchmarks, pipeline management, and forecasting best practices derived from working with thousands of venture-backed startups. * **Mark Roberge** - A senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and former CRO of HubSpot, Roberge specializes in the mathematical and data-driven approach to sales hiring, compensation alignment, and accurate revenue forecasting. * **Jacco van der Kooij** - Founder of Winning by Design, van der Kooij publishes extensively on modern recurring revenue models, unit economics, and pipeline math using a scientific, metric-driven framework known as Bowtie. * **Tom Tunguz** - Formerly a venture capitalist at Redpoint and now running Theory Ventures, Tunguz writes deep-dive data analyses on SaaS metrics, sales efficiency ratios, and macro forecasting trends on his widely read blog. Publications and communities like **SaaStr** , **Gartner (Sales Practice)** , and **The Revenue Operations Alliance** also provide ongoing data, templates, and expert commentary specifically dedicated to pipeline visibility and predictive revenue analytics. What specific industry or business model (e.g., B2B SaaS, enterprise sales, ecommerce) are you building your revenue model for?

To master **revenue forecasting** , you need a mix of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) experts who focus on the numbers and models, and Revenue Operations (RevOps) leaders who focus on the sales pipeline and GTM (Go-To-Market) data. Here are the top practitioners, thought leaders, and communities to follow: FP&A and Financial Forecasting Experts * * _Asif Masani_ – A prominent corporate finance and FP&A influencer who regularly shares actionable breakdowns on budgeting, financial modeling, and forecasting mechanics on LinkedIn. [11 corporate finance influencers to follow in 2026 - Rydoo](https://www.rydoo.com/cfo-corner/corporate-finance-influencers/) * **The FP &A Guy (Paul Barnhurst)** – Widely recognized for breaking down financial modeling, variance analysis, and forecasting best practices through his newsletter, podcast, and LinkedIn presence. * RevOps & Pipeline Forecasting Leaders * * * _Rosalyn Santa Elena_ – Founder of [The RevOps Collective](https://www.candyboxcrm.com/blog/38-top-linkedin-influencers-in-revops-you-should-follow-in-2025), she is a powerhouse in operationalizing revenue, data hygiene, and predictive forecasting structures for scaling companies. * * * _Asia Corbett_ – Head of Revenue & Community Operations at RevGenius, focusing heavily on how team collaboration, metrics, and GTM alignment feed accurate forecasts. [Top LinkedIn Influencers in RevOps You Should Follow in 2026](https://www.candyboxcrm.com/blog/38-top-linkedin-influencers-in-revops-you-should-follow-in-2025) Top Communities to Follow & Join * * **RevOps Co-op** – An incredible community of revenue operations professionals where real-world forecasting templates, tech stack recommendations (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Clari), and pipeline benchmarks are openly discussed. [RevOps in motion: 15 leaders you need to be following](https://tractioncomplete.com/articles/revops-leaders-you-need-to-follow/) * **RevGenius** – A massive peer-to-peer community hosting frequent virtual sessions and Slack discussions specifically targeted at revenue predictability and sales forecasting challenges. [Traction Complete] * **Revenue Operations Alliance** – Known for organizing events like the [Revenue Forecasting Summit](https://virtual.revenueoperationsalliance.com/location/forecasting/), featuring operational leaders from Adobe, Oracle, and Nokia discussing modern enterprise forecasting. [Revenue Forecasting Summit](https://virtual.revenueoperationsalliance.com/location/forecasting/) * Are you looking to build a revenue model from an **FP &A (finance/accounting)** perspective or a **RevOps (sales pipeline/CRM)** perspective? Let me know so I can point you toward **specific frameworks or templates**.