2 posts tagged with "GTM"

OpenAI dropped GPT-5.3-Codex on February 5, 2026. Three days later, the GTM world is still figuring out what it means.

Here's the short version: This is the most capable AI coding agent ever released, and it's going to change how sales and marketing teams build automation.

If you're a VP of Sales, SDR Manager, or RevOps leader wondering whether this matters to you—it absolutely does. Not because you need to become a developer, but because the barrier to building custom sales tools just dropped to near-zero.

Let me explain.

What Is GPT-5.3-Codex?​

GPT-5.3-Codex is OpenAI's cloud-based AI agent designed specifically for software engineering tasks. Think of it as having a senior developer on call 24/7 who can:

• Write complete applications from scratch
• Refactor existing code
• Build integrations between your tools
• Create custom automations

But here's what makes 5.3 different from previous versions:

Mid-Turn Steering​

This is the killer feature. Previous AI coding tools worked like this: you give a prompt, wait for the output, then correct mistakes and try again.

With mid-turn steering, you can redirect the agent while it's working. See it going down the wrong path? Tell it to change direction. Want to add a requirement halfway through? Just say so.

For GTM teams, this means:

• You can describe what you want in plain English
• Watch as the agent builds it
• Course-correct in real-time
• Get exactly what you need, faster

25% Faster Than GPT-5.2-Codex​

Speed matters when you're iterating on sales tools. The new model generates code significantly faster, which means:

• Quicker prototypes of new automation ideas
• Faster debugging when something breaks
• More experiments per sprint

Multi-File Projects​

Codex can now handle complex, multi-file projects natively. This means it can build real applications—not just scripts—including:

• Full CRM integrations
• Multi-step email sequences
• Dashboard applications
• API connectors

Why This Matters for GTM Teams​

Here's the uncomfortable truth about sales technology in 2026: The best tools are the ones you build yourself.

Generic AI SDR platforms cost $35,000-50,000 per year. They're built for the average use case, which means they're perfect for nobody.

Meanwhile, the teams winning right now are:

1. Identifying their specific bottlenecks
2. Building custom automations to solve them
3. Iterating weekly based on results

GPT-5.3-Codex makes this accessible to teams without dedicated developers.

Real Example: Custom Lead Research Agent​

Let's say your SDRs spend 20 minutes researching each prospect before outreach. You could:

Option A: Pay for a generic "AI research" tool ($15-25K/year) Option B: Build exactly what you need with Codex

Here's what Option B looks like:

"Build me a lead research agent that:
1. Takes a company name and prospect name as input
2. Finds their recent LinkedIn posts (last 30 days)
3. Checks if they've raised funding recently
4. Identifies any job changes in their department
5. Outputs a 3-sentence research summary I can paste into my email"

With GPT-5.3-Codex, you can build this in an afternoon. Total cost: Your time + ~$20/month in API calls.

Real Example: Pipeline Alert System​

Your VP of Sales wants to know immediately when:

• A deal over $50K stalls for more than 7 days
• An enterprise prospect opens a proposal 3+ times
• A competitor is mentioned in meeting notes

Building this with traditional development: 2-4 weeks and $5-10K

Building this with Codex + OpenClaw: A weekend

"Create a HubSpot integration that monitors our pipeline and sends
Slack alerts when:
1. Any deal over $50K hasn't had activity in 7+ days
2. Proposal tracking shows 3+ opens
3. Meeting notes (from Gong or Fireflies) mention competitor names

Run this check every 4 hours."

The OpenClaw Advantage​

Here's where it gets interesting. Codex is powerful, but it's a tool—it doesn't run 24/7 on its own.

OpenClaw is an open-source gateway that lets you:

• Deploy AI agents that run continuously
• Connect to your messaging platforms (Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram)
• Schedule cron jobs for recurring tasks
• Give agents memory across sessions
• Access browser automation for web tasks

The combination of Codex + OpenClaw = DIY AI SDR infrastructure.

Build the automations with Codex. Deploy them on OpenClaw. Run them 24/7 for free (you're self-hosting).

Getting Started: A Practical Roadmap​

Week 1: Install and Experiment​

1. Install the Codex CLI:

npm install -g @openai/codex

2. Start with a simple project—maybe a script that enriches a CSV of leads with company data.

3. Practice mid-turn steering. Give vague instructions, then refine as you watch it work.

Week 2: Build Your First Sales Tool​

Pick your biggest time-waster. Common candidates:

• Manual CRM updates
• Lead research
• Follow-up scheduling
• Meeting prep

Build a tool that automates 50% of it. Don't aim for perfection—aim for "better than manual."

Week 3: Deploy with OpenClaw​

Set up OpenClaw on a $5/month VPS (DigitalOcean, Vultr, etc.). Deploy your automation. Connect it to Slack so you can interact with it.

Week 4: Iterate Based on Results​

Your first version will be wrong. That's fine. The advantage of building your own tools is that you can change them weekly.

What Codex Can and Can't Do​

Codex Excels At:​

• Building integrations between SaaS tools
• Creating data processing pipelines
• Writing API connectors
• Automating repetitive code tasks
• Generating boilerplate for common patterns

Codex Struggles With:​

• Tasks requiring deep domain expertise
• Anything that needs real-time human judgment
• Complex UI design (it can build functional UIs, not beautiful ones)
• Tasks that require browsing the live web (use OpenClaw's browser tools for this)

Combine With Claude for Best Results​

For GTM automation specifically, Claude Code tends to be better at:

• Writing persuasive copy
• Analyzing unstructured data (emails, call transcripts)
• Making judgment calls about prospect intent

The winning stack for most teams:

• Codex: Build the infrastructure
• Claude: Handle the nuanced tasks
• OpenClaw: Orchestrate everything

Cost Comparison: Build vs. Buy​

*Assuming $20-40/month in API costs + minimal hosting

The catch: DIY requires someone on your team who's comfortable with technical projects. But you don't need a developer—you need someone curious enough to experiment.

The Build vs. Buy Decision​

Build your own when:

• Your workflow is unique
• You need rapid iteration
• Budget is constrained
• You have someone technical-adjacent on the team

Buy off-the-shelf when:

• You need enterprise support/SLAs
• Nobody on the team wants to maintain tools
• Your use case is generic
• Speed-to-value is critical

For most SMB and mid-market GTM teams in 2026, the math now favors building.

What This Means for the AI SDR Market​

GPT-5.3-Codex is going to put pressure on every AI sales tool that isn't providing genuine differentiation.

If your value proposition is "we connect to your CRM and do basic automation"—teams can now build that themselves in a weekend.

The winners will be tools that provide:

• Proprietary data (intent signals, company graphs)
• Deep workflow expertise (not just tools, but playbooks)
• Outcomes, not features

At MarketBetter, we've always believed in the "build your own" approach for teams that can handle it. That's why we focus on providing the intelligence layer—visitor identification, buying signals, and playbooks—rather than trying to own your entire workflow.

Getting Started Today​

1. Try Codex: Even if you're not technical, spend an hour with it. Ask it to build something simple for your sales process.

2. Audit Your Workflow: Where do your SDRs lose time? Make a list of the 5 most repetitive tasks.

3. Pick One to Automate: Start small. One successful automation builds confidence for the next.

4. Consider OpenClaw: If you want your automations to run 24/7, OpenClaw is the easiest path.

The release of GPT-5.3-Codex isn't just a technical milestone. It's a shift in what's possible for GTM teams without dedicated engineering resources.

The question isn't whether AI will change how you sell. The question is whether you'll build your own advantage—or rent someone else's.

Ready to see how MarketBetter's intelligence layer works with your custom automations? Book a demo →

Let's address the elephant in the room: AI is coming for your SDR team.

At least, that's what the headlines want you to believe.

The reality? After running a team of AI agents at MarketBetter for the past quarter—watching them research prospects, draft emails, monitor competitors, and analyze deals—I can tell you definitively:

AI won't replace your SDRs. But AI will make your top SDRs unstoppable—and your average SDRs obsolete.

Here's what's actually happening.

The AI Panic Is Real (And Mostly Wrong)​

Every sales leader I talk to has the same question simmering beneath the surface: "Should I be worried about my team?"

The panic is understandable. When you see AI tools:

• Researching 100 prospects in the time a human researches 3
• Personalizing 500 emails while maintaining quality
• Working 24/7 across every timezone without complaining

…it's easy to imagine a future where human SDRs are simply obsolete.

But here's what the "AI will replace everyone" crowd misses:

Sales isn't data processing. Sales is psychology.

McKinsey's latest research shows that 42% of B2B decision-makers are implementing AI for sales—but only 7% have AI "fully scaled" across their organization. Why the gap?

Because they learned what we learned: AI is phenomenal at preparation. AI is terrible at persuasion.

What AI Actually Does Well​

Let's be honest about AI's strengths. At MarketBetter, our AI agents (yes, we named them—Zenith, Orbit, Recon, Signal) handle:

1. Research at Scale​

Before AI, researching a single enterprise account took 30-45 minutes. Now Recon synthesizes:

• Company news and hiring patterns
• Tech stack from job postings
• Competitor relationships
• Pain signals from G2 reviews
• LinkedIn activity from key stakeholders

Time to insight: 3 minutes. Not 30.

2. First Drafts That Don't Suck​

Our AI writes the first draft of prospecting emails. Not generic templates—actual personalized messages referencing specific company events, tech decisions, and pain points.

Human SDRs used to spend 40% of their time writing emails. Now they spend 10% editing AI drafts—and the output is better.

3. Repetitive Task Automation​

• CRM data entry? Automated.
• Meeting prep briefs? Generated.
• Follow-up scheduling? Handled.
• Competitor monitoring? Continuous.

The average SDR spends 66% of their time on non-selling activities. AI can reclaim most of that.

4. Pattern Recognition at Scale​

AI doesn't get tired. It doesn't have bad days. It notices patterns humans miss:

• "Prospects who mention 'consolidating vendors' convert 3x higher"
• "Reaching out within 2 days of a leadership change increases response by 47%"
• "This prospect's company just hired 3 SDRs—they're investing in outbound"

Humans spot these patterns eventually. AI spots them instantly.

What AI Cannot Do (And Won't Anytime Soon)​

Here's where the AI-replacement narrative falls apart:

1. Build Genuine Trust​

When a VP of Sales is evaluating your product, they're not just buying software. They're betting their career on a decision.

No AI can look them in the eye (metaphorically or literally) and say: "I understand. I've been there. Here's how we've helped teams like yours."

Trust is built through shared vulnerability, through admitting uncertainty, through moments of genuine human connection. AI can simulate empathy. It cannot feel it—and people can tell the difference.

2. Navigate Political Complexity​

Enterprise deals involve 6-10 stakeholders with conflicting priorities:

• The CFO wants cost reduction
• The VP of Sales wants quota attainment
• The IT Director wants security compliance
• The end users want simplicity

A skilled SDR reads the room, adjusts messaging in real-time, and builds individual relationships with each stakeholder. AI sees stakeholders as data points. Humans see them as people with fears, ambitions, and hidden agendas.

3. Handle True Objections​

AI can respond to common objections with pre-programmed responses. But what about:

"We tried something similar and it destroyed our team's morale."

"Our CEO's golf buddy runs your competitor."

"I'm actually getting pushed out in 3 months, so I can't champion anything."

These aren't logical objections. They're human moments requiring human intuition.

4. Create Something From Nothing​

The best SDRs aren't just executing playbooks—they're inventing new approaches:

• A creative way to get past gatekeepers
• An unexpected angle that resonates with a specific persona
• A referral strategy that opens doors no email ever could

AI optimizes existing patterns. Humans create new ones.

5. Adapt to the Unexpected​

AI thrives on patterns. Sales is unpredictable.

When a prospect suddenly pivots the conversation, brings up an unexpected concern, or makes an off-script comment that reveals their true priority—AI flounders. Great SDRs flourish.

The Hybrid Model: 10x SDRs​

Here's the insight nobody's talking about:

The future isn't AI vs. humans. It's AI + humans vs. everyone else.

The most dangerous sales teams in 2026 aren't replacing SDRs with AI. They're giving each SDR an AI co-pilot that handles:

• 100% of research
• 80% of first-draft writing
• 100% of data entry
• 100% of scheduling

This transforms what an SDR can accomplish:

That's not a marginal improvement. That's a category shift.

What This Means for Your Team​

If You're a Sales Leader​

Don't replace your SDRs. Augment them.

1. Identify time sinks: Where do your SDRs waste time? Research? CRM? Scheduling? Those are AI opportunities.
2. Invest in AI tools: Not chatbot gimmicks—real AI workflows that integrate with your stack.
3. Upskill your team: Train SDRs on working with AI, not against it. Prompt engineering is a sales skill now.
4. Redefine metrics: Stop measuring "activities." Start measuring "conversations" and "pipeline influence."

If You're an SDR​

Your job isn't disappearing. It's getting harder—and more valuable.

The SDRs who thrive will be those who:

• Use AI to work at 10x scale while maintaining quality
• Focus their human time on relationship-building and complex deals
• Develop skills AI can't replicate: empathy, creativity, strategic thinking
• Become invaluable because they're irreplaceable, not because they're cheap

If You're a Founder (Like Me)​

Your next hire might be an AI agent.

Not instead of an SDR—alongside one. At MarketBetter, our AI squad does the work of 3-4 full-time employees in research, content, and ops. The humans on our team focus exclusively on what only humans can do.

The math works. The results speak for themselves.

The Bottom Line​

AI won't replace SDRs in 2026, 2027, or anytime soon.

But AI will make the gap between great SDRs and average SDRs exponentially wider.

The question isn't "Will AI take my job?"

The question is "Will I learn to work with AI before my competitor's SDRs do?"

Ready to see how AI can amplify your sales team? MarketBetter combines AI-powered research, personalization, and workflow automation to make your SDRs 10x more effective—without replacing them.

Book a Demo →

Related reading:

• How to Build an AI SDR with OpenClaw
• 10 AI Prompts That 10x Your SDR Productivity
• Claude vs ChatGPT for Sales Teams