How do you beat the industry leader when everyone says you don't belong?
In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Alessio Artuffo, CEO of Docebo, who helped transform a small Italian startup into a global SaaS leader, scaling the business from roughly $1 million to more than $200 million in ARR.
Alessio shares the pivotal moments that shaped both the company and his leadership—from being underestimated because of his accent, to winning an enterprise customer that was ten times larger than Docebo's annual revenue by competing against the industry's biggest player.
He also explains why authenticity beats polish, how clarity becomes a competitive advantage as organizations grow, and why the best leaders inspire rather than control.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How underdogs can outperform industry leaders
- Why proving people wrong became Alessio's greatest source of motivation
- The leadership principles behind scaling from startup to global SaaS company
- How to build teams that thrive through trust, clarity, and accountability
- Why AI is transforming workplace learning—and what leaders need to do differently
Whether you're building a startup, leading a growing organization, or competing against companies much larger than your own, this conversation offers practical lessons on leadership, resilience, and scaling with purpose.
Chapters:
00:00 – How an underdog startup challenged the market leader
02:18 – Why Alessio joined a 15-person company
06:39 – The challenges of expanding into North America
09:22 – The customer who criticized his accent
13:35 – Winning an enterprise deal against the industry's biggest competitor
20:19 – Scaling a culture built on clarity and trust
24:28 – How AI is reshaping workplace learning
33:10 – Why great leaders choose grace over force
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