Stop fixing comp plans—fix the system: Trustpilot’s approach to durable incentives

Comp plans are usually the first thing to get blamed when growth stalls—because they’re where every upstream issue becomes impossible to ignore: messy territories, unclear roles, uneven segmentation, and sales motions that don’t match reality. In this episode, Nabeil Alazzam sits down with Kaleb Carter, Director of Sales Compensation – FP&A at Trustpilot, to share a more durable path forward: stop tinkering with comp plans and start fixing the connected system that produces comp outcomes in the first place. Listen in as Kaleb breaks down the shift from comp teams as “payroll processors” to strategic advisors and architects of behavior. He unpacks how to create stability by tightening the GTM foundations—segmentation, territories, targets, role clarity, and operating cadence—so your comp plan can execute cleanly, scale confidently, and earn real trust from both leaders and sellers.

Sales comp plans are usually the first thing to get blamed when growth stalls because it’s where every upstream issue becomes painfully visible: messy territories, unclear roles, uneven segmentation, and misaligned sales motions. In this episode, Nabeil Alazzam sits down with Kaleb Carter, the Director of Sales Compensation – FP&A at Trustpilot, to unpack a more durable approach. That is — stop tinkering with comp plans and start fixing the connected system that produces comp outcomes in the first place.

Kaleb sees modern sales compensation as behavior architecture—a strategic function that translates GTM strategy into consistent, coachable actions. He shares a repeatable diagnostic method for when stakeholders say “the comp plan is broken,” and why chasing a mathematically perfect plan (especially with AI) is a trap if your org’s foundations don’t hold up.

The episode is full of practical way Kaleb builds trust, stability, and predictability—without relying on rate increases, SPIFFs, or constant plan changes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why comp is the output of the GTM system (and how that changes how you lead)
How to diagnose compensation complaints using root-cause thinking (versus defensiveness)
The AI mistake companies Kaleb sees companies will keep making in incentive design—and how to avoid it
Why you can’t design “fair” comp without addressing performance variability
How to earn trusted-advisor influence with executives through clear cause-and-effect narratives

Resources Kaleb mentions:

Kim Scott — Radical Candor (leadership framework for high-trust, high-clarity conversations)
Peter Drucker (management thinker influencing Kaleb’s leadership philosophy)