The Foundation First
Before you even think about hiring a salesperson, there’s one critical truth you need to accept: you must establish market validation for your product. Salespeople need something concrete to sell, not just promises and PowerPoint decks.
The Product Must Be Ready
Your product should be:
- Clearly defined
- Well-packaged
- Repeatable in its sales motion
Warning: The Danger of Premature Sales Hiring
When salespeople lack a solid product, they often resort to:
- “Selling the deck”
- Making promises they can’t keep
- Creating fictional features
This leads to two painful outcomes:
- Unwinding deals and losing revenue
- Compromising your product roadmap to meet unrealistic promises
The Founder’s Role
“If you can’t define it well enough to sell it to a customer, then nobody can.”
As a founder, you must be able to:
- Sell your product effectively
- Define your target market
- Understand who wants to buy it
Bonus question: How can you convince investors if you can’t convince customers?
The Right Way to Onboard Your First Sales Hire
1. Create a Strong Partnership
- Make them your commercial lead
- Position yourself as their sales engineer
- Stay involved without micromanaging
2. Evolution of Roles
Graduate to being a “closer”:
- Let your salesperson set up opportunities
- Step in for the final close when needed
Aligning Incentives
Remember:
- Tie compensation to company goals
- Include strategic objectives, not just revenue
- Understand that good salespeople optimize for reward/effort ratio
- Use this to your advantage
The Money Question
Important rules about compensation:
- Pay market rate or don’t hire
- Avoid “budget” salespeople
- If you can’t afford top talent:
- Keep selling yourself
- Raise capital once you have product-market fit
Required Reading
📚 Essential Resource: “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz
- Focus on the section about hiring the first head of sales
- Read it multiple times until the lessons stick
Remember: A great salesperson can accelerate your success, but only if you’ve laid the proper groundwork first.