Hire and ramp your first rep

Stop being the only person who can sell it, without setting fire to a year of runway.

4 steps, 16 questions underneath, read for breaking into gtm

1. 1
   Hiring and ramping GTM people

   Your first sales hire, the interview loop, the ramp plan, and knowing early when someone is not going to make it.

   When do I stop selling myself and hire my first salesperson? 5 → What does a good first sales hire actually look like, and what should I not fall for? 5 → I have been offered the first sales hire job at a startup. What should I check before I say yes? 4 → How do I interview a salesperson when I have never sold for a living? 3 →
2. 2
   Comp, quotas and territory

   Comp plans, quotas, OTE and accelerators, territory and segment design, in dollars and in rupees.

   I have been handed a comp plan. How do I work out what I will actually earn? 5 → What do OTE, pay mix, accelerator, draw and clawback actually mean? 4 → I am a founder writing my first sales comp plan. What is the simplest thing that works? 4 → What is a fair quota for my first rep when we have no history to go on? 5 →
3. 3
   Running a sales process and closing

   Discovery, demos, qualification, champions, procurement and the last mile to a signature.

   I have a call booked with a real prospect tomorrow. What do I do on it? 4 → Founder-led sales sounds terrifying. Why can I not just hire a salesperson? 4 → The buyer said yes, and now it is going to legal and security. What actually happens next? 4 → Everyone says find a champion. What does that actually mean, and how do I know if I have one? 4 →
4. 4
   Forecasting and GTM metrics

   Pipeline coverage, stage conversion, CAC payback, magic number, and calling a number you can defend to a board.

   What is pipeline coverage and how much pipeline do I actually need to hit my number? 4 → How do I work out CAC payback when I do not have a finance team? 5 → What is the magic number and should I care about it at my stage? 4 → Which handful of GTM numbers should a first time founder actually track? 6 →