Video · 15 min

The Top 10 Mistakes Folks Make Hiring Their First Sales Team

Jason Lemkin · Jason M. Lemkin Free Advanced

The Top 10 Mistakes Folks Make Hiring Their First Sales Team

Lemkin has watched hundreds of founders make this hire and he names the exact traps the answer warns about, hiring a VP too early and hiring someone you would never buy from. Fifteen minutes, no filler, before you write the job post.

Watch on YouTube ↗

The question it answers

  1. When do I stop selling myself and hire the first person, and what kind of person should that be?

Read with it

  1. Names both failure modes of the founder-to-first-hire handoff, holding on too long and letting go too early, with input from... First Round Review Article · ~20 min read This GTM Leader Crowdsources Early Lessons From Stripe, Figma and More Meka Asonye
  2. A concrete checklist for the first closer hire: close 10 to 20 yourself first, hire scrappy over pedigreed, and expect a deal... SaaStr Article · ~6 min read Dear SaaStr: How Do I Make Sure My First 1-2 Sales Reps Are Strong? Jason Lemkin
  3. Compares direct sales, channel and marketing-led entry for an Indian company going abroad, and makes the case that the US may... Inc42 Article · ~12 min read Indian SaaS And The Art Of Going From Local To Global Sandeep Chawda
  4. Practical on the first US sales hire, hiring for adaptability rather than a quota record at a big brand, and on testing... Efficient Capital Labs Article · ~10 min read Unlocking the US Market: A Guide for Indian SaaS Founders Efficient Capital Labs
  5. The mistake is not the hire, it is stepping out of sales afterwards, which Lemkin reckons about two thirds of founders do and... SaaStr Article · short read The #1 Mistake I See Founders Make When They Hire Their First VP of Sales Jason Lemkin
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →