Founders: You’re Not Too Early for a Strong Sales Hire — You’re Too Vague
What experienced salespeople actually need to say yes to your early-stage role.
Founders often hesitate to hire experienced sales talent early because they think they need to have every detail figured out before someone good will say yes.
You don’t. But you do need clarity.
Top salespeople don’t expect perfection. They’ve helped win clients from scratch. They know what it means to create a deck in Google Slides the night before a pitch. What they do want is a clear picture of what they’re walking into, the vision of the company, the market potential of the solution, and to understand what success looks like.
If you’re hiring someone to build pipeline, close new business, and help shape your GTM motion, they need to understand a few basic things:
- Who actually needs this product, and why now?
- What support will they have and what won’t exist yet?
- What happens if they’re successful in the first 90 days?
You don’t need a CRO. But you do need to be able to explain why the role exists, what problem they’re helping solve, and how they’ll be measured and compensated.
Strong candidates aren’t looking for polish. They’re looking for opportunity and purpose. They want to know the effort will matter and that they have a shot at making strong commissions.
One way to show that purpose is to ground the conversation in real traction: what tech stack you’re using, what conferences you’re showing up at, and what kind of logos you’ve already landed.
Have a strong product roadmap? Mention it. Have upcoming features? Talk about them. Even early-stage candidates want to know there’s momentum behind the scenes.
The best salespeople are not afraid of the hard work it takes to get a solution to market, they are builders. They just need a map, a solid compensation program, and a reason to care.
Strong sellers aren’t waiting for perfect. They’re looking for clarity and a challenge.
