2 builders who never spoke to each other
Run the sales process before you hire for it
Work out what actually closes deals yourself, then hire against that, starting part time and commission only when you cannot carry a salary. Judge the hire on whether they leave behind customers who will take a reference call, and check the spend on growth actually pays back.
The method
- 01
Make sales the first hire when support load is low, the product is straightforward and development demand has flattened, because that is the constraint left.
- 02
Make your first hire part time and commission only when sales is untested and you cannot carry a salary. The outcome is self evident and there is no downside if they do not sell.
- 03
When a whole segment is out of your reach, either find a mentor for sales conversations in that industry or hire someone who already knows it.
- 04
Work out the sales process yourself first, then hire against it, even referral-driven companies run sales teams.
- 05
Judge a salesperson by whether they leave behind delighted customers who will take a reference call, not by closed deals alone, and judge support by whether customers praise you in public.
What it returned
Advice Kahl got from Tyler Tringas, whose Calm Company Fund invested in Podscan
Slack, known for referral growth, has a sales team
He contrasts a rep who produces enthusiastic, referenceable customers with a bank of closers, and a support person who provokes public affection with one who only answers tickets, citing WP Engine as proof it can work that way.
Groupon's spend on growth and salespeople had no long-term payback, leaving the company searching for product/market fit again while carrying the cost base.
Sources
- Imbalanced PeopleJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · Imbalanced People · 2013-10-22
- The rise of the “successful” unsustainable companyJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · The rise of the “successful” unsustainable company · 2012-10-23
- Direct Sales for Bootstrapped SaaS Startups: from $1,300 to $725,000 MRRNathan Barry · nathanbarry.com · It doesn’t scale · 2017-07-06
- Navigating Sales Challenges as a Solopreneur in PodcastingArvid Kahl · thebootstrappedfounder.com · The First Hire Revelation · 2025-05-09
- Overview of Product-Led Growth (PLG)Greg Kogan · gkogan.co · What PLG is Not · 2020-12-23
the second source
Three plays a week, for the phase you are in
No roundup of links, no news. Three tactics more than one builder arrived at separately, with the numbers each one returned and the disagreements left in.
More in sales
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- Borrow credibility from the customers you have5 unconnected
- Keep a named list of dream accounts and work it5 unconnected