SaaStr

MARCH 5, 2023

Ode to the $100,000,000 Exit Dear SaaStr: Should You Hire Someone That Seems Good … But Always Job Hops? SaaStr 639: Scaling a SaaS Sales Team While Building Culture with Figma VP of Sales Scott Pugh   3. SaaStr 639: Scaling a SaaS Sales Team While Building Culture with Figma VP of Sales Scott Pugh   3.

Scale 211

Scale Sales Hiring CTO Hire Startup 211

TechEmpower SaaS

DECEMBER 11, 2023

In 2023, there were approximately 26.3 Although noteworthy, working with large corporations differs remarkably from working with startups. While the appearance matters, remember you are hiring the development firm primarily for its development skills, not its graphic design skills. Is there a project manager?

Software Development 443

Software Development Development Software Review Software 443

SaaStr

JANUARY 16, 2023

Most salespeople will succeed somewhere … but fail at >your< specific startup. Earlier stage startups: – Have no brand – Have no/little training – Have very few resources. Most important is making sure they will thrive at your startup. The ones you hire before your first great VP of Sales.

Sales Hiring 267

Sales Hiring Startup Underperforming Technical Team Branding 267

SaaStr

JANUARY 12, 2024

We just wrote up how some of the biggest changes of SaaS are now coming, specifically in Customer Success and Sales. Customer Success Is Vulnerable to Cuts Jason shared that he didn’t realize how vulnerable customer success was to cuts until 2023. So e ven if you had a hard 2023, there’s magic in this chart. Let’s dive in.

Sales Hiring 251

Sales Hiring Customer Success Scale AI 251

SaaStr

JANUARY 11, 2023

The new year has officially begun, and since the markets have become more unpredictable over the past few years, SaaS founders are likely wondering what the VC landscape will look like in 2023. Pete Kazanjy: Kazanjy is a seasoned startup founder, investor, and advisor. Will the same be true in 2023? The Backstory.

Venture Capital 186

Venture Capital Investment Sales Hiring Entrepreneurship 186

SaaStr

JANUARY 30, 2023

20X year 1⃣ 12X year 2⃣ 5X year 3⃣ #deelspeed @deel [link] — Shuooo (@shuoshuooshuooo) January 23, 2023 When we look at SaaS companies’ success stories, everything looks great on their growth maps. As a startup, it’s hard to know if the timing is right and what to expect.

Sales Hiring 234

Sales Hiring Payment Services SaaS Payments Scale 234

SaaStr

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Only the very best reps that have sold sales or marketing tools, which are very similar to the tools they use every day already, can sell vertical saas or developer tools. Sales reps mostly know how to sell sales and marketing tools. Be wary hiring from these companies if you don’t sell something pretty similar.

Sales Hiring 171

Sales Hiring Sales SaaS SMB 171

SaaStr

JANUARY 29, 2023

Basically all of the SaaS CEOs/founders I know of have made at least one terrible VP+ level hire. Sometimes it’s VP Sales (OK, often, this is the most common mishire — another post here on what a really great VPS can do for you, and how a poor one can wreck your company, coming). Sometimes it’s VP Marketing.

Sales Hiring 287

Sales Hiring Scale Underperforming Technical Team Startup 287

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Many startups missed 2022 revenue goals and are forecasting slower growth for 2023, especially compared to the explosive growth of teams and revenue during the Boom of 2021 and early 2022. On top of that, sales teams must still communicate with those functional leads, who then have to try and sell up internally.

Sales Hiring 130

Sales Hiring Scale Sales Strategy 130

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Founders Today Just Need to Assume the Next Round Never Comes What Happens When You Hire the Wrong VP (Updated) Dear SaaStr: When Do Free Trials Work Well? SaaStr 632: CRO Confidential: How To Adapt Your Sales Strategy To The Current Sales Environment with Sam Blond and Hannah Willson, SVP of Sales at Modern Health  2.

Sales Recruiting 130

Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Venture Capital Sales 130

SaaStr

OCTOBER 1, 2023

We’re Back to Hiring. ” Does Your VP of Sales Need to be An Expert In Your Product? Dear SaaStr: What is The Biggest Difference Between Running a 10 Person Startup and a 100 Person Startup? Watch The Top 7 Sessions From 2023 SaaStr Annual! State of the Cloud 2023 with Bessemer Venture Partners 5.

Sales Hiring 156

Sales Hiring Scale Cloud Startup 156

SaaStr

OCTOBER 24, 2023

In fact, Gartner predicts 2024 spending will grow far faster than 2023, which still grew substantially. Salesforce is back to aggressive hiring. And even at that scale, Cloud sales are growing a stunning 16% (!). Fairly far away from a lot of apps startups sell. Who’s getting hit hard these days are Optional Apps.

Cloud 237

Cloud Scale Sales Hiring Business 237

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

So, what exactly is happening in the venture capital world, and what do startup founders need to know? In a candid discussion hosted by 20VC Founder Harry Stebbings, SaaS Founder Jason Lemkin shares his thoughts on the current state of fundraising and what founders should expect in 2023. Don’t make impossible demands of the sales team.

Venture Capital 198

Venture Capital Sales Hiring Social Media Healthcare 198

SaaStr

DECEMBER 17, 2023

Check out this week’s top blog posts, podcasts, and videos: Top Blog Posts This Week: Knowing — and Sharing — Your Zero Cash Date (Updated) Salesforce: Your Job’s at Risk If You Sell Less Than $400k a Year The Top 3 Things CROs Are Quietly Talking About These Days 2023 Was The Year of Hiding Inside the Base.

Sales Hiring 164

Sales Hiring Scale AI Startup 164

Point Nine Land

OCTOBER 23, 2023

P9 Panel on Hiring Sales Leaders — Founders Summit 2023 “You are going to fire your first sales manager!” — A lesson too many founders learn the hard way. At Point Nine, we aspire to continuously share what we learn with our community and the extended startup ecosystem.

Sales Hiring 125

Sales Hiring Scale Technical Advisors Technical Cofounder 125

SaaStr

MAY 16, 2024

Jason has noted the importance of a hybrid model and, in 2023, added that many CROs have said they want folks back in the office at least three days a week because those outside of the top 5% of performers suffer from a remote model. They had no hiring expertise and little money. As a manager, you have to do things differently.

Sales Recruiting 240

Sales Recruiting AI Search B2B Sales Hiring 240

Tom Tunguz

MAY 2, 2022

When I asked him what he meant, he replied because capital was so plentiful and accessible today, he hired more expensive people, spent more time developing a product, and invested with a longer time horizon before demonstrating evidence of success. Software startups would need at least $1m in ARR to raise capital to muster a small round.

Product Marketing 332

Product Marketing Sales Hiring Marketing Software Development 332

User Pilot

JULY 27, 2023

Before hiring, assess your current needs and hire as your company grows. Account Managers: They serve as the lead point of contact for all customer account management matters. Before the hiring process, take some time to decide on your current needs and hire as your company grows.

Sales Hiring 98

Sales Hiring SaaS Payments Sales Recruiting CTO Hire 98

SaaStr

APRIL 2, 2023

In February 2023, I hit my 10-year anniversary (or “Gainaversary,” as we say) of running Gainsight. I walk them through this when I hire them. There are many stories of legendary exec hires. I hired the person with a great resume but who didn’t get our business, culture, or community.

Sales Hiring 268

Sales Hiring Scale Scaling Customer Success 268

SaaStr

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023

This showcases a narrow segment of a niche market, and it’s missing a lot of startups. Any startup in any reasonable category likely has dozens of competitors, and Altman believes the best strategy to compete in 2023 and beyond is multi-product. Startups are no longer fringe. How can a startup compete with a big company?

Scale 237

Scale Scaling Startup Sales Hiring 237

SaaStr

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

SaaStr 630: Sales-led vs. Product-led? Today’s Startups Need Both with Jason Eubanks, CRO at Harness  2. SaaStr 629: CRO Confidential: Sales Recruitment in 2023 For Candidates and Hiring Managers With Flexport’s Ben Braverman   3.

Sales Recruiting 199

Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Scale Venture Capital 199

SaaStr

OCTOBER 29, 2023

That’s enough to justify the hire. As the CEO of Braze put it at SaaStr Europa this year, they could close tech startups as customers without a local office. jasonlk) October 29, 2023 In the end, “most” B2B companies whose product can be used anywhere end up with about 25%-30% of their revenue in Europe. Plan for it.

Sales Hiring 243

Sales Hiring SaaS B2B Revenue 243

SaaStr

AUGUST 7, 2023

Learn about the most important SaaS metrics for founders in 2023 with the CEOs of the most metric-oriented company, monday.com, and the founder of SaaStr. As we transition from the exuberance of 2021 into 2023, marketers have become super short-term focused. You can still measure something in the funnel.

Metrics 197

Metrics SaaS Sales Hiring Finance 197

Mucker Capital

OCTOBER 10, 2023

Sales development is a nuanced blend of art and science, requiring a delicate balance for its effective implementation within a company. Drawing from substantial experience, Sally Duby from The Bridge Group provides valuable insights into the intricate realm of sales development. Sally's wisdom sheds light on this dilemma.

Scale 52

Scale Sales Hiring Outsourced Development Development 52

SaaStr

JUNE 1, 2022

And Salesforce noted it’s slowing down hiring, and taking a break from bigger acquisitions, for now. So if things are slowing down at your startup, be honest about the root cause. Salesforce Growth: 2023 $31.8B (guidance) 2022 $26.5B This isn’t to say a slowdown isn’t coming, or that some industries aren’t impacted. 2014 $4.1B.

Sales Hiring 322

Sales Hiring Acquisition Cloud Enterprise 322

Tom Tunguz

OCTOBER 31, 2023

With the end of the fiscal year approaching for many software companies, management teams are running the numbers for different scenarios. This year has been tumultuous : most startups reduced their bookings, and grinded through the first six months suffering through pipeline shocks - the result of CFO-budget pressure.

Headcount 171

Headcount Sales Hiring AI Cloud 171

SaaStr

MARCH 27, 2022

Instead, it sort of makes you think about taking the First Good Offer for your startup. There are 1000s of startups but only a handful of great opportunities for most of it. I’ll never make more money in the stock market, or investing in startups, or anything else … than I’ve made betting on myself.

Scale 361

Scale Sales Hiring Venture Capital Startup 361

SaaStr

JANUARY 29, 2023

Why VCs Love Founders That Respond to Email Almost Instantly 90%-95% of Salespeople Won’t Make It At Your Startup. SaaStr 628: Revenue Alignment: How to Pull Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success Together with Divvy CRO Sterling Snow  2. A 6 Part Test to Help You Get It Right. Really, Really, Low.

Sales Recruiting 193

Sales Recruiting Sales Hiring Scale AWS 193

SaaStr

JANUARY 22, 2023

Check out this week’s top blog posts, podcasts, and videos: Top Blog Posts This Week: 5 Interesting Learnings from Docebo at $145,000,000 in ARR Fractional CROs and CMOs: The Only Times I’ve Ever Seen Them Work 90%-95% of Salespeople Won’t Make It At Your Startup. A 6 Part Test to Help You Get It Right.

Scale 199

Scale Customer Success Venture Capital Sales Hiring 199

SaaStr

DECEMBER 9, 2020

Let’s take a look: Folks join startups for many reasons. Hire great people. It's generally about 12 months after an investment that I really, truly understand what the startup does. Most salespeople will fail at your startup. Try this exercise as CEO: * Create brand new email account * Fire up Incognito.

Sales Hiring 275

Sales Hiring Scale Startup Investment 275

SaaStr

JUNE 15, 2023

SaaS eSignature Market: From $1 Million in 2006 to $1 Billion in 2018 to $5 Billion in 2023 | SaaStr Dear SaaStr: I’ve Been Asked to Take Over as CEO of a 1 Year Old Startup with 20 Employees. One of the best sales people. If you are none of these — the team will not respect a random hired gun at this stage.

Sales Recruiting 215

Sales Recruiting Marketing Sales Hiring Market Segmentation 215

SaaStr

AUGUST 29, 2022

5 Critical and Company-Altering Learnings from B2B Startups with Y Combinator : Anu Hariharan , Managing Director at Y Combinator, will share key learnings from top B2B startups and how these pivotal lessons help founders build in any sector. How should marketing, sales, and product all work together?

Scale 250

Scale Sales Hiring Marketplace as a Service B2B 250

SaaStr

JULY 24, 2022

Check out this week’s top blog posts, podcasts, and videos: Top Blog Posts This Week: Gartner: Software Spend Will Still Grow by $100 Billion in 2023. The Ultimate Guide for Hiring a Great VP of Sale s. If sales are down — be honest about the root cause. 5 Scale-Up Mistakes for Startups with Dave Kellogg.

Scale 245

Scale Sales Hiring Scaling Pricing 245

Clouded Judgement

JULY 21, 2023

Every startup and public company should be acutely aware of their SBC expense and dilution. I’d recommend every startup track and report fully diluted share count in every quarterly board meeting in the same way they track and report ARR. Not hiring sales reps and letting competitors take market share?

Cloud 130

Cloud Software Sales Hiring Scale 130

Chart Mogul

JULY 28, 2023

Four experts from the SaaS world sit down to discuss sales tech stacks, evolving your sales team, and some common mistakes organizations make building sales teams and purchasing software. ChartMogul’s very own VP of Sales, Sara Archer heads the panel discussion.

Scale 52

Scale Sales Hiring Scaling Sales 52

FastSpring

AUGUST 2, 2023

When TestDome was created, CEO and co-founder Mario Zivic knew the pre-employment testing software company wouldn’t be able to rely on domestic sales to succeed. “As As a startup with only two or three people, it would be absolutely impossible to go international without this kind of platform.” Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

Payment Solutions 148

Payment Solutions Payment Methods Merchant Services AI Search 148

The SaaS Garage

DECEMBER 15, 2022

repath , an emerging Impact startup founded in Hamburg in 2021, raises €1.2 “It’s important and that we are in line with the current state of the art in science and that we see ourselves as a research-based impact startup.” The post Impact startup repath raises 1.2 repath raises 1.2

CTO 52

CTO Startup Venture Capital Transportation 52