Startup Sales Hiring: From First Rep to Full Team
How to hire salespeople who can sell ambiguity and grow with your company from seed to scale.
Roles Team
Talent Advisors · January 9, 2025
# Startup Sales Hiring: From First Rep to Full Team
Hiring salespeople for a startup is fundamentally different from hiring for an established company. You need people who can sell without a playbook, handle rejection from unknown prospects, and help build the sales motion from scratch.
When to Make Your First Sales Hire
### Signs You're Ready - Founders have closed initial deals and understand the sales motion - You have repeatable product-market fit signals - Deal cycle and buyer persona are reasonably clear - You have enough leads to keep a salesperson busy
### Signs You're Not Ready - Founders haven't sold the product themselves - Product is still finding fit - No clarity on ideal customer profile - Expecting sales to create demand that doesn't exist
What to Look For
### In Your First Sales Hire - Startup experience (ideally early-stage) - Comfortable with ambiguity and iteration - Strong discovery and qualification skills - Coachable with growth mindset - Not dependent on brand or inbound
### In Subsequent Hires - Track record of quota attainment - Relevant industry or deal size experience - Ability to follow established process - Team player mentality
The Interview Process
### Screen for Startup Fit Ask about: - Deals they've closed without brand recognition - How they've handled product gaps or pivots - Times they've built something from scratch - Their tolerance for uncertainty
### Evaluate Selling Skills - Role-play a discovery call - Have them pitch your product after research - Test objection handling - Check references specifically on sales ability
Compensation Structure
### Base vs. Variable Early-stage typically: 50/50 split As you scale: Can move toward 60/40 or 70/30
### OTE Guidelines - SDR: $70-90K OTE - AE (SMB): $120-180K OTE - AE (Mid-Market): $180-280K OTE - AE (Enterprise): $280-400K+ OTE
The Bottom Line
Your first sales hires will define your go-to-market culture. Hire people who can sell through ambiguity, iterate on the playbook, and help you figure out what works.