Sales11 min read read

Hiring Your First Sales Rep: A Founder Guide

Your first sales hire can make or break your go-to-market. Here is how to find someone who can sell without a playbook.

Roles Team

Talent Advisors · January 10, 2025

# Hiring Your First Sales Rep

Your first sales rep is one of the hardest hires you will make.

When to Hire

Founders should close at least 10-20 customers first. You need a repeatable sales process.

- Coachability and hunger to learn - Comfort with ambiguity - Rejection resilience - Strong work ethic

For early-stage: 60/40 or 70/30 base/variable. First sales rep OTE: $120-180K.

Your first sales rep should be a learner, not a process-follower.

What top YC companies like Stripe, Airbnb, and DoorDash have in common when it comes to hiring exceptional talent.

Series A is when hiring mistakes become really expensive. Here are the errors we see most often and how to avoid them.

Equity is your most valuable recruiting tool. Here is how to use it effectively to attract top talent.