VC Perspective: When to Transition from Founder Led Sales

Blog header 4
Table of Contents

When is it time to ditch founder-led sales for a more professionalised playbook? We wanted the VC perspective so we asked Kiran Mehta, Investment Manager at Mercia Asset Management.

Founder-led sales can be great, but:

  • It likely won’t attract VC funding or lead to explosive growth.
  • There’s a limit to how scalable it can be.

Here’s when to consider a playbook:

  • You’ve achieved a certain level of revenue or funding. Mehta suggests £200,000 to £2 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) as potential tipping points.
  • Your sales process needs to be documented and systematised.

Shifting from founder-centric to playbook sales involves:

  • Building a Sales Development Rep (SDR) team: This frees up the founder to focus on strategic initiatives while the SDRs handle lead generation.
  • Creating a repeatable sales process: A documented playbook ensures consistency and reduces risk.
  • Hiring for specific skills: As you move away from founder-led sales, you may need to bring in salespeople who complement the founder’s deep domain knowledge.

What does this mean?

While founder-led sales can get you started, building a professionalised playbook is essential for long-term success, especially if you’re aiming for VC funding.

who we work with

Headhunting individual sales contributors and sales leaders. 

Founders

Helping SaaS founders build and grow GTM teams
Learn more

Sales Leaders

Partnering with sales leaders to scale up SaaS startups
Learn more

VCs

SaaS sales solutions for VCs and their portfolio
Learn more

Our resource library.

Accelerate your growth.

Book your free GTM discovery.