Sales reps at market leaders often succeed due to brand strength and inbound leads, not individual skill. Instead, recruit talent who proved they could win at the #3 company in a tough market. They possess the grit and creativity needed for an early-stage startup without a playbook.

A person's past rate of growth is the best predictor of their future potential. When hiring, look for evidence of a steep learning curve and rapid progression—their 'slope.' This is more valuable than their current title or accomplishments, as people tend to maintain this trajectory.

In a collaborative sales environment, a candidate's ability to be a good teammate is more valuable than their contact list. A difficult personality with a great rolodex can harm team productivity, whereas a collaborative person can be supported in building their own network.

The ideal early startup employee has an extreme bias for action and high agency. They identify problems and execute solutions without needing approvals, and they aren't afraid to fail. This contrasts sharply with candidates from structured environments like consulting, who are often more calculated and risk-averse.

At the $1-10M ARR stage, avoid junior reps or VPs from large companies. The ideal first hire can "cosplay a founder"—they sell the vision, craft creative deals, and build trust without a playbook. Consider former founders or deep product experts, even with no formal sales experience.

Sales experience on a resume can be a 'false positive.' When hiring SDRs, prioritize untrainable qualities like work ethic, mindset, and resilience over specific past roles. These character traits are a better predictor of long-term success than skills that can be taught.

In a complex field like ad tech, curiosity is as critical as experience. Interviewers should assess this by seeing if candidates drive the conversation with insightful questions. A lack of curiosity is a major red flag, suggesting they won't thrive in a dynamic environment.

A startup's initial salesperson should prioritize mirroring the founder's successful sales approach. Their job is to deconstruct the founder's "hook" through observation and trial-and-error, not to immediately implement formal sales processes, metrics, or a CRM. Success comes from successful knowledge transfer, not premature system building.

The ideal sales hire changes dramatically across scaling stages. Initially, you need a "product manager" type who can handle ambiguity and provide product feedback. A top rep from a large company would fail because they rely on established processes and support systems that don't yet exist.