By fixing the upfront cash collection, the business generates enough surplus to potentially double sales commissions from $50 to $100 per deal. This elevated pay structure attracts a completely different caliber of salesperson—"an order of magnitude better"—who can close more deals per day, dramatically accelerating growth without adding financial risk.

Instead of writing a traditional corporate job description, the advice is to write a sales-focused ad. It should have a compelling headline, address the pains of other sales jobs, promise a high income, and clearly define the simple actions required for success (e.g., "memorize four questions"). This approach attracts the right, motivated candidates.

Don't finalize a comp plan in an executive silo. Share the draft with trusted, top-performing reps and ask them to break it. They will immediately spot loopholes and unintended incentives, allowing you to create a more robust plan that drives the right behaviors from day one.

Don't underestimate small revenue streams like affiliate commissions. Because they are often pure profit, they go directly to the bottom line and can have a disproportionately large, life-changing impact on a small business owner's personal income.

Instead of treating high commission payouts as a pure expense, view them as a marketing asset. Actively ensuring it's known that top reps make a lot of money serves as the best possible recruiting tool, attracting other A-players to your company.

Forgo traditional sales commissions at early-stage companies to incentivize what's best for the business, not just the individual. By offering a competitive salary and strong equity instead, salespeople are motivated to help with onboarding, cross-functional projects, and team building without seeing it as a financial loss.

When negotiating a job offer, ask for more stock options instead of a higher salary. This is often better received by employers as it signals you are a long-term believer in the company's success and want to be an "owner," not just an employee.

To handle 'bluebird' deals without demotivating reps, avoid hard caps. Instead, implement a policy where commissions exceeding a high threshold (e.g., 400% of variable pay) are 'subject to review.' This protects the company from unearned windfalls while maintaining unlimited potential for legitimate efforts.

If a salesperson sells all available inventory but still misses quota due to the company's inability to produce more, they should negotiate to be paid commission on their full potential. The argument is that the failure to hit the target was an operational issue, not a sales performance issue.