The 'First Two Reps' Selection Framework
by Jason Lemkin • Founder & CEO at SaaStr
Creator of SaaStr, the world's largest community for B2B founders. Previously CEO/Co-founder of EchoSign (acquired by Adobe for $100M+ ARR).
🎙️ Episode Context
Jason Lemkin shares a masterclass on building a B2B sales engine from scratch, debunking common myths about hiring VPs of Sales too early. He details exact frameworks for hiring the first two representatives, structuring early compensation, and managing the tension between product roadmaps and sales requests.
Problem It Solves
Founders often hire polished veterans with great resumes (e.g., from Salesforce) who fail completely in a chaotic startup environment.
Framework Overview
A heuristic for identifying the first two Account Executives (AEs) who can actually sell an imperfect startup product. It prioritizes product passion and grit over logos on a resume.
🧠 Framework Structure
The 'Buy From' Test: Ask yourself, 'W...
The Difficulty Heuristic: Hire candid...
The 'Sell Me This App' Assignment: Re...
Hire in Pairs: Always hire two reps s...
When to Use
When you have closed your first 10 customers yourself and are ready to make your first sales hires.
Common Mistakes
Hiring a VP of Sales as the first hire, or hiring someone who managed a mature territory at a market leader (e.g., Snowflake/Salesforce) and expects inbound leads.
Real World Example
Jason hired a rep who was living in a garage and had been let go from a startup. He wasn't a 'veteran,' but he understood the product deeply and closed their first 5, 6, and 7-figure deals.
Those first couple reps have to be people you would buy your own product from. That's it.
— Jason Lemkin