#hiring

According to SaaStr, a great sales rep cannot sell any B2B product well in software. The very best SaaS reps who are truly curious can often sell almost any product, but this group is narrow.

SaaStr states that salespeople can be good at outbound but not inbound, or the reverse. They can perform well only when backed by an established brand and market position.

SaaStr published guidance on mistakes new VPs of Sales and CROs make in their first week. The article focuses on errors that lead to mis-hires and outlines steps candidates and CEOs can take to avoid them.

According to SaaStr, many new leaders fail to know the product cold before starting. Others do not begin work the week prior by reviewing email, Slack, calls, and recordings.

Founders at B2B AI startups report hiring executives who worked at good companies once or twice yet never performed the core work of the roles. According to [SaaStr](https://www.saastr.com/beware-the-mediocre-recycled-the-zombie-executives-of-b2b-ai/), these hires possess the right LinkedIn logos and speak fluently about PLG, enterprise motions and AI-native go-to-market but have not built AI workflows themselves.

A SaaStr post provides stage-by-stage hiring guidance for B2B SaaS companies growing from zero to $10 million in annual recurring revenue. The guidance states that every hire has outsized impact with little redundancy in this range.

Founders should lead sales and close the first 10-20 customers to refine the pitch. Companies may hire 1-2 scrappy AEs or SDRs for lead gen support.

A SaaStr article states that companies can determine whether a new VP Sales hire will work out within 30 days by applying two specific tests focused on recruiting and team management.

The article explains that the majority of first VP Sales hires in SaaS companies do not remain in the role for 12 months. It asserts that the determination can be made in 30 days rather than waiting for revenue outcomes.