Avoid These Common Mistakes as an Early-Stage Founder
Hey Friends,
A little preview of what's coming in the following weeks. After many months of solopreneurship, I have built a small, strong team around me under the name Inscaler.
It's a boutique GTM consultancy that helps early-stage founders (up to €5M ARR) effectively build and scale their Go-to-Market.
Along with me (Founder + Sales) - we have Federico (Growth), Carmelo (Product Marketing and Sales Enablement), and Max (Sales + Customer Success).
You will get to know them more in the coming weeks, but we might be a fit if you need help building or scaling your early-stage GTM.
Email me at matteo@inscaler.com for a "Free Sales Assessment," and I will reach out to run your first assessment.
Right now, to today's newsletter. 👇
I have worked with 50+ early-stage founders in the past year and a half. I only work with forward-thinking founders who want to build repeatable sales processes.
80% were in B2B tech, and the rest in marketplace and consultancy.
I have worked closely with them and helped them build and scale their first sales team.
Whilst they are gifted, bright minds, they always make the same mistakes.
Mistakes they work with me to fix.
Here are early-stage founders' most common mistakes when building their first sales team.
Mistake 1: The Replication Dilemma
As a founder, you're likely the first salesperson for your company.
You're passionate about your product and can leverage your connections to make those early sales.
However, problems arise when it's time to scale and bring in new sales hires.
Many founders assume replicating their approach will work for their new hires, but this rarely pans out.
Why? Because your passion, connections, and authority as a founder carry weight that your new team can't replicate.
Instead of expecting your new hires to sell the way you do, focus on developing a straightforward, replicable sales process.
Mistake 2: The Discovery Pitfall
Discovery calls are one of the most critical sales cycle stages, yet they're often where founder-led teams have headaches.
Many founders or early-stage sales teams make the mistake of turning discovery calls into product pitches.
They talk too much, focus on features, and forget to ask the right questions.
This approach leads to missed opportunities and lost deals.
The worst part is that they 'teach' their teams to do the same.
Listen carefully, ask great open questions, and find the pain to improve your discovery calls.
Mistake 3: Hiring a Sales Leader Too Early
Many early-stage startups rush to hire a Head of Sales, thinking this will solve their scaling problems.
Some even promote their best salesperson into this leadership role.
Unfortunately, this often backfires.
The skills required to sell differ from those needed to build and lead a team.
As a result, early-stage Heads of Sales often last less than a year.
Instead of rushing this hire, you could build a solid sales foundation first.
Hire someone with experience scaling sales teams but in a fractional or consulting capacity.
They can help you build processes, create a playbook, and train your team.
This way, you'll be better prepared when it's time to hire a full-time Head of Sales who can effectively lead and grow your team.
Take Action
Building a successful sales team doesn't happen overnight.
It takes careful planning, the right hires, and a process focus.
There are no shortcuts to success.
Avoid these three mistakes, and you will be already ahead of the curve.
Thanks for reading this far. I look forward to seeing you all next week.
