Dear SaaStr: When Do You Find a “Fractional” VP of Sales Works at an Early Stage Startup?
Just about Never.
I’m not a fan of fractional sales leadership for early-stage startups. It’s almost always a waste of time, money and energy. Don’t get … oversold here 😉
Here’s why it almost never works:
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You Need Someone All-In. Early-stage startups are chaotic. You’re figuring out your sales motion, your ICP (ideal customer profile), and your pricing. A fractional leader just doesn’t have the bandwidth or focus to dive deep into your business and solve these problems. You need someone who’s fully committed and ready to live and breathe your startup every day.
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They Won’t Build the Team You Need. A great VP of Sales isn’t just about closing deals—they’re about recruiting and building a team. Fractional leaders rarely have the time or incentive to recruit top talent for you. And without a strong team, you’re not going to scale.
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It’s a Band-Aid, Not a Solution. Fractional hires often feel like a quick fix, but they’re rarely accretive. They might help you close a few deals, but they won’t build the repeatable processes or scalable infrastructure you need to grow. You’ll end up wasting time and money, and you’ll still need to hire a full-time leader down the line.
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Early-Stage Startups Need Hands-On Leadership. At the early stage, you need a VP of Sales who can roll up their sleeves and close deals themselves while building the foundation for scaling. Fractional leaders typically don’t take on this level of hands-on responsibility.
- You Can Only Handle So Much Advice. In the end most fractiona leaders in sales, marketing, etc. just want to provide advice. You can only process a few hours of this at a time.
If you’re not ready to hire a full-time VP of Sales, you’re better off doing the work yourself as the founder or hiring a strong individual contributor who can help you get to $1M ARR.
Once you hit that milestone, you’ll have the traction and clarity to bring in a great full-time Head of Sales who can scale your team and processes.
Fractional sales leadership might seem appealing because it’s cheaper or easier, but in reality, it’s rarely the right move for early-stage startups.
The only very small exceptions I’ve seen is where the fractional resource truly is great and hands-on … and commits to hiring a full-time VP of Sales for you. That can work.
More on that here:
