Dear SaaStr: How Often Does a Typical SDR Follow Up With a Prospect? Probably Too Often These Days
Dear SaaStr: How Often Does a Typical SDR Follow Up With a Prospect? Probably too often given how the world has changed. Here’s basically the classic SDR framework in B2B: 5-7 Touchpoints: Aim for at least 5-7 touchpoints over 2-3 weeks. This is a good baseline,...
Dear SaaStr: How Do I Make Sure My First 1-2 Sales Reps Are Strong?
Dear SaaStr: How Do I Hire a Great First 1-2 Sales Reps? Hiring your first AE (Account Executive) is a pivotal moment for your startup. It’s not just about finding someone who can sell—it’s about finding someone who can sell your product in the messy, unstructured...
Dear SaaStr: How Do You Balance Optimism with Realism When Pitching VCs?
Dear SaaStr: How Do You Balance Optimism with Realism When Pitching VCs? Successful startups balance optimism with realism by presenting a compelling vision while grounding their projections in credible, data-backed assumptions. Bear in mind, most VCs — not all,...
12 of the Most Common Mistakes Scaling Your First Sales Team
Dear SaaStr: What are the most common mistakes founders make hiring their first real sales teams? A few key mistakes I see start-ups making > 50% of the time: Hiring Early Reps (#1 – #3) That You Personally Wouldn’t Buy From. Don’t hire someone with the...
Dear SaaStr: What Are Some Interview Questions a CEO Can Ask an Account Executive?
Dear SaaStr: I am having my CEO interview an AE (final stage) what are your interviews guidelines? What Are Some Interview Questions a CEO Can Ask an Account Executive? When a CEO interviews an AE, a big part is about testing for culture fit, drive, and whether they...
5 Ways AI Has Already Changed SaaS Sales Forever with Perplexity’s CBO Dmitry Shevelenko and SaaStr CRO Confidential Host Sam Blond
Perplexity’s CBO Dmitry Shevelenko and host of the SaaStr CRO Confidential series (and former CRO at Brex), Sam Blond at SaaStr Annual share how AI has already fundamentally rewired how SaaS sales works.
Dear SaaStr: When Should I Hire My First AE?
Dear SaaStr: When Should I Hire My First AE? We’re said this many times over the years at SaaStr, and it’s as true today as then: You should hire your first AE (Account Executive) once you’ve closed at least 10-20 customers yourself as the founder. Not...
Dear SaaStr: How Does a Founder Mindset Change As You Go From Startup to Scaleup?
Dear SaaStr: How Does a Founder Mindset Change As You Go From Startup to Scaleup? The big changes I see: Moving (Over Time) From Hustler to Strategist. Though Stay a Hustler, Too 😉 In the early days, you’re in the trenches—selling, building, and doing whatever it...
The Hidden Truth About Vibe Coding in SaaS: Most B2B Software Was Never Hard to Build
The Vibe Coding discourse has gotten loud. Social media is full of hot takes about AI replacing developers, the death of software engineering, and whether we’re all doomed or destined for greatness. There’s already a lot of truth here, and the explosive...
Dear SaaStr: We’re at $8m ARR, Growing 50% and Bootstrapped. Should We Raise a Growth Round?
Dear SaaStr: We’re at $8m ARR, Growing 50% and Bootstrapped. Should We Raise a Growth Round? At $8M ARR, breakeven, with 50% growth and an LTV/CAC of 5+, you’re in a solid position. You have options. The decision to raise or not depends on your goals and how...
Dear SaaStr: What is The Best Way to Set Sales Rep Quotas at Each Stage of a B2B Business?
Dear SaaStr: What is The Best Way to Set Sales Rep Quotas at Each Stage of a B2B Business? Setting sales rep quotas in a SaaS business depends heavily on your stage of growth and ARR. Here’s how I’d break it down: 1. Early Stage (Sub-$1M ARR): At this stage, your...
Dear SaaStr: We Have More Than 20% Churn Our First Month. What Should We Do?
Dear SaaStr: We Have More Than 20% Churn Our First Month. What Should We Do? This is pretty common in the prosumer space and especially in mobile subscription apps. And even where you don’t see 20% churn the first month with SMBs, it often lurks, because most...
Dear SaaStr: Should I Move My Start-Up to SF Bay Area?
Dear SaaStr: Should I Move My Start-Up to SF Bay Area? The SF Bay Area is still the epicenter of B2B and tech. And AI has made it … even more so. Even as the world has gone more remote and distributed, there are unique advantages to being based here—especially...
Dear SaaStr: What Are A Few Top Tips to Hiring The Right First VP of Sales?
Dear SaaStr: What Are A Few Top Tips to Hiring The Right First VP of Sales? Hiring a great VP of Sales is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make as a founder. Get it right, and they’ll scale your revenue and team. Get it wrong, and you’ll lose a year—or more....
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