Dear SaaStr: How Long of a Ramp Period Should I Give a New VP of Sales?
Look, to be clear, the best ones just hit the ground running. Their first week and really even their first day. Everyone else … looks a little lost when they start 😉
For a Head of Sales at a seed or Series A startup, you should give them one full sales cycle—usually 90 days—to show meaningful progress. Not to quadruple sales, but to tilt the curve for real. To take control and make things at least a bit better.
Let me break it down further:
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30-45 Days: They Need to Have Mastered the Product and ICP
Really, ideally, before they start. But at least by the end of the first month, they should be able to demo the product like a pro, handle the top 10-20 objections, and deeply understand your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). If they’re still fumbling through the basics at this point, it’s a red flag. It really is. -
60 Days: Build Pipeline and Close Early Deals
By the second month, they should be actively building pipeline and closing smaller, faster-moving deals themselves. At this stage, if they’re not generating momentum in the pipeline, it’s time to dig into why. It’s a bad sign. -
90 Days: Show Measurable Impact
By the end of the first full sales cycle (90 days), you should see clear signs of improvement: more demos, more contracts being drafted, and ideally, more closed deals. If there’s no measurable progress by this point, they’re likely not the right fit . -
6 Months: Prove They Can Scale
If they’ve made it past the 90-day mark, the next 3 months are about proving they can scale. This means hiring and ramping 1-2 reps, refining the sales process, and hitting early revenue targets. If they’re not building a scalable system by 6 months, it’s time to reevaluate.
Seed and Series A startups don’t have the luxury of waiting 12-18 months to see if someone will work out. You need results fast, but you also need to give them enough time to learn the product, build pipeline, and start closing deals. If they’re not moving the needle within 90 days, it’s better to cut losses early.
