Dear SaaStr: What’s Something on a New VP’s First Day That Sets Off Red Flags?
Great VP of Sales, first day:
– identifies top existing talent, does what it takes to keep them
– begins to move out underperformersMediocre VP of Sales, first month:
– top talent leaves
– tries hard to keep everyone— Jason ✨👾SaaStr 2025 is May 13-15✨ Lemkin (@jasonlk) January 29, 2025
At a manager level, my #1 red flag is if they don’t quickly move to integrate the team they inherit. Because this something totally actionable, immediately. No matter what the facts on the ground.
This is different than changing things up, or even deciding who to keep.
But true managers always at least try to integrate with the team they inherit on Day 1, or at least half-way through Week 1.
- If you hire a new VP and you see legacy folks on his/her team excluded in the first week, not invited to things, cut out of the loop … that’s a flag.
- If you see one part of the team that the new VP hasn’t even reached out to in their first few days, say the SMB team or the European team … that’s a flag.
Of someone not quite yet seasoned enough to be a true VP.
You have to go to battle with the team you have. The best managers know this. Yes, you can change the team and usually should at least evolve it — but not on Day 1.
The first week is about going deep on the team you inherit. Be it a team of 1 or a team of 100.
