If you want a salesperson, hire a salesperson. This guy sounds like he a) doesn’t want to do sales and b) isn’t qualified to do sales.
Forget about making your sales rep a cofounder. Just pay him for selling.
Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
61–67 of 67 posts
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#62I feel like there is a general sentiment around my question which says "you shouldn't bring him on as co-founder but an employee". Why is that? Paul Graham advises founders to "get a co-founder" http://fortune.com/2014/02/25/y-combinators-paul-graham-get-...
Because co-founders cost you equity and even a few % of the next Facebook is still many millions of dollars. Or so the thinking goes.
PG says to get a co-founder because (I'd assume) from what he's seen sole founders are much less likely to end up with the next hotdog stand, much less the next Facebook.
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#63-fresh MBA -no existing network -hesitant to join -wants to moonlight All bad signs but you seem to think he would be a good person to work with so ultimately you have to decide. It sounds like what you need is 1 or 2 rich angels who have the connections to get your first few contracts, or an old guy like 50+ with actual connections and sales experience. (Pay him commissions.) Ideally you should be able to land your…
I know the industry fairly well but I have never done sales before. Mostly out bound calling / research where I've been the investor. I know potential clients or can get intros through my network. I have three advisers who I brought on in a semi-formal capacity. Two are senior investment managers and one is a serial entrepreneur having started companies in the same area. I speak to them maybe 1-2 a month to get advic…
Then you’re good to go! (Although you should make them formal advisors with incentives.) If you can’t land clients based on that network, fresh-MBA no-network-or-experience guy is not going to help.
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the U.S. & around the world sales pro's earn multi-six & 7-figure incomes (Read: more than most physicians, attorneys, engineers, etc.), yet most founders fail to recognize their import. For example, startups regularly task a co-founder or, gulp, initial admin hire to engage a prospect list or subset thereof. It is an enormous mistake that yields suboptimal adherence to best-practice and crucially, a flawed data s…
I completely agree that an excellent sales person is worth their weight in gold. Right now I don't know any. I would love to meet some. I'm based in London but I was in the US for the last 4 years. Moved back because of with the visa situation it was just easier.
For what it's worth, I do weekly consulting and coaching with founders who don't have sales experience. If you're interested, we can talk a bit further.
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#65Your ARR per annum per customer is upto $100k, trust me this is not going to be an easy sales to make, your sales cycles will be longer and will be challenging for even professional sales people. Given these conditions the credentials for the gentleman doesn't look up to mark and you should see more people, go to LinkedIn find seasoned sales people and engage them on target/comission basis before offering something as permanent amd valuable as equity.
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#66"He hesitates when it comes to sales because he does not see himself as a sales person".
"... is holding back a bit"
"he would work one day a week + weekends (his work situation is flexible) and eventually go full-time"
HUGE red flags right there. Do not give him equity.
Re: Ask HN: Solo founder and MVP. New co-founder equity split?
#67Saya ingin bergabung dengan kalian
Klompok cyber..!