Gems from around the (PM) world - Vol 29
Founders should close the first 10 sales
Hey PMs and founders
Before we got to this weeks gems, some announcements.
Many of you have commented that you like these Gems I share each week. So I will keep continuing this series each Friday. But I am planning to drop them to one per week. Mostly because of my own restricted time on researching them.
Second, I have designed a bootcamp for very early stage startups. This is a 3 day bootcamp for upto 5 startups. And the goal is to help define the ICP, customer segment, value proposition, pitch deck so that you can get to your first 5 paying customers. Check out this page for more details or send to someone you know is ready.
Today’s Gem:
In my startup advisory, I tell founders that the first 10 sales (b2b) should be done by the founders. When I joined iCharts in 2009, I was employee #2 and an early founder. In the first 3 months, I probably reached out to 80 prospects - email, cold call, connections etc. It was extremely uncomfortable for me but I learnt a ton about selling and the sales process.
This is an interesting article from Wing ventures in their new founder doc series.
TLDR
“As a founder, you’re the bedrock of your startup’s sales strategy. This article will make the case for why you should be your startup’s first salesperson, and how to build a powerful sales team after you close your first deals.”
Why a founder should lead and close the first 10 deals
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