Should a founder hire an SDR or an AE first?

Before you hire for any role, do every job yourself for a period of time.

One of the reasons you want to do the SDR and AE jobs yourself is that you want to be really close to the customer in the beginning, so you can adjust product market fit. You are going to learn so much if you get these conversations yourself.

You are the first SDR

When you first launch, you are the SDR. Do that job for a while, until the funnel starts to fill.

When to hire an SDR first

There are two reasons to make an SDR your first sales hire:

• You have driven so much interest that you don't have time to prospect.
• After a long enough test, you think the problem is you.

Otherwise, let the business decide

• If you have a great lead engine and you are getting quality leads, hire an AE.
• If you have the sales process down but need to skill up in lead generation, think about hiring an SDR.

Not sure which one you are?

Either way, let's talk about it. We'll figure it out in 20 minutes.

Common follow-ups

Should a founder do their own prospecting before hiring an SDR?

Yes. When you launch, you are the SDR. Do that job for a while, until the funnel starts to fill, before you hire anyone to do it. You want to be really close to the customer in the beginning, so you can adjust product market fit.

When does it make sense to hire an SDR first?

When you have driven so much interest that you no longer have time to prospect, or when, after a long enough test, you think the problem is you.

When should a founder hire an AE first?

When you have a great lead engine and you are getting quality leads.