early-stage startup sales is really messy -- yes it's supposed to feel that way

full of ambiguity, known-unknowns, and false positives (fake momentum)

it stunts those used to binary concepts - i.e. technical folks

adding variables on top of it like:
- multi-market interpreters

Enterprise sales is far more consulting than it is sales

You're building a pitch to their specific internal use case

Startups need to be prepared it's ...

>>> creation of custom slides/decks
>>> detailed project plans/gantt charts
>>> full-time project managing their

early-stage startup sales is really, really hard

>> turning non-consumers into consumers often with no market proof
>> invalidating while maintaining conviction and team excitement
>> navigating market feedback and rejection w/o getting lost
>> sales talent that is a 50/50 if

it’s all just a sales and marketing grind

product determines if it’s on easy or hard mode

startup sales folks -- the more eager someone is to see a demo without providing quality questions/answers, the more likely it's a phishing expedition OR check-box

eagerness/impatient is usually a negative signal -- the calm folks are likely the real, reals

it’s all just a sales and marketing grind

product determines if it’s on easy or hard mode

tips for startups navigating enterprise procurement

had it gut-checked by a close friend who oversees Procurement at a Fortune10 company -- so it's got some extra validation ;)

biggest takeaway - buying is just as hard as selling

more below

warning: i know no one wants to hear half the stuff I throw out here, but hoping it saves someone time OR costly mistakes

the distance between moving someone from a 'design partner' into a 'formal paying partner' is sometimes as wide as the pacific ocean

said differently, for

i can't stress this enough as a salesperson

never join a startup where the sales team leads the product roadmap

this should only ever led by a visionary -- sales folks are not visionaries

customer feedback is great to inform but never lead