The 10M Founder-Led Sales Secrets VCs Hide From You - EP 110 | Classics with Seth DeHart

[This episode was initially published in February 2024 and
remains a timeless deep dive into the most critical phase of any
B2B startup.]


In this episode, I'm talking with Seth DeHart – Serial Sales
Leader, Advisor, and author of the legendary Point Nine "First
Sales Hire" article. A conversation about the most challenging
transition in B2B scaling: When and how to move from Founder-Led
Sales to your first scalable sales organisation.



What you'll learn:


The Network Reality: Why Founder-Led Sales isn't "real" sales
and what that means for your first hire

The 3-6 Month Problem: Why it takes so long to find your
first sales hire – and why most founders start looking too late

Repeatability vs. Product-Market-Fit: Seth's controversial
thesis that 5% conversion from outreach to discovery is enough
for scaling

Full-Cycle vs. SDR First: The strategic decision that
determines the success or failure of sales scaling

Startup vs. Enterprise Experience: Why it's "Tennis not
Football" – the psychological requirements for early-stage sales
hires




My highlights:


"All founders can do it – whether they do do it is different"
– The brutal truth about founder capabilities

The Pipeline Experiment: 100 Prospects 10 Meetings 7 Paid
POCs = Scaling Signal

Advisor Quality Check: Why sample size matters more than
single success stories




About the guest:


Seth DeHart is a Serial Sales Leader who has scaled multiple B2B
startups from first sales hires to exit. As the author of the
Point Nine "First Sales Hire" guide and a sought-after sales
advisor, he works with over 80 startups on the critical
transition from founder-led to systematic sales. His expertise
lies in building repeatable sales motions in early-stage
companies, from SMB to Enterprise.



Book tip: This episode offers an excellent practical deep
dive into "Funky Flywheels" Chapter 3 "Pipeline Generation" –
showing how to develop systematic sales processes that go beyond
founder networks and enable genuine scaling.





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