Jason M. Lemkin argues that hiring a strong VP of Sales can quickly and substantially increase revenue versus founder-led sales. He contrasts high-performing VPs (who can extract full value, run established playbooks, and produce a 30–100% lift and immediate impact within weeks) with mediocre VPs (who can underperform, misunderstand the product, harm customer relationships, and even cause revenue decline).
Good one will not rip people off, but a good one will get the full value for your product. In a way, as a founder, you almost never can. You almost never can, right? That's why a lot of the classic Saster contents about hiring a VP of sales. Because that's why in the first quarter, the first nine days, you should see a lift from a good VP of sales at least because they can run this playbook with the same leads, the same customers, the same dynamics for trends or something else. Someone with the confidence to ask 30,000 for trends knowing it's cheap compared to Gartner or Forrester or whatever, they'll take that off your plate if they're good and you'll see a 30 to 100% revenue lift from someone. That's great, right? Yeah. Someone that's mediocre will rip your customers off and never understand your product and misspell trends and never read it and not know what it is. A mediocre one will actually see a revenue decline from founder led sales. But a good one will will solve will will solve that piece right?
