In this engaging discussion, Frederic Kerrest, co-founder of Okta, shares insights on why every founder must embrace sales. He stresses the importance of founders being hands-on in selling even after building a team. Frederic recounts Okta's journey through fundraising challenges and the value of proactive customer engagement. He discusses building personal relationships and the role of AI in sales, while also touching on his philanthropic efforts to support underrepresented youth. This conversation is packed with actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Founders Must Master Selling
Founders must be comfortable selling from day one and remain engaged with selling throughout growth stages.
Selling isn’t just for dedicated sales teams; founders influence customers, investors, and revenue funnels continuously.
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Use Networks for Early Customer Calls
Early founders must aggressively engage potential customers through network outreach and persistent conversations.
Focus on discussing customer problems before pitching products to achieve product-market fit.
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Use Sales Methodologies Early
Adopt simple sales methodologies like MEDDIC or BANT to understand buyers, their pain, and buying processes.
Develop a sales playbook focusing on qualification, pain points, and decision makers, not just product features.
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In 'Zero to IPO', Frederic Kerrest shares actionable advice from his own experiences and those of other successful entrepreneurs like Marc Andreessen, Eric Yuan, and Stewart Butterfield. The book provides a blueprint for building and growing a business, covering topics from startup phases to IPO and beyond. It emphasizes real-world lessons learned through trial and error, offering a unique perspective not typically taught in business schools.
Four Steps to the Epiphany
Steve Blank
The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank is a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs, focusing on the customer development process rather than the traditional product development model. The book highlights the importance of understanding the market environment and customer needs before developing a product. It outlines four key steps: customer discovery, customer validation, customer creation, and company building. Blank argues that startups must learn and adapt continuously, unlike large companies which have established customer bases and market knowledge. The book provides insights from failed startups to illustrate the critical aspects of achieving and sustaining success in the entrepreneurial journey.
Zero to One
Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Peter Thiel
In 'Zero to One,' Peter Thiel argues that true innovation comes from creating something entirely new, going from 'zero to one,' rather than incrementally improving existing ideas. He emphasizes the importance of vertical progress through technology and the benefits of monopoly in driving innovation. Thiel also discusses the need for long-term planning, the importance of finding the right co-founders, and the power law in startup success. The book challenges conventional wisdom and encourages readers to think critically and aim big to build the future[2][3][5].
Every founder needs to sell. If you're not comfortable selling, then get comfortable.
I see too many founders think that once they've secured the first revenue & gotten Series A they can hire a professional sales team. Wrong.
Today's guest Frederic Kerrest (Co-Founder, Okta) tells us why it's so important for founders to be salespeople, and the when & how to start building your team.
Use referral code:SOS to request your spot at this year's HubSpot AiSummit 2025 in San Francisco on June 11.
The Science of Scaling 
