172: The Goldilocks Rule: making your first sales hire

INTRO

Joseph Trodden joins host Collin Stewart on the Predictable Revenue podcast.

Joseph is an experienced consultant providing structure and clarity for visionary entrepreneurs who want to focus on reaching their next level. He focuses specifically on what he calls "the Inflection Point" - the pivotal moment when a founder relinquishes control and takes the first step towards turning the business into an organization. Joseph shares why founders never get this right the first time (2:36), who to hire first and why (8:39), the pros and cons of the player/coach (22:13), who to bring on as the second key hire (28:59), and how entrepreneurs should psychologically prepare for letting go (30:07).

You remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A flaxen-haired and doe-eyed ingenue stumbles into the furry quadrupeds' family home and samples each of their porridge, chairs, and beds. In each instance, after some grumbling at the inadequacy of the first two she tries, she settles on one bowl, one seat, and one mattress as "just right".

SHOW NOTES:

More blog posts for early stage founders/sales leaders:

The key to getting your first 10 customers isn't sales – it's product

Getting your first 100 customers with Salesflare Co-Founder Jeroen Corthout

How to build and evolve your first sales playbook with Bowery Capital's Andrew Oddo