The Cyber Go-To-Market Talk podcast for cybersecurity sales and marketing teams. The Art of Timing Your First Sales Hire in a Cybersecurity Startup – Tony Surak, Partner, DataTribe
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Are you wrestling with the decision of when to bring on your first sales leader? Wondering if your startup has achieved enough product-market fit before scaling the sales team? Curious about common pitfalls and best practices in building a sales function that can take you from zero to millions in ARR? This episode tackles the pivotal transitions every cybersecurity startup faces when growing its go-to-market engine.
In this conversation, we discuss:
👉 How and when to hire your first sales leader, and whether founders should lead sales for as long as possible
👉 Building a sales team for scale: transitioning from a few “hunters” to team structures and leadership as you reach new growth stages
👉 Essential onboarding, metrics, and operational insights for minimizing risk and accelerating sales velocity
About our guest
Tony Surak is the Partner focused on GTM at DataTribe, a unique cyber startup foundry where he invests in and co-builds cybersecurity companies aiming to deliver generational leaps in the field. Drawing from his experience as a multi-time sales leader, operator, and go-to-market advisor, Tony has deep expertise in guiding early-stage companies through formative sales and marketing transformations.
Summary
Listen in to tap into Tony Surak’s battle-tested advice on founder-led sales, strategic sales leadership hires, and building a revenue machine in cybersecurity startups. Whether you’re debating your first sales hire or scaling beyond your founding team, Tony shares actionable frameworks and candid lessons learned. Don’t miss this episode if you’re serious about accelerating your go-to-market motion!
Connect & Resources
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