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[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.

- - -
Follow Björn on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bjoernwschaefer
Order his GTM bestselling book Funky Flywheels 🕺💃

  1. GER: https://amzn.to/3Sgi8qk
  2. ENG: https://amzn.to/4g2Ly49

His homepage: www.rowing8.com
💃🕺 Looking for beta testers: his brand new software: funkybont.com

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