Your first sales hire will likely fail, but founder-led sales won’t scale past $1M ARR. The sales hire vs founder sales decision depends on three non-negotiable signals: proven repeatability, documented playbook, and margin for error. Picture this: You’re at $600K ARR, closing deals through sheer founder magic. Your calendar is a nightmare. Every deal needs
Picture this: You’re a founder at $800K ARR, growing 15% month-over-month, and you know you need help to reach that next milestone. Venture studios co-build companies from scratch for 50%+ equity, accelerators run 12-week programs for 6-10% equity, and incubators provide longer-term resources for 0-7% equity — but which model actually fits a post-product-market-fit company