Why Founders Should Never Outsource Their First 100K in Sales

Your First 10 Customers Will Define Your Sales DNA.

And yet, here's the mistake I see over and over again: founders try to hand sales over far too early.

They rush to hire their first AE or SDR before they've even built the foundation.

Before they've proven what works. And what doesn't.

Before they've closed enough revenue themselves to know what repeatable success looks like.

I keep saying this: you need to close your first €100K in sales yourself before passing it on to anyone else. Period.

Why? Let's break it down.

Founders Sell Better Than AEs in the Early Days

Even if you're not a "natural salesperson," you have three unfair advantages no hired AE (even the most experienced) can match:

1. You know the product inside out. You built it. You know the pain it solves and the vision behind it. Nobody can tell that story with more conviction than you.
2. You understand the market. You probably came from the industry you're selling into, or at least you've spent months obsessing over it. You know the lingo, the players, and the nuances.
3. You can manage objections. When a prospect challenges you, you don't fall back on scripts or wonderings. You answer with confidence because you've lived the problem and built the solution.

Combine those three, and even a mediocre communicator founder can outsell an experienced AE in the early days.

At least during those early days…

The Mistake Most Founders Make

Too many founders think: "I'm not a salesperson, I'll just hire someone who is." But if you outsource too early, here's what happens:

• Your AE struggles without a proven playbook.
• You waste months (and cash) figuring out basics you should've nailed yourself.
• You risk losing the DNA of your sales motion because you weren't in the trenches yourself.

Sales isn't just about closing deals at this stage.

It's about learning at the beginning.

Every call, every objection, every negotiation teaches you something about your ICP, pricing, and value prop.

This is information you simply can't delegate.

The First 10 Customers Matter More Than You Think

Those first 10 deals? They're not just numbers on your closed won stage. They:

• Shape your messaging — what resonates, what doesn't.
• Define your ICP — who's willing to pay, who's not worth chasing.
• Set your pricing baseline — what's too high, what leaves money on the table.
• Become your case studies and early references.

Your early adopters are essentially your co-designers.

Treat them like partners, not just buyers.

Build feedback loops, ask them for honesty, and fold their insights into your process.

One way?

Create a simple "Founding Customer Council" — a quarterly check-in where you review progress, collect feedback, and pressure-test your roadmap.

My 2 cents

1. Sell it yourself. Block the time. Take the calls. Have the conversations. It's not optional.
2. Document everything. Write down objections, patterns, and pricing experiments. This becomes your first sales playbook.
3. Wait until €100K ARR. Only when you've proven you can win consistently should you bring in an AE. That way, they're not starting from scratch.

Here's the point: In the early days, you are a better salesperson than anyone you could hire.

Close your first 10 customers. Nail your sales DNA. And only then should you hand over the reins.

Thanks for reading this far. See you all next week.