Fractional vs full-time VP of Sales: which does your startup need?
Answer: Most startups under €5M ARR need a fractional VP of Sales, not a full-time one. A fractional leader builds the playbook, hires and onboards the first reps, and coaches the founder, all part-time and without the €150K+ salary. Hire a full-time VP of Sales once you have a proven process, several reps to manage, and predictable pipeline to scale.
- Best for: Fractional: Leaving founder-led sales, first 1–5 reps; Full-time: Scaling a proven team
- Cost: Fractional: Market benchmarks ~$4K–$18K/month; Full-time: €150K+ salary plus equity
- Speed: Fractional: Starts in days or weeks; Full-time: Often around 6 months to hire
- Focus: Fractional: Building foundations, hiring, coaching; Full-time: Managing and scaling the team and its numbers
- Risk: Fractional: Low, flexible commitment; Full-time: High cost of a mis-hire
Choose fractional if
- You're still the main closer.
- You have 0–3 reps.
- You need a process before you need a manager.
Choose full-time if
- You have a documented, repeatable sales motion.
- You have a team of reps to lead.
- You need someone 100% dedicated to the revenue number.
Many startups do both in sequence: a fractional VP builds the foundation, then helps recruit the full-time VP.
By Matteo Papaluca, Fractional VP of Sales at Inscaler. 15 years in B2B sales, 200+ startups helped.
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