The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 10 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Lawrence: Hire a VP of Sales at $8M to $10M ARR
“Like, I have an opinion. It should be between eight to 10 in ARR. If you want a really solid VP of sales, they're gonna want to come in. They don't want it to be too scrappy, and they don't want it to be too far ahead”
Lawrence: Sales organizations should target 50% to 70% quota attainment
“Culture of success is when lots of reps are hitting their number. I've got a number in my head, you know, we want to have between 50 to 70% of reps hitting their number.”
Lawrence: Walk away from top candidates who play coy at offer stage
“And even if you get up until the very end, where you have an A player, and they've just done great, and you're so excited, and you're at the offer stage, and they start playing coy, just walk away. Like, it just isn't worth it.”
Lawrence: Backchannel references are the only executive interviews that truly matter
“And then obviously, you go through all these interviews, the only one that really matters is the back channel.”
Lawrence: Startups should hire sales reps before hiring a VP of Sales
“I mean, no. I would have reps first to show that your stuff works, that customers are interested, that prospects are interested. You're gonna find a couple amazing reps, and you're a startup, and you're gonna hire for aptitude at first. So, I would start with …”
Lawrence: Startups should hire sales reps before creating playbooks
“I mean, I don't think it's important. I'm a big fan of being a doer, like, action. I'm not a big fan of, like, lots of meetings and plannings and PowerPoints and playbooks, because by the time you put all that together, like, your business has changed, right? …”
Lawrence: Startups must hire sales leaders who build playbooks, not just execute them
“When you're in startup mode, startup going to growth, and even growth mode going to scale, you want to find someone who knows how to actually figure things out. Not execute on a playbook that's been given to them.”
Lawrence: Hire a VP of Sales with experience in at least two stages
“And to make sure you find someone that can do or that has done at least two of those modes before.”
Lawrence: Promoted SDRs ramp 600% faster than external SMB sales hires
“In fact, when I look at my performers across SMB, the ones that came in through the SDR org, like, hands down, the most successful people. Right? You already know that they're a culture fit. You're sure of the competence fit. And they ramp 600% more quickly th…”