Ask HN: do we need a pusher/seller/rainmaker? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: do we need a pusher/seller/rainmaker?

3 pointsmattjung6 comments

With my partner we plan to create a startup in the cloud security domain. While we technically complement each other perfectly and already worked together very well, I am afraid we are both a little too friendly, humble, judicious.

So my question: do we need to complete our team with someone energetic and emotional, who adores talking to people, convince customers at conferences or tradeshows, and even doesn't mind to aggressively and persistently try to sell our idea - the pusher/seller/rainmaker guy, the kind of charismatic arsehole ;-)? Or will we grow automatically in such kind of role? Any opinions, storys, examples?

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Yes. I infer that you are a little on the introverted side and need an extrovert. But you don't want someone perceived as pushy as in car salesman type. You said "guy", but I highly recommend thinking female. If you need CEO chest thumping, maybe a guy. For mid-level decision makers, I think women do better. In any case technical savvy is a must.

there's no mid-level yet, only founders...

Google, Microsoft, GE, Salesforce.com, etc all have excellent sales and marketing executives who have driven their success and play a key part in relaying customer feedback to the organization. So, yes, you need the rainmaker if you feel you and your partner do not qualify. In my mind the technologist & rainmaker comprise the left & right hands of any company.......you need them both and one only suffers if their counterpart is not supremely talented.

Questions:

What stage is your product? Enterprise or consumer? Are you at $0 Gross Sales or $1+ and building? Are you building TNBT or seek to exit early? Are you bootstrapped, how do you compensate this individual?

early stage product development, target customers are startups/SMEs/integrators, the development is financed in bootstrapping mode, goal is to grow organically - sales channel is the web, compensation would be to get him/her as co-founder

where are you located?

in France

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