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From founder-led sales to a first hire that actually works

Making sales work without the founder is a very different challenge to getting early traction.
I work hands-on with founders to actually make that transition happen.

For Seed to Series A B2B tech founders with early traction

Founder-led sales gets you traction.
But it doesn't scale.

At some point, you need to hand sales off.
But if the motion isn’t clear yet, hiring doesn’t solve it - it exposes the gaps.

Every founder I speak to at this stage is working through some version of the same questions:

Am I actually ready?

Do I have real traction - or am I still figuring it out?
At what point does it make sense to bring someone else in?

What does “good” look like?

What kind of profile do I need at this stage?
How do I tell who’s actually good vs just good at interviewing?

What needs to be in place?

How do I turn how I sell today into something repeatable?
What does someone actually need to succeed from day one?

Get this wrong, and it’s not just a bad hire - it’s lost momentum, wasted months, and growing doubt about whether sales actually works beyond you.

I help founders make this transition - working as an embedded operator through this critical stage.

Case Study

Warden AI: From founder-led sales to a first hire that's delivering

Context

Warden AI had strong early traction, with the founder leading all sales. The focus was to improve and document the sales process, build the foundations for a first hire to step into, and then actively support in getting the right person into the role and delivering.

What we did

  • A clear, documented sales motion - process, deck, and core narrative
  • A simple CRM and pipeline structure the team could actually use
  • A high-quality job description that attracted strong candidates
  • A defined ideal profile and structured hiring process
  • Hands-on support through interviews - leading to a successful first hire
  • A clear, workable compensation plan aligned to how the business sells
  • Onboarding materials and a 90-day plan to get the hire productive quickly

Outcome

A strong founding AE was hired, ramped quickly, and started delivering independently.

Month 1 10 meetings booked
Month 2 First deal closed

“By the time we hired, it just felt straightforward - I was much more confident going into it.”

Founder, Warden AI

“Out of four founding AE roles that I've had, I've never been set up for success this well.”

First AE hire, Warden AI

How it works

Engagements are hands-on and practical. Not high-level advice. Not recruitment. A hands-on sprint to get this transition right.

1

Intro Call

45 minutes

We start with an intro call to understand where you are now, how I might be able to help and whether it makes sense to work together

2

Core Build

4–8 weeks

10–30 days of embedded work: strengthening how you sell today, refining your sales process, building systems, creating playbooks, and designing the hire - doing the work, not just advising.

3

Transition & Support

3–6 months

Iterating the playbook, joining interviews, advising on candidates and supporting the hire throughout onboarding. Ongoing access as you need it.

Is this right for you?

This is for you if…

  • You've got early traction - customers are buying
  • You're still leading sales yourself
  • You're thinking about hiring your first sales role
  • You're not fully confident what that person would walk into

This probably isn't right if…

  • You're still trying to win your first customers
  • You already have a working sales team
  • You're looking purely for recruitment
  • You want high-level advice rather than hands-on work

About George

I’m an early-stage GTM operator. I’ve spent my career building and scaling commercial functions at B2B technology companies - from being the right-hand to the CRO at Codat, to leading commercial growth at Doubleword following their $12M Series A.

I've seen the founder-to-first-hire transition from both sides of the fence - the person hiring and the person being hired. I know what good looks like, and I've seen the mistakes that cost founders months.

My approach is grounded in first principles. Not copying generic playbooks, but understanding what your business, your market, and your stage actually require - and building from there.

Beyond Founder Sales is how I help founders get this transition right - by working with you to turn early traction into something repeatable, and a first hire that can succeed.

Connect on LinkedIn

Ready to move beyond founder-led sales?

It usually starts with an Intro Call to understand where you are, what needs to be built, and whether it makes sense to work together.