GTM 134: When to Hire Your First Sales Reps (And How to Get It Right) with Joe DiMento

Joe DiMento is the Head of Go-To-Market & Industry Partnerships at Bain Capital Ventures. Previously, he was an operating partner at Fractal Software, helping launch vertical software companies and find product-market fit. Before that, he was the first non-founder seller at three startups, turning early traction into a repeatable sales motion. He began his career at Google and Bain & Company and holds an MBA from Stanford GSB. Discussed in this Episode: When to hire your first account executives Key traits to look for in early sales hires Structuring compensation for first sales reps Should you 'hire the buyer' to be your sales rep? Highlights:  05:03 When to hire your first sales reps. 13:17 Characteristics of top early-stage sales reps. 22:25 Designing a sales compensation plan. 31:55 Hiring for grit, curiosity & determination. 42:03 Fast-tracking your sales career. Guest Speaker Links LinkedIn:   / joedimento   Host Speaker Links (Scott Barker):  LinkedIn:   / ssbarker   Newsletter: https://thegtmnewsletter.substack.com/ Where to find GTMnow (GTMfund’s media brand):  Website: https://gtmnow.com/ LinkedIn:   / gtmnow   Twitter/X: https://x.com/GTMnow_ YouTube: /@gtm_now Sponsor: Pursuit The best talent isn’t actively job hunting. Pursuit helps companies hire elite go-to-market talent on a non-retainer basis. As a key GTMfund partner, they equip sales and marketing teams with top performers. If you're hiring for sales or marketing roles, reach out to Pursuit at pursuitsalessolutions.com/gtm or message a GTMfund team member. The GTM Podcast The GTM Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Scott Barker, GTMfund Partner, featuring interviews with the top 1% GTM executives, VCs, and founders. Conversations reveal the unshared details behind how they have grown companies, and the go-to-market strategies responsible for shaping that growth.