Featuring Dan Hurwitz - Startup CRO | GTM Advisor | Sales Hiring Expert

Hiring your first sales leader? Most founders get it wrong, and it costs them $500K+.

In this Best Bits episode, GTM advisor and fractional CRO Dan Hurwitz abd Richard Washington (Tick Talent founder) break down why most early-stage startups fail at their first sales hire, and how to avoid the most expensive hiring mistake in your go-to-market journey.

If you're a tech founder, early-stage CEO, or operator scaling from $1M to $10M ARR, this episode is a must-watch.

In This Episode:

✅ Why hiring a VP of Sales too early backfires

✅ The #1 mistake founders make in early GTM hiring

✅ Why “big logo” sales leaders rarely succeed in startups

✅ What to look for instead: operators, builders, and early-stage scrappers

✅ How to assess sales talent when there’s no playbook

✅ The cost of hiring for pedigree over context

Dan shares lived experience from advising dozens of B2B SaaS startups—and gets brutally honest about what works (and what wastes time, money, and runway).

🔗 Connect with Dan Hurwitz:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahurwitz/

Fractional CRO • Early-stage GTM Investor and Advisor • Sales Hiring Expert

🎙️ About the Host – Richard Washington

Richard Washington is co-host of What Makes You Tick, a GTM recruiter, and a trusted advisor to B2B SaaS companies scaling from $0M to $250M+ ARR.

He helps founders build revenue teams that actually perform, with strategy, talent, and execution that scales.

🔗 Follow Richard on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwash/

📩 Read his newsletter Growth Magnet → https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7083793079794556928

🎧 Want the full episode? https://youtu.be/2kxegbXKUms?si=x12W9g7PeTNTa9sP

📩 Subscribe for more real-world GTM hiring strategies from startup operators who’ve done it.

#startuphiring #salesleadership #B2BSaaS #GTMstrategy #foundertips #WMYT #TickTalent