

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

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.<p>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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russell
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.

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

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jdileo
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?

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mattjung
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

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jdileo
where are you located?

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mattjung
in France

