A practical starting point for defining the sales, marketing, or RevOps role you actually need, before you hire.
This is a simple starting framework for founders, not a rulebook. Use it to get clear on the role before you write a job description, then adapt it to your stage and the person you need.
A lot of founders hire the wrong person not because they picked the wrong candidate, but because they never pinned down what they actually needed.
You think you need "someone to run sales" or "help with marketing" or "someone to fix our CRM." Those aren't roles. They're wishes, and they lead to expensive mistakes.
Here's what tends to happen. You hire someone senior because you want strategic thinking, but what you really need is someone to do the work day to day. Or you hire a doer because you need hands-on help, but what you really need is someone who can build systems and lead a team.
Six months later, they're struggling, you're frustrated, and the role still isn't working.
Thinking it through first helps you avoid that. The framework breaks sales, marketing, and RevOps roles into three broad types and what each one usually needs to succeed. Real roles are messier than three boxes, so treat it as a way to start the conversation, not a formula.
Determine if you need a strategic leader, player-coach, or specialized executor.
Establish clear success metrics, responsibilities, and expectations.
Sidestep the most common hiring pitfalls that cost B2B SaaS companies time and money.
Part 1
Most sales, marketing, and RevOps roles lean toward one of three types. Plenty of real roles sit somewhere in between.
Strategic Leader
VP of Sales, VP of Marketing, Head of Marketing, Head of Revenue Operations
What they do: Set strategy and roadmap for the entire function. Build and manage teams. Own budget and resource allocation. Report directly to CEO/executive team. Make strategic bets and long-term decisions.
What they don't do: Individual contributor work, Execution without a team (they need people to execute their strategy).
You need this if:
You're ready to scale systematically
You have budget for them to build a team
You're willing to give them real autonomy to set direction and make strategic decisions
Warning: Don't hire a VP but expect them to do all the execution themselves because "we're early stage and everyone wears multiple hats." That's a player-coach role.
Player-Coach
Sales Manager, Marketing Manager, Demand Gen Manager, RevOps Manager
What they do: Split time between execution (60-70%) and light team leadership (30-40%). Own day-to-day operations in their area. May manage 1-3 direct reports or oversee contractors. Build initial processes and systems while still doing hands-on work. Bridge between founder vision and execution.
What they don't do: Build enterprise-scale infrastructure on day one. Manage large teams.
You need this if:
You've proven product-market fit
You need someone who can own an area and start building process, but you're not ready for a full leadership team
You need execution and light management
Warning: Don't expect this person to build a full department from scratch without giving them budget to hire or time to actually manage. Player-Coaches work best when they can focus on execution with a small team, not when they're trying to do everything alone.
Specialized Executor
SDR or BDR, Account Executive, Content Marketer, Demand Gen Specialist, Marketing Ops Specialist, RevOps Analyst
What they do: Own one specific discipline or area. Execute against a strategy someone else sets. Report to a manager or founder. Focus deeply on their craft.
What they don't do: Set overall strategy for the function. Manage other people. Figure out what to work on without direction.
You need this if:
You have clear strategy and direction
You need someone to execute specific work
You have bandwidth to manage them or a manager in place
Warning: Don't hire a specialist but expect them to "figure out what we should be doing" in their function. That's a manager or leader role.
Part 2
Before you post the job, answer these four questions. If you can't answer them clearly, you're not ready to hire yet.
What does success look like in 90 days? (e.g., onboarding complete, first campaign live or first deals in pipeline)
What does success look like in 6 months? (e.g., pipeline or conversion rate up by X%, CRM reporting cleaned up)
What does success look like in 12 months? (e.g., own full function independently, team expanded)
What will they own completely? (pipeline targets, marketing budget, CRM and tool decisions)
What will they collaborate on? (product launches, pricing, the handoff between marketing and sales)
What will you/leadership retain control over? (company positioning, brand decisions, major partnerships)
Required: What must they have done before? (e.g., built outbound from scratch at a similar stage company, managed a $200K+ marketing budget)
Nice-to-have: What would be helpful but isn't a dealbreaker? (e.g., experience with your CRM, your market, or your sales motion)
What's the budget? (salary, commission or bonus, tools, and agency or contractor spend)
Who will they work with daily and what support will they get from you?
What tools/systems are already in place? (tech stack, processes, existing vendors)
Common mismatches between what companies hire for vs. what they need.
Execute daily tasks hands-on
Work without a budget for team, tools, or agencies
Report to someone who wants to own the strategy for their function
Reality Check
Heads need resources and autonomy. If you can't provide both, hire a Manager.
Build the entire function from scratch with no guidance
Lead a team of 5+ immediately
Know your product, market, and customers without onboarding
Reality Check
Managers can grow into leaders, but they need time, direction, and realistic scope.
A specialist (e.g., enterprise AE, SEO or content specialist, marketing ops)
A cross-functional partner (e.g., sales enablement, RevOps, partnerships)
A fractional leader first to define the strategy before hiring full-time
Reality Check
Every function has specialties. Get specific about what you need.
Now that you have clarity on what role you need, the next steps are:
Treat this as a starting point, not a script. The right answer depends on your stage, your team, and what you already have in place. If you already know the seat you're filling, I've written guides to hiring your first AE, hiring your first marketer, hiring a demand gen marketer, hiring a VP of Sales, hiring a RevOps lead, and hiring a GTM engineer. If you're deciding which seat comes first, read the first 5 GTM hires. If you'd like help thinking through your next sales, marketing, or RevOps hire, book a free consultation and we'll work it out together.
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