Stepping Away From Founder-Led Sales

Matt explains the challenges of founder-led sales and the critical transition every growing business must navigate: building a repeatable, scalable sales system. He explores why sales-savvy and creative/technical founders alike face bottlenecks – and how developing a system-first approach can unlock sustainable growth. Over to Matt…

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Founders over the years, some have gone on to grow big businesses and some have failed to get their ideas off the ground, often despite raising significant amounts of funding.

“Founders are always the driving force behind the startup. They lead with passion, expertise, and commitment.  In the early stages of building a company it’s typical for Founders to also take ownership of sales. Whether they thrive on the thrill of closing deals or approach sales as a necessary evil, the Founders’ involvement has a massive influence on their startup’s initial success.

“However, as the company grows, Founder-led sales can quickly become a bottleneck, and this is where it is  critical to identify what type of Founder you are:

• For Sales-Savvy Founders it’s about finding the right time to delegate (NOT ABDICATE) and developing a system to replicate their skill and expertise.
• For Creative or Technical Founders it’s about recognising sales as a gap to fill with skilled professionals and structured processes.

“Regardless of the Founder’s background, the key to sustainable growth lies in developing a repeatable, scalable sales system.”

The two types of founder-led sales challenges 

Sales-savvy founders

• Sales-savvy Founders are natural storytellers, negotiators and relationship builders. Their charm and ability to sell the company vision often drive early success. However, their strengths can lead to challenges, particularly around timing and system-building.
• Over-reliance on the Founder. Without a structured sales system, success hinges entirely on the Founder’s personal skills and relationships, which are almost impossible to replicate.
• Early hiring risks. Jumping to hire a Sales Director/VP of Sales without first building a sales system can lead to expensive mistakes. All early-stage companies need clear processes and data before scaling the team.

Creative or technical founders 

• For founders whose expertise lies in product development, engineering or innovation, sales can feel like a real slog. Often many take on the role reluctantly, wanting to focus on product excellence rather than customer acquisition. Their challenges include:
• Inefficiency: Without a sales system, these Founders often spend time on unstructured and unqualified sales efforts, resulting in inconsistent results.
• Scaling barriers: A lack of systematisation makes it hard to delegate effectively, leaving gaps that prevent the company from scaling.

Why a sales system is a non-negotiable 

A sales system is the critical backbone of any scalable business. It ensures that sales processes are repeatable and predictable and do not rely on the unique skills of any one individual (especially the Founder).

Here are some regular reasons why a sales system is critical for both types of Founders:

1. Standardisation: A sales system creates consistency in how leads are generated, qualified, and closed, making it easier to train and onboard new team members.
2. Scalability: With a clear process in place, businesses can grow the sales team, expand into new markets and increase revenue without sacrificing quality.
3. Data-driven decisions: A system provides visibility into key metrics, helping Founders and sales leaders optimize performance and forecast growth accurately.
4. Freedom: With a sales system in place, Founders can focus on strategic priorities instead of firefighting or micromanaging sales activities.

Steps to build a sales system 

For both sales-savvy and creative/technical Founders, building a sales system is an essential step before scaling sales efforts. Here are a few thoughts about how to go about it:

Document the sales process 

Start by outlining the sales journey—from lead generation to closing deals. Break it into clear stages, such as:

• Lead acquisition and qualification
• Proposal or demo delivery
• Negotiation and closing
• Onboarding and upselling

Include best practices, common objections, and metrics for success at each stage. For sales-savvy Founders, this means capturing their personal methods and tactics in a format that others can follow.

For creative or technical Founders, it might be easier to consult with sales consultants to design a process from scratch.

1. Use technology to enable the system: Implement tools like a CRM system to log and manage leads, track progress and analyse performance such as conversation rates. Some automation tools can streamline repetitive tasks, but I’d urge against anything that is not ‘personal’ in the early stages.
2. Pilot and then iterate: Test the system yourself or with a small team to identify weaknesses. Gather feedback and refine the process before scaling. This step is especially critical for sales-savvy Founders, as they may need to adjust their intuitive methods into a structure others can replicate and absorb.
3. Train the team: Once the system is in place, use it to onboard and train new hires. A well-documented system reduces the learning curve and ensures consistency across the team.

How timing plays into system development 

For sales-savvy Founders, timing is crucial. Jumping into hiring a Sales Director/VP of Sales without first building a system can lead to frustration and wasted resources. I once met a Founder who said they ‘had spent  £450,000 on Sales Directors’ (plural) and still don’t have one. Instead:

• Start small: Hire lead generation specialists or SDRs to focus on building a pipeline while you close deals. This allows you to focus on refining the sales system and ensuring it’s effective. After all, even if you want to, it’s unlikely that you can disappear from sales that quickly.
• Scale gradually: Once the system proves successful, bring in Account Executives to handle closing deals more. Only then, when the system is running smoothly, should you hire a Sales Director/VP of Sales to lead and expand the team.

For creative/technical Founders, the timeline will look different:

• Hire to build the system: Early hires should focus on creating and refining the sales process. Consider working with a consultant or experienced sales manager to establish the foundations with you.
• Consider automation: Invest in tools early to offset the lack of a Founder-driven sales presence and create structure for the team although as pointed out earlier – keep it personal because you can smell too much automation a mile off.

The benefits of a system-first approach 

A sales system provides a roadmap for sustainable growth. For both types of Founders, it creates consistency,  scalability and independence from the Founder’s direct involvement. Specific benefits include:

For sales-savvy founders

• Replicates success: A system that allows others to follow in your footsteps without needing your personal charm or connections.
• Supports delegation: With a clear process, it’s easier to hand off responsibilities to the team.
• Enables strategic involvement: Stay involved in high-stakes deals or strategic opportunities while trusting the team to handle day-to-day, run-of-the-mill sales.

For creative/technical founders

• Builds confidence: A system provides structure and clarity, making sales less intimidating for all.
• Accelerates hiring: With a process in place, you can bring in professionals who are set up for success.
• Frees focus for innovation: Delegate sales effectively, allowing you to return to what you do best— product development or creative problem-solving.

The bottom line 

Founder-led sales can drive early success, but it’s not a scalable strategy for long-term growth. The key to transitioning away lies in developing a repeatable, predictable sales system that supports the business regardless of the Founder’s strengths or weaknesses.

For Sales-Savvy Founders, this means systemising their initial methods and transitioning gradually with support roles like SDRs before committing to more expensive leadership hires. For creative or technical Founders, it means prioritising the development of a strong foundation, with the right people and tools to fill the gap.

By focusing on building a sales system, Founders can step away from the day-to-day grind, return to their focus and set their business up to scale sustainably. In doing so, they create not just a growing company, but a business with a highly resilient revenue function – something that investors will find highly attractive.

Find out more about Matt Garman on his website.