This week on Growth@Scale, Matt is joined by Atif Khan, VP of business at ThirdWeb for a chat about the art of building your sales and development teams. Atif shares his experiences on how to look for the best people to scale your business and why a flashy resume isn’t always the best reason to make key hires. Atif also shares his positive outlook for the future of Web3 and how new use cases for the technology will change the way companies can reward customers.

Key Takeaways:

🚀 Partnership Strategies for Startup Stages:

  • At the early stage, prioritize problem-solving over operations.
  • Founder involvement in sales: Vital until hitting $50M ARR.
  • Transition from the dynamic ‘hunting’ phase to the consistent ‘farming’ phase.

💼 Building Early Sales and BD Teams:

  • Choose talent with startup spirit over flashy big company resumes.
  • Use the ‘hire 3, fire 2’ strategy to get only the best on board.

🌐 Bullish Outlook on Web3 Use Cases:

  • From gaming to travel, explore the vast potential of blockchain.
  • Clearing the air on market volatility: A blessing in disguise?

Actionable Steps for Founders:

🎯 Reassess your partnership strategy to match your startup’s phase.

🔍 Prioritize hiring for skills, not just big names on resumes.

💰 Keep a close eye on your budget to maximize your runway.

🤝 Engage in transparent talks with your hiring team for a long-term vision.

⏳ Test talent rigorously to ensure they align with your startup’s DNA.

🎧 Listen now to start off your week with insights on  strategic partnerships, impactful hiring, and the game-changing world of Web3!

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