So you just raised your A round, now what?

Last week, we kicked off a blog series to help founders determine their company’s core priorities and strategies at each stage of the progression from seed to Series A and Series B. In the previous post, we outlined what startups should focus on right after raising a seed round. The next stage in the journey […]

Technology Redefined Sales, Marketing, and HR: How to Hire for these Roles Now

I remember a time when we used to say “he’s a good sales person” or “she’s a great marketing leader.” However, it’s no longer so simple. Technological advances over the past decade have transformed sales, marketing, and HR organizations. Entirely new titles and functions have sprung up in the process. Founders need to understand what […]

Sales 3.0: evolution of the software sales function

It’s widely accepted that SaaS has permanently changed software sales. Enterprise software sales once meant a large “boots on the ground” field sales team who knew how to wine and dine the right individuals and stakeholders. With the emergence of SaaS, the sales process became more transactional and less about relationships. With software products at […]

A founder’s advice on hiring a VP of Sales

One of the best parts about having a strong portfolio filled with smart people is the wise advice that founders share with each other. In this case, one of V1’s portfolio companies has been looking to hire a VP of Sales and I asked Jon Zimmerman (@jpzimmerman), CEO of Front Desk, to share his experiences […]

Selling to the enterprise: “Sell to few” vs. “sell to many”?

A key investment thesis here at Version One is that we like to invest in companies that “sell to many” over companies that “sell to few.” This preference isn’t necessarily due to market size, but rather the structure of the market: are there only a few dozen customers that might buy your product or are […]