Teem

How do you retain great talent? We sat down with Sam Sherman, Jess Toplis, and Olivia Wilson to discuss what made them join Teem, and what keeps them pumped about coming back every day – even after 9 years! Watch the full conversation to hear their stories, and if it sounds like the kind of place you’d thrive, we’re hiring in Leeds, Manchester, and Toronto. Get in touch with us by clicking the link in the comments below 👇

Should founders wait until $1M ARR to hire their first salesperson? Most SaaS startups do, as this is seen as the "perfect" milestone to bring a founding hire in. Buuuuuuut Harvard Business Review reports 70% delay this hire longer than advisable.  Some say the best time to hire is when you’re at $1M ARR, or when you’ve closed 10+ deals, or when you’ve achieved true PMF.  In reality, it's different for every startup. Why?   → PMF looks different depending on your product, ICP, and GTM motion.  → Your founder profile matters. A technical founder will likely want to bring in someone more sales-focussed earlier. Founder bandwidth, deal volume, and clarity on PMF matter more than arbitrary revenue thresholds. Waiting too long can slow growth, miss opportunities, and create bottlenecks. $1M ARR is a helpful guideline, but the right time depends on your business specifics. How did you decide when to make your first hire? I’d love to hear what worked for your startup.

Congrats Kenny on your first week at Syntasso! Looking forward to seeing you hit the ground running in a new industry. It was great working with you. And thank you for your kind words - wishing you all the best!

After almost 4 years in Toronto setting up our NA operation the time has come to head back to the UK. Many highs, learns and several very cold winters later, our Americas team is stronger than ever - contributing close to 50% of our global revenue and established as the go-to hiring partner for many tier 1 VCs and scale-ups. Despite the move and my role now being global, my main focus will still be on continuing our growth in North America. A very exciting chapter which leads to my final point... It's the first day in our new Manchester office as we build a team here to focus on our global accounts. Looking forward to welcoming our new starters on Monday but as you can see there's still a few seats to fill! Reach out if you're interested in helping the best SaaS scale-ups build their sales teams globally.

Should every top performing AE aim for management? Lately I’ve spoken with several top reps debating this progression path.  Many assume so as it’s the typical “next step”. But is it always the right decision? As a high performing AE, you often out earn your manager. And hitting quota consistently gives you independence, predictability, and control. Management on the other hand shifts that focus. You trade that independence for responsibility over others’ performance. Less selling more coaching. The real questions you should ask yourself are: are you genuinely motivated by developing other people? Is management part of your long term goals, or would you rather keep mastering your craft as a seller? Both paths have value, but they demand very different skill sets and priorities. Curious to hear from other top AEs - what was/is your next move? 

Not every big logo rep will thrive as the founding sales hire. Many startup founders ask us to headhunt from known brands (MongoDB, Snowflake, Datadog) for sales hire no.1. And yes, these are great companies who produce quality talent with tier 1 sales training, strong playbooks and credibility. But hiring from a known brand doesn’t guarantee these reps will succeed in the ambiguity of an early stage startup. Why? Known brands offer the safety net of a recognized name. My preference? Stage fit > known brand, as these reps will have learned to close without a business card. Agree or disagree? 

“Thanks for helping me get this offer, but my current company countered with £10K more and I’m going to accept.” Probably THE biggest thing every recruiter dreads hearing! Yes, counteroffers are all too tempting. Pay bump, familiar environment, no disruption. On paper it feels like a win. But if you do receive a counteroffer, take a moment before you jump to accept.  Why were you looking to leave in the first place? If a salary increase can resolve that, great. But the issues that made you consider leaving rarely disappear with a bigger pay cheque. Accepting a counteroffer makes you a retention risk to your current employer, and strains relationships with the company that offered you the role and the recruiter you partnered with. Remember short term gain doesn’t always equal long term success.  For anyone needing more advice on this, I’ve shared a guide in the comments.  

Hiring A players at Seed stage is harder than ever.  Finding the right candidate is only half the battle - convincing them to join with limited resources requires a process that shows value beyond money. Involve founders early, but don’t confuse presence with persuasion. Every conversation is a chance to sell your vision. Top reps evaluate whether joining accelerates their career, not just your growth. Offers need to be near perfect. Rushed or unclear contracts make candidates feel undervalued and increase the risk of dropouts.  My main takeaway: invest in a structured hiring process from the start. Screen for ambition, be ready to articulate the role, and ensure offers reflects expectations.  Every detail signals credibility. Attention to process is what makes top talent say yes. 

You cannot hire the top 0.0001% of GTM talent on a strong network alone. You must combine that with a disciplined, structured process. The war for elite enterprise sellers has intensified, so it is an absolute must that you: - Use targeted, personalised, and compelling messaging that cuts through the noise. - Run a structured five stage process that completes in two weeks. - Rigorously pre screen profiles and use fact based decision making to reduce risk and protect your time. - Bring in the founder(s) early to truly sell the vision directly to candidates you are excited about and want to close. Lowering standards, even once, can impact growth, culture, and brand reputation. What part of the hiring process do you think makes the biggest difference in closing A players? PS I have attached our guide on how to hire elite sellers in the comments. Go check it out.