SaaStr · 2023-09-19
· 989d
VP Hiring Strategy: When to Compromise and When to Hold the Line
Jason Lemkin examines the tension between hiring exceptional VPs versus settling for adequate candidates due to time pressure. He provides specific guidance on where compromises are acceptable for Customer Success, Marketing, and Sales leaders, emphasizing that waiting 6-9 months for perfect hires can cost more than hiring strong stretch candidates.
Metrics in this report
Critical scaling period
1-10$M ARR
range
Initial Traction to Initial Scale phase
Growth rate example for ready-made marketing VP
20%
MoM
SaaS companies with recent $20M fundraise
Minimum ARR context for Head of Marketing evaluation
10$M
threshold
SaaS companies with established lead generation
Minimum ARR for hands-off Customer Success VP
15-20$M
threshold
SaaS companies with mature customer success operations
Time to wait for perfect VP hire
6-9months
typical range
VP recruitment cycle in SaaS