Leading sales expert and author Peter Kazanjy recently highlighted a critical sales strategy for early-stage founders, emphasizing a direct approach to decision-makers for securing initial deals. In a recent social media post, Kazanjy, known for his work on "Founding Sales," asserted that for a startup's first 100 prospects, "Direct to decision maker > CEO navigation > user groundswell" represents the quickest path to closed deals. This advice underscores the importance of efficiency and direct engagement in nascent sales cycles.
Kazanjy's perspective, widely recognized in the startup community, differentiates between "bottom up" and "top down" selling methodologies, acknowledging that both have their place. However, for companies in their foundational stages, his guidance leans heavily towards a top-down approach. This involves engaging directly with senior executives or key decision-makers rather than building momentum from individual users or lower-level employees.
The "bottom-up" sales model typically involves gaining traction with individual users or small teams within an organization, with the hope that their adoption will eventually lead to broader organizational buy-in. This approach is often seen in product-led growth strategies, where a strong user experience drives expansion. Conversely, "top-down" selling focuses on securing approval from high-level executives, who then mandate or champion the solution across their organization.
For early-stage startups, particularly those in B2B SaaS, the direct-to-decision-maker strategy can accelerate sales cycles and validate market fit more rapidly. Peter Kazanjy, co-founder of Atrium and Modern Sales Pros, and author of "Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook," has consistently advised founders to lead sales efforts personally in the early stages. His book provides a roadmap for founders to acquire initial customers and establish a scalable sales foundation.
The emphasis on direct engagement with decision-makers for the initial customer base aligns with the need for immediate revenue and clear validation for nascent businesses. While a "user groundswell" can be powerful for scaling, Kazanjy's tweet suggests it is less efficient for a startup's critical first 100 deals, where securing commitment from the top can unlock significant value and accelerate growth. This strategic prioritization helps founders focus their limited resources on the most impactful sales activities.