Seth DeHart returned to Croatia not just as a Venture Partner at Point Nine, but as someone with a personal connection—his wife is Croatian, and his love for the region shines through in his work with early-stage founders across Europe.
At SaaStanak 2025, Seth DeHart—Venture Partner at Point Nine and co-founder of Founder Led Sales—took the stage to talk about one thing every founder must face: selling.
With experience working with over 100 startups, Seth has seen it all. And his message was clear: founder-led sales is not optional. Whether you love it or hate it, avoiding it is one of the biggest mistakes a founder can make.
Here are the most common mistakes founders make when it comes to sales—according to Seth, and backed by stories from the trenches.
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Mistake #1: Trying to Skip the Sales Phase Entirely
Many founders treat sales as a temporary evil—something to get through so they can “hire a salesperson and focus on the product.”
Seth made it clear: this is a critical mistake. Founders are the voice of the product and the only ones who can truly translate vision into a pitch that resonates. Jumping ahead to hiring sales too early often leads to wasted time, missed signals from the market, and lost momentum.
Mistake #2: Outsourcing Before Understanding
Too many founders try to bring in sales talent before they’ve nailed the basics themselves. But you can’t outsource what you haven’t figured out.
Seth’s advice: founders must learn the sales motion firsthand—what works, what doesn’t, what objections come up, and how people really react to your value proposition.
Mistake #3: Thinking Sales Is About Being “Salesy”
Charisma is overrated. Clarity wins.
You don’t need to be a natural extrovert or a fast-talking closer to be good at sales. What you need is conviction—a deep belief in the problem you’re solving and the product you’re building. When founders show up with confidence and purpose, customers respond.
Mistake #4: Treating Sales Like a Black Box
Some founders treat sales like magic—something that “just happens” when the right person joins. Seth argued the opposite: sales is a process. It can be broken down, documented, and improved.
When founders treat sales like a system, they can build repeatable playbooks, make better hiring decisions, and scale their teams without chaos.
Mistake #5: Delegating Revenue Responsibility Too Early
Seth emphasized that founders are always accountable for revenue. Even when a sales team is in place, the founder sets the tone, aligns strategy, and keeps the feedback loop open between product and market.
Sales isn’t just a job title—it’s a leadership function, especially in the early days.
Mistake #6: Avoiding the Hard Conversations
Real sales means hearing “no” and digging into why. Many founders avoid hard feedback or sugarcoat the tough questions. But Seth pointed out that this is where the best insights live.
If your sales process doesn’t include some discomfort, you’re probably doing it wrong.
Seth’s keynote was both tactical and refreshing. Instead of hype, he brought empathy, structure, and actionable insights to a room full of founders who are, like him, in the trenches.
His parting advice? Sales isn’t a distraction. It’s your superpower—if you embrace it.
We’re grateful to have hosted Seth DeHart at SaaStanak 2025 and know many in our community will carry his lessons into their next pitch, email, and call.
See you at SaaStanak 2026 – May 25-27th 2026. Secure your tickets at the absolutely lowest price with the Super early bird discount here. ✌️
