In this episode of Path to Market, Seedcamp’s Natasha Lytton and Pipeline Ventures’ Micah Smurthwaite are joined by Gia Scinto, Partner at The Cole Group and one of the most seasoned go-to-market talent experts in tech. Gia has helped build out executive teams at category-defining startups like Stripe, Airbnb, Datadog, Canva, and Confluent — and previously led talent at Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz.
Gia shares hard-earned lessons from years of recruiting top-tier GTM leaders and partnering directly with founders at every stage, from pre-seed to IPO. In this conversation, she breaks down how to hire your first sales leader, how to evaluate candidates for stage fit and values alignment, and how to avoid common hiring pitfalls that can cost startups months of momentum.
From sales methodology and hiring frameworks to founder mindset and onboarding tactics, this episode is packed with tactical insights for founders, operators, and investors alike.
Here’s what’s covered:
02:34 Building the First GTM Talent Function in VC
06:25 From a16z to YC: Supporting Founders Across Stages
09:42 First Sales Hire vs. Later-Stage Leadership
13:38 The Anatomy of a Great Recruiting Process
22:26 Best Interview Questions for Sales Roles
29:45 How to Pitch Senior Candidates at Early Stage
33:39 What GTM Leaders Want to Hear
44:35 Why Sales Hires Fail — and How to Avoid It
47:36 Systems, Team Design & Ops from 0 to $10M
51:42 Advice for GTM Candidates: How to Pick Your Next Role
You can watch it here or add it to your episodes on Apple or Spotify 🎧 chapters for easy navigation are available on the Spotify/Apple episode.
From Operator-VC to Founder Whisperer
Gia recounts her journey building the first dedicated talent function in venture at Andreessen Horowitz in 2011, where she pioneered support services for portfolio founders before it became the norm. At Y Combinator, she expanded her scope — designing programs like Executive Councils and the Growth Program to help founders build teams that scale.
Her obsession with process and detail shines as she walks through the anatomy of a successful recruiting process, from identifying the minimum experience threshold to designing late-stage tasks that truly simulate the job.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation
Don’t Hire Too Senior, Too Soon
Early-stage companies need sellers close to the field. Don’t bring in a CRO when what you need is a player-coach who can build pipeline, close deals, and roll with ambiguity.
Define Your “Minimum Experience Threshold”
This is your hiring Redfin filter: industry, buyer type, company stage. Get alignment early on the must-haves, or risk a bloated, aimless recruiting process.
Prioritize Real Tasks Over Resumes
Forget the resume deep-dives — use working sessions to test how a candidate would solve your current problems. Ask: “How have you solved this before?” and listen closely.
The Best GTM Talent Wants Proof, Not Hype
Mad Libs pitches don’t work. What matters most? Product differentiation, use cases, segmentation strategy, pricing evolution, and clarity on funding runway.
Interview for Grit, Not Just Glamour
Founders should ask: “Tell me about a deal you lost.” Great salespeople remember everything. It’s a window into competitiveness, humility, and process rigor.
Systematize from the Start
From zero to $1M, founder-led sales and a couple hustling AEs. From $1M to $10M, build repeatability with forecasting, basic ops, and infrastructure. Don’t over-hire — aim for efficiency.
Backchannel Early, But Thoughtfully
Do 360 checks across peers, managers, and reports. Be mindful of optics. Ask: “Where does this person need support — and how do we set them up to succeed?”
Great Hires Still Need Great Onboarding
Align on the “quick win” before they start. Help them build internal relationships, clarify priorities, and ramp into ownership at a realistic pace.
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As a co-founder of 3united, he played a key role in its growth and eventual acquisition by VeriSign.
Since 2007, Daniel has been an active angel investor, bringing hands-on expertise in sales and business development to early-stage ventures. In 2011, he co-founded Speedinvest, leveraging his extensive experience to support founders and drive investment success.
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