JWA

Business Development Manager

Personal Narrative

Imploding start up....

I am sure I am not the only one but I am currently going through a start-up that is about to implode.....

The sales team is all extremely dissatisfied, most are pretending to work but not doing a damn thing...( I am at least doing some form of outreach). and the CRM metrics show that the other two salespeople are not trying...

We started the week with a sales team of 6 BDRs. One left for maternity leave. 2 quit on the spot, with no notice or 2 weeks anything and I highly suspect the other two are ready to leave....as am I.

With two quitting on consecutive days, a boatload of stuff is about to come my way... but I have active interviews trying to get out.

There is nothing this employer could do to keep me here, but I don't have the heart to tell my boss I am mentally out of the game currently.

If I had something else, I would leave today but I am waiting for the next thing to come before I jump ship if possible.

Yay, startups...

open to advice or perspective but felt this is a good place to share since I am sure others get what it's like.

🙏 Mental Wellness

14

18 comments

Sort by:

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

9

Account executive

remember they would drop you without hesitation if it benefited them don't feel bad about going through the motions til you find something better

8

Founding BDR

As I commented on another post - it’s becoming more acceptable to treat your employers as they treat you. Great shift over the past little bit.

BigShrimpin

Catalyst

4

Account executive

yea my last role before this they bait and switched me to be a bdr for 3 months before i could be the AE i signed on to be. Left for a new role 2 weeks later with 0 notice cant allow yourself to be treated that way

jefe

Arsonist

4

🍁

Too true.

I'll always give notice, but otherwise gotta look out for numero uno.

It doesn't hurt that up here they have to pay out that notice if they just tell you to leave. And that often happens.

3

Founding BDR

Yeah for sure…love the great white north

8

Founding BDR

Been through something similar and man…it sucks. The morale is so low it makes you want to sign off that day and never come back.

On the bright side, the metaphorical weight I got off my shoulders when I finally found a role to jump ship too was insane. Really appreciate a positive and productive work environment after you came from the complete opposite.

My advice is to just keep that in mind. I know at the time you can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there. Give your absolute best searching for new roles and it’ll come. Best of luck in your searches!

CuriousFox

WR Officer

8

🦊

Damn how bad does it gotta be for multiple folks to quit on the spot 🤔

jefe

Arsonist

6

🍁

I can only imagine.

I totally get checking out mentally and looking for something new, that's what people who get disillusioned/fed up do all the time. But for everyone to just bounce!?

Eek

3

Founding BDR

Seriously..haven’t heard of this before with a team of that size. Some shit must’ve been going on that was just unbearable.

oldcloser

Arsonist

2

💀

They heard there was a shower to watch and blew out.

CuriousFox

WR Officer

1

🦊

🚿🚿🚿

NoToBANT

Catalyst

5

Senior Account Executive

I don’t think anyone can give you advice that you haven’t mentioned here.

If it’s a sinking ship, stay on as long as you can whilst you find another job - then jet!!!!

oldcloser

Arsonist

5

💀

Stay the course. One is paying you to interview at others.

SPT

Valued Contributor

1

Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances

This.

medhardwaredr

Opinionated

2

Director of Sales NA

What’s the current situation? Looking for details on why it’s imploding, why people are leaving and what’s causing the behaviors

JWA

Personal Narrative

1

Business Development Manager

@medhardwaredr @Sunbunny31
The gist is this. It was sold as a rocket ship to the moon... but was a sinking ship from my start with them. With awful leadership, morals, and IRS challenges (Tax credit industry slow down), this company is headed down fast.

A bit of detail...
The company was founded by people passionate about the R&D tax credits.
A client comes along and has some money, likes how they differentiate themselves, likes the financial upside of scaling, and invests money but gets involved.
A few years go by, things are scaling great (based on the opinions of those with tenure compared to me)
Last May or June, the investor fired the founder... not sure how but yeah... the sales team relied on the founder from many different perspectives including consistent commissions and lead generation.

The investor hires some individuals to lead who doesn't have any business leading this business or specific industry or even a team of sales reps. They talk poorly about them, clearly do not understand sales and I am convinced have not sold before... He has other businesses to attend to after all and wanted them just to roll up the info needed to him.

Meanwhile, the founder is suing the investor...

The investor hired me and two others in Oct and Nov 2023 to try and prove that his state's guidelines should determine the precedent for which laws should determine the case.

He lost that case.

A lot of the salespeople, good salespeople who probably averaged their annual salary monthly, some 3 or 4x that, were all put on Pips.... a lot of technicalities and fine print but totally a case of the investor not paying his salespeople and lining his wallet...
Also, partially he is trying to remove the remote workforce strategically. 1. based on our billing, he won't have to pay them out or can likely sneak out from it.. 2. If he gets everyone in office then it will be based on his state and he will have more say in future development....

A rough q4 both business-wise and personal for a few of the reps and poor leadership lead to many leaving.

In October we had a sales team of 10-15 (SDR, Specialists, Partner Managers, Lead campaign, Sales assistance, etc.) Every month someone has been let go or quit since.... There are 3 of us left, and only one seems like he is willing to stay, for some reason I don't understand.....

I was naive at first of the issues but I didn't know exactly how to ask or what questions to ask from the get-go.

I could seriously write a book but gave the largest nuggets....

Sunbunny31

Politicker

0

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Yeah, I’m here for the story too.

SPT

Valued Contributor

2

Director, Channel Sales & Partner Alliances

Dude - Paid Job Search. Do not quit or you won't receive unemployment bennies.

Bravado is a community of trusted sales professionals endorsed by their customers.

Products

The War Room Jobs Salary Guide Tech Sales U

Company

About Us How It Works Blog Bug Bounty

Contact

© 2024 Bravado Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Legal and Privacy Center Sales Jobs

If you are hired as a contract sales rep by a Bravado customer, we may ask you to prove access to the employee email account provided to you by that customer. This data will be shared with customers to track your sales productivity; customers can use this data to confirm you meet the minimum activity requirements to pay out your ramp stipend and commission.