My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Building a strong sales team is a guaranteed path to acquisition, regardless of the product being sold
The Reasoning
Sales talent is in extremely high demand across all industries. Companies will acquire businesses primarily for proven sales teams rather than technology or products, making sales team building a de-risk acquisition strategy
What Needs to Be True
- Sales talent remains scarce and valuable across industries
- Acquiring companies value proven sales performance over industry experience
- Cost of building internal sales teams exceeds acquisition costs
- Sales methodologies transfer across different products/industries
Counterargument
Some industries require deep technical or regulatory knowledge that can't be easily transferred, and product-market fit may be more important than sales ability in early stages
What Would Change This View
Data showing acquisition premiums focused on technology/IP rather than sales teams, or evidence that sales skills don't transfer across industries effectively
Implications for Builders
Prioritize sales team building over product development in certain phases
Recruit from unconventional but high-performing sales backgrounds
Focus on acquisition strategy through sales team value
Consider sales-first business models even with mediocre products
Example Application
“SaaS startup with mediocre product but exceptional sales team (recruited from direct sales) gets acquired by larger tech company primarily to obtain the proven sales talent”
Related Knowledge
Hustle-Based Recruitment Framework
A recruitment strategy that identifies high-performing salespeople from unconventional retail environments and trains th
Create a profitable door-to-door tech support and cleaning service
Consistent $100+ per visit revenue, repeat customers, word-of-mouth referrals in target neighborhoods
Convert old home videos to digital formats as a door-to-door service
Converting 10-20 families' video collections per month at $50-100 per box, building repeat customer base
Complexity Avoidance in Business Opportunities
When markets become obsessed with complex, cutting-edge solutions, significant opportunities exist in returning to simpl
Sales ability is the most valuable and transferable business skill
Focus on building and recruiting sales talent over product development in certain business phases
If you have guys that can sell this company will get bought I don't care what you're selling
Sales talent is so valuable that companies will acquire businesses primarily to obtain proven salespeople, regardless of