The Sales Playbook For Founders | Startup School

Navigating B2B sales for the first time can feel slow and overwhelming.

Drawing from his experience founding Monzo and GoCardless, YC's Tom Blomfield shares his playbook for running a tight sales process that lands real, recurring revenue. He walks through each step—free and paid pilots, opt-out contracts, long-term deals—and shows how to prove value and close customers.

Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs

Chapters:
00:21 - The Typical B2B Sales Progression
01:00 - Common Pitfalls in Early Stages
01:38 - Understanding Design Partnerships
02:56 - Identifying Customer Problems
04:18 - Avoiding Overbuilding
06:11 - Transitioning to Free Trials
07:11 - Defining Success Metrics
08:38 - Overcoming Customer Objections
10:01 - Moving to Paid Trials
10:20 - Securing Financial Commitments
11:30 - Optimizing Pilot Engagement
13:47 - Recurring Revenue Contracts
15:33 - Focusing on Customer Success