GTM Recruiting for Startups That Need Builders
I specialize in placing GTM leaders at early-stage tech companies: sales, marketing, and customer operators who build pipeline and process from the ground up.
Early-Stage GTM Hiring Has a High Failure Rate
Many early-stage GTM hires are replaced within the first 12–18 months. It usually comes down to fit for the stage, not fit for the role on paper.
Experienced GTM talent from larger organizations often struggle when there is no existing system to run. Early-stage companies need operators who have built pipeline, tested messaging, and developed process in environments where nothing was handed to them.
Wrong stage fit
Hiring talent built for scale, not for zero-to-one
Managed, didn't build
Ran existing systems instead of creating them
No early-stage grit
Can't operate without defined playbooks or infrastructure
That is the profile I focus on.
Early-stage GTM hiring requires a specific profile. I focus on builder-profile talent: operators who can step into an undefined role, generate pipeline, and develop the systems that scale. Seed through Series A companies looking for hires who drive revenue.
How I Build Your GTM Team
My approach starts with understanding your business before running a search. I work directly with founders and the Head of GTM to define the right candidate profile, then run a focused process from there.
Discovery Call
Intro call to align on your hiring needs and what you're looking to build.
Role Definition
I define the builder profile for your stage — not a generic job spec, but the specific DNA your hire needs.
Targeted Search
Deep network outreach to operators who've built at this stage before. No job boards, no spray-and-pray.
Builder Evaluation
Every candidate is screened against my Builder DNA framework — what they've built from zero, how they created traction, and what broke as they scaled.
Placement & Partnership
I stay involved through offer and onboarding. Your success is my reputation.
How I Partner
I tailor each search based on urgency, level, and how critical the hire is to your business.
Direct Hire
Speed + precision for your core GTM hires
Full-time GTM placement for early-stage teams. I source builder-profile candidates who can generate pipeline, develop repeatable process, and build the systems that scale with your business from day one.
- Fees tied to successful placement
- Structured for speed and flexibility
- Focused on Seed through Series A companies
- Sales, marketing, and customer success roles
Fractional & Interim
Experienced GTM leadership, fast
When you need senior GTM operators who can step in immediately. I place leaders who establish structure, build early pipeline, and drive momentum while you run the long-term search.
- Senior operators with early-stage experience
- Step in quickly to maintain momentum
- Build the foundation for your permanent hire
- Ideal for bridge periods or rapid growth phases
Retained Search
Your highest-stakes GTM hire, done right
For critical GTM leadership hires where precision, alignment, and access matter most. This is a dedicated, high-touch partnership focused on securing the right leader for your stage, market, and growth trajectory.
Schedule a call to discussMore Than a Recruiter
Getting the right hire matters, as poor hires set you back months. My goal is to help founders make hires that fit the stage, defined clearly before the search starts.
The Cost of a Bad GTM Hire
At the early stage, a wrong hire doesn't just underperform — it sets the entire GTM function back:
- 3–6 months lost rebuilding, rehiring, and resetting strategy
- Often a six-figure setback when factoring in comp and lost pipeline
- Pipeline gaps during ramp and replacement cycles
- Delayed or impacted fundraising when GTM metrics fall behind
- Team morale damage and loss of confidence in GTM leadership
I work closely with you to define what “great” actually looks like for your stage and build a talent profile that drives momentum, so you get this hire right the first time.
Most early-stage companies underestimate the true cost of a mis-hire, both in time and lost momentum.
Why This Keeps Happening
Founders default to hiring experienced operators from later-stage companies. These candidates have strong resumes but have never built from zero — they managed existing systems, they didn't create them.
The result is a mismatch: a talented hire in the wrong environment, burning runway while the company waits for traction that won't come without a builder at the helm.
Built for Founders Hiring Their First GTM Leaders
Most recruiters send resumes. I partner with you to define what “great” looks like for your stage, your market, and your specific growth challenge — then find the person who fits that profile. Every search starts with strategy, not a job description.
Stage-Specific Targeting
Every search is calibrated to your company's stage, market, and growth trajectory.
Deep Evaluation
Candidates are screened against what actually matters — not just keywords on a resume.
Founder-First Process
I work directly with founders to define the right profile before the search begins.
End-to-End Partnership
Hands-on from brief through offer negotiation and onboarding support.
How I Evaluate GTM Talent
Few candidates have genuinely built pipeline and process from scratch. Over the years, I've developed a consistent framework to identify true builders. It comes down to three questions.
Builder DNA Framework
How I separate builders from operators
What have you built from zero?
True builders can articulate exactly what they created — the pipeline they sourced, the processes they designed, the revenue they generated — when nothing existed before them.
How did you create traction without a playbook?
Early-stage GTM operators figure things out. They test messaging, iterate on outbound, and find what works through experimentation — not by following an established process.
What broke as you scaled, and how did you fix it?
Scaling exposes every weakness. Builders have been through the pain of watching their own creation strain under growth — and can explain exactly how they diagnosed and fixed it.
Candidates who have done this work answer these questions specifically and quickly, with concrete details on what they built, how traction was created, and what broke along the way.
I've built a Builder DNA checklist based on this framework for evaluating whether someone can succeed in an early-stage GTM role.
GTM Roles I Hire For
I build go-to-market teams for early-stage tech companies — placing the leaders and operators who drive pipeline, revenue, and customer growth.
Sales
Revenue BuildersFrom first AE to VP of Sales — I place the closers and leaders who build pipeline from scratch and turn early wins into repeatable revenue engines.
- Head of Sales / VP of Sales
- Enterprise & Commercial AEs
- SDR / BDR Leaders & ICs
- Sales Managers
- Sales Operations & Enablement
Marketing
Growth ArchitectsMarketers who don't just run campaigns — they build the positioning, demand engine, and growth loops that fuel early-stage traction.
- Head of Marketing / VP Marketing
- Product Marketing
- Demand Generation
- Growth Marketing
- Content & Customer Marketing
Customer Success
Retention & ExpansionCS leaders who reduce churn, drive expansion revenue, and turn customers into advocates — critical for capital-efficient growth.
- Head of Customer Success
- Customer Success Managers
- Account Management
- Implementation & Onboarding
- Customer Operations
Find Your Next GTM Opportunity
If you've built pipeline from scratch, operated without a defined playbook, and can back it up with specifics, I'd love to connect. Please share your resume and a few details on what you're looking for.
Builder Mentality
You've created pipeline, process, or playbooks from scratch — not just inherited them.
Early-Stage Drive
You're energized by ownership, ambiguity, and the challenge of proving what works.
Operator DNA
You can point to specific results — revenue generated, systems built, traction created.
Growth Mindset
You want to join a company where your work directly shapes the trajectory.
About Lisa Crawford
I'm the founder of Emerald Talent Group, partnering with early-stage tech companies to build their go-to-market teams from the ground up.
With over two decades of recruiting experience, including 10+ years focused specifically on GTM roles, I've worked directly with founders on their most critical hires, the ones that determine whether a company gains traction or stalls.
I focus on a specific type of operator: builders. Leaders who have created pipeline, tested messaging, and built process from zero, not inherited it.
Having worked inside a high-growth startup building teams, I understand the pace, pressure, and level of ownership required to succeed at this stage. That experience shapes how I evaluate every candidate.
Years Recruiting
Years Focused on GTM
Early-Stage GTM Hires
Client Retention
What Clients & Candidates Say
I have had the pleasure of working with Emerald Talent Group and their founding partner, Lisa Crawford for over 7 years now and trust her with all of my hiring needs. Their customized approach, advanced resources and deep network of talent give them the capacity to compete at national scale. I trust in Lisa and her team to deliver talent across my start-up and enterprise clients.
R.J. N.
Services Industry Executive
Emerald Talent Group has partnered with Delta Dental of Washington on three director level searches over the last four years, successfully identifying top talent for each placement. All three searches moved quicker than anticipated and ranged across different business units.
Meghann K.
Delta Dental of Washington
Lisa is by far the best talent acquisition specialist that I have had the pleasure of working with. She certainly goes the extra mile. I felt as though she knew I was a fit for the role, the company, and the culture before I did. She is communicative, trustworthy, an advisor, and a fighter for her clients.
Noel T.
GTM Professional
Getting your first GTM hires right is one of the most consequential decisions you will make at this stage.
Tell me about the GTM role you're looking to fill.