In Startups, The Harder You Work in Sales, The More Good Leads You Get

Summary

Jason Lemkin argues that in startups the highest-quality leads concentrate with the hardest-working, most prepared sales reps, creating a self-reinforcing “hustle feedback loop.” He cites internal data showing top-quartile activity reps closed deals at 2.3x the rate, had 31% larger average deal sizes and 24% shorter sales cycles, which led managers to route better opportunities to them organically. The practical implication is that founders prioritize trust and risk-mitigation over formal fairness, so reps who visibly hustle, master the product, and document results earn premium leads, accelerating their careers while widening gaps with less proactive colleagues.