Stage 2 Capital

💡 ⚡Tomorrow at 12PM ET, our portfolio company Versori is unveiling something special - AI integration agents that can build custom connectors and handle complex integrations through simple prompts. Join CEO Sean Brown for the LinkedIn livestream launch. https://lnkd.in/gT2qWeB4 #AI #Integration #Enterprise #Startups

Mastering the discovery call is a huge step for new AEs—and a common challenge for founders scaling their sales teams. This week, Liz (Cain) Christo tapped our very own Mandy Cole, Venture Partner at Stage 2, to share some actionable tips to set your AEs up for success. 🔑 Start with clear documentation: It’s about more than just checklists—understand what information new AEs need to know. 🎯 Focus on multi-perspective engagement: Acknowledge everyone on the call to draw out valuable insights. 📧 Follow up immediately: Keep all parties aligned with a concise recap and next steps. Mandy also shared her cheat sheet and our discovery guide template—perfect for building your GTM playbook. Full article & resources: https://lnkd.in/g8ibEZP2 #salesstrategy #salesmanagement #GTM #DearStage2

🎯 #FounderFriday Wisdom from Our Catalyst Community Today's founder insight comes from Katy Aucoin, Co-Founder and CEO of Curated For You. Her key advice for founders: Talk to your customers. Simple, right? When you're starting out, it's tempting to work behind the scenes, analyze data, and try to figure out everything on your own. But sometimes we forget the simplest step: just asking our customers the key questions. This direct approach can: ⏳ Save time - getting you the answers you need faster 🔎 Uncover new use cases you hadn't considered ＄Help you understand true product value and pricing potential Founders, we'd love to hear from you: What's your top advice for entrepreneurs just getting started? Share your wisdom in the comments below! 👇

Our October update is here! Catch up on the latest content and news from Stage 2 Capital: 🎧 Listen: Curious about what it takes to excel in the boardroom? Board Panel - Expectations and Opportunities 📬 2025 Planning, Closed Board Sessions & GTM Expansion Tips 🌟 Inside Catalyst: Product Market Fit, GTM Fit, and First GTM Hire 📰 Portfolio News: Cable recognized as top Fintech, Versori’s AI Integration, Champion & QuotaPath Awards 🏆 💼 Plus 60+ job opportunities with our portfolio companies—DeepScribe, Sendoso, QuotaPath & more! Follow us for the latest updates!

Searching for that perfect first sales hire? 🤔 Stage 2 Capital Partner, Liz (Cain) Christo has hired hundreds of sales reps throughout her career, and she shared these 3️⃣ three critical mistakes to avoid: 1️⃣ Overvaluing industry experience: Just because someone knows your space doesn't mean they can build your sales motion. Your new hire needs to create repeatability, not just tap their Rolodex. 2️⃣ "Too senior, too soon": That VP from [Insert Big Tech Co] might look great on paper, but can they find your first 5 customers? As Liz says, match the hire to your stage, not your aspirations. 3️⃣ Rushing away from founder-led sales: Founders often step away too quickly. Early customers need your involvement, and new sales hires learn faster when you're in the trenches with them. Get this and more advice on making your first GTM sales hire in InsideCatalyst - a weekly series sharing behind-the-scenes content and advice from the Stage 2 Capital Catalyst program. Full article link in the comments 👇 #StartupAdvice #Sales #InsideCatalyst #Stage2Catalyst Sean Po, Bradlee Duncan, Kirsty Hall, Julia Tolmachyov, Avinash Harsh, Adam Loewentheil, Berit Hoffmann, Michelle Liao, Claudio Wilson, Charley Dehoney 🚚🤓, Katy Aucoin

👀 Spy Stage 2 Partner Liz (Cain) Christo. 🎧 Listen in as she shares advice for early-stage founders on scaling sales teams, when to hire your first sales leader, and how to build a repeatable sales playbook.

Dear Stage 2 needed a trigger warning this week. The topic? Closed Board Sessions. They've made a reappearance this year and I'm a fan. Closed board sessions—where the board meets without the CEO or executive team—might sound intimidating at first. But they’re actually a powerful tool for strategic alignment and honest feedback. Here’s why I like: 🤫 Governance and Sensitive Topics: Closed sessions create space to handle private matters like option grants or discussing team dynamics—without dragging out the main meeting. 📈 Strategic Discussions: The board can dive into future planning, fundraising strategies, or evaluate company performance before sharing recommendations with the exec team. 💚 CEO Feedback: These sessions are a rare opportunity for your board to offer candid feedback on your leadership. When you return to the room, listen with an open mind—even if you don’t agree with everything right away. For my thoughts on setting ground rules and making the most of these sessions, go check out the article. Excited to learn from others - what’s been your experience with closed board sessions? 

Thrilled to spotlight our very own Andi Vanetta Smith, who was just recognized among the unsung heroes of the VC world! Those who know Andi understand why this recognition is so well-deserved. Congrats, Andi! 🎊" https://bolots.ky/p/vc-gtm

I got to interview a legend of the game Mark Roberge, Founding CRO at HubSpot and co-Founder of Stage 2 Capital, who literally wrote the book on building sales organizations. Mark and I dove into arguably the biggest topic in the world of GTM today: 🤖 Artificial Intelligence 🤖 Where is it going? Should I build or buy? How do I evaluate vendors? Who the heck is going to win? What should we be building towards? Am I going to be replaced by an Optimus sales leader bot?? This was a really honest take on the market and free from the typical hyperbole and false certainty. Listen and enjoy!

That's a wrap! 🎬✨ We had an incredible afternoon hosting our LPs and Founders for an event filled with a great mix of content, and of course catching up with friends. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this event a success! Stay tuned for more content and highlights from the event coming your way soon.