What startups should think about when hiring a CCO

Mar 31
5 min read

Updated: 20 hours ago

In a startup’s early days, the founder/CEO often leads sales themselves.

But, as the company grows, commercial complexity increases. Sales teams expand, while functions such as marketing, pricing, partnerships, and customer success all begin to interact.

At this point, the focus shifts from simply securing sales to building a high-performing, repeatable commercial engine. That’s where a Chief Commercial Officer comes in.

It’s a hire that can transform a startup’s growth trajectory, but it’s perhaps one of the trickiest ones to get right. So, what do startups need to think about before making this appointment?

Define the scope of the role clearly

The job description for a startup Chief Commercial Officer can vary.

In some companies, the role focuses primarily on sales leadership, whereas in others, the CCO may oversee a much broader commercial function that includes:

Marketing
Partnerships and business development
Pricing strategy
Revenue operations
Customer success

Some CCOs also play an important role in shaping product strategy, helping to ensure the company is building solutions that align with market demand.

Clarity around the scope is, therefore, essential. Consider the following:

Is this primarily a sales leadership role?
Will they own marketing?
Will they influence pricing or packaging decisions?
How closely will they work with product and customer success teams?

Be clear on the type of commercial leader you need

It is also important to hire the right commercial leader for the company's growth stage. Broadly speaking, there are three common archetypes:

The Individual Contributor

These are senior sellers who still personally close large deals and carry their own quota. Typically, they will bring:

Strong relationships with customers
Credibility in the market (particularly at a senior/enterprise level)
A proven ability to close deals and drive revenue growth

This type of leader is often valuable earlier in a company’s journey, when landing key customers is the priority.

The Player–Coach

The player-coach balances selling and building the team. They may still close strategic deals, and might still have an individual quota alongside the team target, but they are also responsible for:

Hiring salespeople
Developing sales processes
Introducing forecasting and pipeline discipline

Startups tend to benefit from this type of leader during the early scaling stages.

The Pure Coach

The pure coach is focused entirely on building the commercial organisation.

They design the go-to-market strategy, structure teams, and optimise revenue operations.

This type of commercial leader will often focus on:

Scaling sales teams
Aligning marketing and sales (and other commercial functions)
Improving forecasting and performance management

They are usually most effective once the company already has product-market fit and a growing revenue base.

The best commercial leaders are hard to attract

One of the biggest challenges in hiring a CCO isn't finding the right person; it's being able to attract them.

The very best commercial leaders are often already successful in their current role. They are likely to be:

Leading high-performing sales teams
Managing strong pipelines
Earning significant variable compensation

This makes them difficult to move (and there's a good chance their employer will counteroffer when they do try to leave).

Unlike other functional leaders, commercial executives often have substantial earnings tied to their pipeline and commission structures, which they risk leaving behind if they change companies.

As such, attracting top candidates often requires a compelling mix of:

Equity upside
A strong growth story
Genuine leadership scope
Confidence in the product and market

Without those elements, it can be difficult to persuade the strongest candidates to consider a move.

Once startups know what their ideal candidate profile looks like, they need to make sure they have a proposition that can attract them.

Great CCOs are expensive

Another reality startups need to consider is cost. The best commercial leaders often have compensation structures that exceed typical salary bands.

This is partly because:

Experienced and effective revenue leaders are in high demand
Their compensation expectations often include significant variable pay
Many seek a decent uplift in basic salary and/or guaranteed bonus to enable them to walk away from their existing commission pipeline

As a result, hiring a top-tier CCO may require startups to rethink traditional compensation frameworks. Indeed, this could be the company's most expensive appointment to date.

CCO packages should combine:

Competitive base salary
Performance-based incentives
Meaningful equity participation

While expensive, the right commercial leader can dramatically increase a company’s revenue trajectory - so the investment should prove worthwhile. A rising tide lifts all ships.

Salespeople are good at selling...including themselves

Another challenge startups face when hiring commercial leaders is that salespeople interview extremely well.

Unsurprisingly, given their job, they tend to be naturally persuasive, confident communicators who know how to present themselves in the best possible light.

The problem is that this can make it difficult to separate genuine commercial leadership ability from strong personal sales skills.

Interviews, therefore, need to go deeper and probe further into the details of the candidate's achievements. Consider the following actions:

Examining historical pipeline data and performance metrics
Asking candidates to walk through deals they personally led
Understanding how teams were built and managed
Speaking to former colleagues, not just references

Remember: revenue and growth metrics don't tell the whole story. It is also important to understand the context of their experience to determine how likely they are to repeat their previous successes with you.

Look for scaling experience

The most valuable commercial leaders often have experience from previous scaling journeys.

They will have seen:

How sales teams and processes evolve as companies grow
Which go-to-market strategies work at different stages
When to prioritise growth versus efficiency
The challenges of selling a new solution with limited resources
The dynamics as a small company selling into larger ones
How pricing and positioning should change as markets mature

That experience helps startups avoid common scaling mistakes, and it helps commercial teams build more predictable revenue engines.

Culture and credibility matter

Cultural fit is critical. Sales organisations tend to mirror their leaders' style, and the CCO sets the tone for how teams behave, how targets are managed, and how customer relationships are built.

The best commercial leaders combine:

Ambition and energy
Operational discipline
Transparency around performance
Credibility with both customers and internal teams

In fast-moving startups, those qualities matter as much as raw sales ability.

Final thought

Hiring a Chief Commercial Officer is not simply about finding someone who can sell. It's about bringing in a leader who can build the commercial system that drives sustainable growth.

The right CCO helps startups move from CEO-led sales to a scalable go-to-market engine; aligning sales, marketing, pricing, and product around a clear revenue strategy.

For startups entering that stage of growth, few hires will matter more.

If you’re thinking about appointing a CCO, we’re always happy to share perspectives and insights from our work supporting startups and scaleups through these appointments.

Feel free to get in touch: contact@upscalepartners.com