The Sales Playbook For Founders | Startup School

Y Combinator August 15, 2025
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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

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