In the startup world, conventional wisdom often suggests waiting until after Series A to invest in senior sales leadership. But what if that conventional wisdom is leaving money on the table?

That's the bet Goodie Bag CEO Eddy Connors made when he brought on specialized sales leadership during their pre-seed stage – a decision that's already paying dividends.

A Fresh Recipe: Create Sustainable Neighborhood Food

Goodie Bag, founded in Boulder, Colorado, is revolutionizing how neighborhood bakeries and restaurants operate through their innovative marketplace solution. The company connects consumers with local shops' quality unsold food at discounted prices through their mobile application, addressing three critical challenges simultaneously: food waste reduction, affordability, and local business sustainability. 

This isn't just another food delivery app – it's a comprehensive solution to a massive problem. Consider this: in the United States alone, 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food is wasted annually. Goodie Bag's approach helps local shops turn potential waste into revenue while providing consumers access to quality food at significant discounts.

Hungry for Growth: Build a Scalable Sales Engine Early 

When Goodie Bag launched in January 2023 with their first partner, Barchetta, a Boulder pizza shop, they knew they were onto something big. The founding team, led by Eddy Connors (CEO), Luke Siegert (CPO), Briana Boehmer (COO), and Jack Connors (Head of Partnerships), had a vision for national expansion. But they faced a classic challenge: they needed to build a sales organization that could scale rapidly while maintaining quality and consistency in multiple markets.

What makes Goodie Bag's sales approach particularly interesting is their three-pronged value proposition focuses on social-good:

1. Help shops salvage revenue from unsold food

2. Enable shops to reach new customers through discounted offers

3. Contribute to environmental sustainability by reducing food waste

The Secret Sauce: Bring in Pitch Lab to Lay the Foundation

In July 2023, after witnessing Goodie Bag's initial traction, CEO Eddy Connors made a pivotal decision that would shape the company's future trajectory. Rather than following the traditional startup playbook of waiting until Series A to invest in senior sales leadership, Connors brought in Pitch Lab as the company's strategic sales advisor. This wasn't just about hiring a consultant – it was about building a foundation for sustainable growth from day one.

"Most B2B startups wait too long to invest in sales leadership," explains Jay Mays, Pitch Lab's founder. "They focus on product and initial traction, which is important, but they miss the opportunity to build a strong sales foundation early on. By the time they bring in senior sales leadership, they're often trying to fix ingrained problems rather than preventing them."

Pitch Lab's engagement goes far beyond traditional consulting. Working closely with Goodie Bag's leadership team, Jay took on the role of strategic sales advisor to the CEO, focusing on three critical areas:

• Develop a comprehensive national sales expansion strategy that will allow Goodie Bag to scale efficiently across markets.

• Create a sales infrastructure including detailed playbooks for both sales execution and hiring processes.

• Establish systems for maintaining accountability across a distributed sales force – a crucial element for any company planning rapid geographic expansion.

Time to Feast: Goodie Bag’s Future is Bright  

The investment in early sales leadership has contributed to remarkable growth in less than a year: 

• Expansion to almost a dozen markets including Boulder, Denver, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Charleston

• Successful partnerships with hundreds of shops nationally

• Most significantly, closing an oversubscribed $1.3M pre-seed round in December 2023

  The success of this pre-seed round, led by Steve Molino and Clear Current Capital, validates Goodie Bag's approach to building a robust sales organization early. A significant portion of this funding is now being directed toward aggressive sales expansion to grow existing markets and enter new ones nationally.

Food for Thought: Takeaways for Growth-Stage B2B CEOs

If you're leading a B2B company with plans for significant growth, consider these expanded insights: 

✅ Don't wait for perfect timing: The best time to build your sales foundation is before you absolutely need it. The infrastructure you create early will determine how effectively you can scale later.

✅ Invest in process before volume: Having a strong playbook and hiring process in place before rapid expansion can prevent costly mistakes and culture issues down the line.

✅ Think nationally, build locally: Even if you're starting in a single market, build your sales processes as if you're already national. This forward-thinking approach will save significant reorganization later.

✅ Prioritize accountability systems: As your sales force grows and becomes more distributed, having strong accountability measures in place becomes increasingly crucial.

Tomorrow’s Menu: Your Road to Growth

For CEOs looking to scale their sales organizations, the message is clear: the foundation you build today will determine how high you can build tomorrow. The question isn't whether to invest in sales leadership, but whether you can afford to wait.

If you want to learn more about how we can position your company for sustainable, scalable growth, click here to dive deeper into our strategic consulting services.