A new VP of Sales or Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) often signals their potential for failure during their first board meeting, according to SaaStr. Jason Lemkin, founder of SaaStr, highlighted that if a new sales leader shows unfamiliarity with key accounts, ongoing deals, their team, and deals at risk during this initial presentation, the chances of success are near zero.
This insight builds on Lemkin’s earlier post, “If Your VP Sales Isn’t Going to Work Out — You’ll Know in 30 Days,” where he argued that while a new VP cannot double sales immediately, they should demonstrate tangible improvements within the first month. Lemkin advises companies to have new VPs present for at least 10 minutes at the first board meeting and to observe their grasp of critical sales elements such as top accounts and deals in flight.
The SaaS sector often faces challenges with new sales leadership transitions, and this early evaluation method provides a practical approach to identifying potential issues before they escalate. Lemkin’s advice emphasizes the importance of board involvement and direct scrutiny of new executives, which can save companies time and resources by flagging underperformance early.
Lemkin’s guidance was shared on September 28, 2026, through SaaStr’s platform, reinforcing the value of early performance indicators in SaaS leadership roles and the critical role of board meetings in executive assessment.