STARTUPS
Founder: "I've Got 50 Opportunities — Some Big Names." Here's Why That's a Red Flag.
One of the most common conversations I have with early-stage founders goes something like this…
Founder: I’ve got 50 opportunities my team is working on — some really big names!
Me: How many salespeople do you have?
Founder: Two.
Me: Which ones are forecasted to close this quarter or next?
Founder: I’m sure some of them will close.
Me: Which ones are your two salespeople prioritizing right now?
Founder: I don’t know.
This is one of the most dangerous places an early-stage company can be.
A big pipeline feels like momentum. It isn’t. With a small team and a board breathing down your neck for revenue and market validation, an unqualified pipeline is a liability, not an asset.
Here's What It Actually Tells Me
Nobody knows what’s real. 50 opportunities with two salespeople and no prioritization means nobody is focused. Every deal gets a little attention. No deal gets enough.
The founder isn’t close enough to early sales. At this stage, the founder needs to be in the room. Not every call — but the ones that matter. You can’t coach your team on deals you don’t know.
There’s no qualification rigor. If you can’t tell me which deals are likely to close and why, you don’t have a pipeline — you have a list of names. Those are very different things.
What to Do Instead
Start with a simple forced ranking. Take your 50 opportunities and answer three questions for each one: Does the customer have a problem we solve? Do they have budget? Is there a reason to buy now? If you can’t answer yes to all three, it’s not a real opportunity — it’s a hope.
Then get the founder back in the deals. Not to close for the team, but to understand what’s actually happening in those conversations and why deals are or aren’t moving.
A smaller, qualified pipeline with clear next steps beats a bloated list every time. Revenue validation at this stage is about focus, not volume.
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If this sounds familiar, let’s talk. I work with early-stage founders on exactly this — building the sales discipline that turns a list of names into actual revenue.