Growth looks different at every stage. Startups evolve fast, and so does the way they go to market. From Seed to Series C, each step demands new strategies, hires, and metrics. But most founders and operators don’t know what benchmarks to follow. That’s where this guide comes in.
1. Average number of GTM hires at Seed stage: 2–4
Why fewer people matters more at Seed
At Seed stage, the go-to-market team is small. Two to four people might not sound like much, but this is by design. You’re not scaling just yet — you’re testing. Your team should be lean, flexible, and ready to learn.
The roles that make it count
Typically, these early hires include:
- One founder (often the CEO) doing sales
- A generalist marketer
- Possibly a BDR/SDR
- Maybe a customer success lead
These people wear many hats. The marketer might write blog posts, run ads, and set up email campaigns. The salesperson could also handle onboarding. Everyone’s focused on learning what works.
What to focus on with this small team
You’re not trying to grow fast at this stage. You’re trying to figure out how. That means:
- Talking to every user
- Tracking which channels bring the best leads
- Testing pricing and positioning
- Building early sales materials
Speed matters, but learning matters more. And this team size keeps you close to the customer.
2. Average number of GTM hires at Series A: 6–10
Building your first GTM engine
Series A is when you turn early learnings into a system. With 6 to 10 GTM hires, you start building repeatable processes. You’ve got product-market fit, and now it’s time to grow.
Key additions to the team
This is where roles become more defined. You’ll likely hire:
- 2–3 AEs (Account Executives)
- 2–3 SDRs (Sales Development Reps)
- 1–2 marketing specialists (content, paid, or growth)
- 1 customer success manager
The founder starts stepping back from sales. You need people who can own and run pieces of the GTM machine.
How to make it work
This stage is all about creating and refining playbooks. You need to:
- Train reps on your messaging
- Standardize the sales process
- Build a simple CRM flow
- Start measuring channel performance
You also want tight feedback loops. Make sure product and GTM teams talk constantly. You’re still learning, but now you’re scaling that learning.
3. Average number of GTM hires at Series B: 15–25
Time to scale the machine
At Series B, you’re going bigger. With 15 to 25 GTM hires, the organization starts to look like a real company. You’ve got structure, but you’re still building fast.
A layered team
Now, you’re not just hiring more — you’re hiring layers. You might have:
- A head of sales
- Sales managers
- Multiple AEs and SDRs
- A head of marketing
- Specialists in SEO, content, paid acquisition
- A customer success team
This is where silos can start to form. Prevent that early. Cross-team meetings and shared KPIs help a lot.
Operational complexity grows
You’ll need stronger tools, better reporting, and more detailed processes. Think:
- Salesforce or HubSpot with automation
- Defined handoffs between sales and success
- OKRs for each team
Your job is to grow fast without chaos. That means clear structure, good training, and ruthless prioritization.
4. Average number of GTM hires at Series C: 30–50
You’re a GTM machine now
By Series C, you’re scaling aggressively. With 30 to 50 GTM team members, this is no longer an experiment. It’s an operation.
Building a revenue organization
At this stage, you likely have:
- Multiple sales teams (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
- A full-stack marketing department
- Revenue operations
- A large customer success/support team
There are team leads, VPs, and even directors. You need hierarchy to manage this growth.
Keep it aligned
Alignment gets harder with size. Invest in:
- Clear revenue dashboards
- Regular cross-functional meetings
- A strong RevOps function
- Centralized messaging and enablement
It’s also the time to think about expansion: new geos, new segments, and new products.
5. Median annual ARR growth rate at Seed stage: 300%
Explosive early growth (with a small base)
A 300% growth rate sounds huge — and it is — but remember, it’s on a small base. If you start the year with $100K ARR and end with $400K, that’s 300%.
What drives this growth?
At Seed, growth comes from:
- Finding your ICP
- Refining your offer
- Nailing 1–2 acquisition channels
You’re likely doing founder-led sales, and much of the growth is driven by hustle. That’s fine. What matters is learning which tactics work best.
How to use this stat
Focus less on hitting the number and more on building a story. Show investors:
- You can acquire customers efficiently
- Customers are sticking around
- You’re improving sales velocity
Early growth is messy. But if you’re growing fast and learning, you’re on the right track.
6. Median annual ARR growth rate at Series A: 200%
More revenue, more discipline
At Series A, the bar is higher. You might go from $1M to $3M ARR. This is still fast growth, but it takes more coordination.
Repeatability is the key
You need to show:
- Consistent pipeline generation
- Repeatable sales process
- Channel ROI
This is often the phase where outbound becomes a major focus, and where inbound needs to scale with better content and paid programs.
What to prioritize
You want growth to feel less like guesswork. Start tracking:
- Lead-to-close rates
- Channel-specific CAC
- Churn and expansion rates
This is also the time to set goals for your GTM team. Targets shouldn’t just be top-line — they should reflect how healthy and efficient your growth is.
7. Median annual ARR growth rate at Series B: 150%
Sustaining growth with systems
At Series B, you’re in scale mode. Hitting 150% growth on a larger base is hard. You may be going from $5M to $12.5M ARR. This takes serious planning and execution.
What changes now?
You can’t rely on heroics anymore. Growth has to come from:
- Predictable pipeline
- Effective sales hiring and onboarding
- Multi-channel GTM programs
You need real systems. This is when sales enablement and RevOps become must-haves.
What to work on
Invest in things that help you scale:
- Automated lead scoring
- Playbooks by segment
- Customer marketing for upsell and advocacy
Also, understand your lagging indicators. Pipeline today means revenue tomorrow. Keep your funnel healthy and forward-looking.
8. Median annual ARR growth rate at Series C: 100%
Big numbers, smaller percentages
By Series C, you’re aiming to double large revenue numbers. Growing from $20M to $40M ARR is still excellent — and very hard.
Scale with efficiency
Growth here comes from:
- Moving upmarket
- Adding product lines
- Expanding internationally
This is where your GTM org needs to be dialed in. You can’t afford inefficiencies in onboarding, handoffs, or tracking.
Tactics that drive this growth
To sustain this pace:
- Use data to prioritize accounts and segments
- Invest in partner channels
- Align success and sales for net retention
This is where great companies separate from good ones. Execution has to be tight, and every team must know their role in growth.
9. Sales cycle length at Seed: 30–45 days
Fast, scrappy deals
At Seed, deals close quickly. You’re selling to early adopters, often with no red tape. Buyers are willing to take risks, and decisions move fast.
How to use short cycles
This speed helps you:
- Learn quickly
- Improve messaging
- Get fast feedback
But it can also be misleading. These cycles often don’t represent your future customers.
What to build here
Make the most of the short cycle:
- Create simple sales materials
- Set up basic tracking
- Follow up religiously
And don’t forget to document what works. That learning will power later stages.
10. Sales cycle length at Series A: 45–60 days
Things are slowing down — for good reason
As your price rises and customer profile matures, deals start to take longer. This is healthy. It means buyers are evaluating more seriously.
Selling to more mature buyers
At this stage, you’re likely selling to:
- Growth-stage startups
- Mid-size companies
- Teams with a buying process
You’ll face more stakeholders, more objections, and more due diligence.
How to adapt
To succeed here:
- Map stakeholders early
- Use case studies to reduce risk
- Follow structured sales stages
This is the time to train your reps on managing the sales process, not just pitching.
11. Sales cycle length at Series B: 60–90 days
Complex deals, bigger stakes
Series B sales cycles stretch further. You’re often selling to mid-market or even enterprise buyers. Legal, security reviews, and multi-department involvement are the norm.
Why longer isn’t bad
A 90-day deal might feel slow, but the payoff is bigger. Larger deals need:
- Deeper discovery
- More stakeholders
- Stronger ROI proof
This means your GTM team needs to be more strategic.
What to optimize
Help your team by:
- Creating content for each stage
- Providing sales engineering support
- Tightening CRM hygiene
Measure sales velocity, not just close rate. Keep deals moving with proactive management.
12. Sales cycle length at Series C: 90–120 days
Enterprise timeframes take over
At Series C, many deals will involve large organizations. That means procurement, compliance, finance — all moving slowly.
How to win long-cycle deals
You need to be patient, but proactive. This includes:
- Account planning
- Executive sponsorship
- Strategic value framing
Also, track deal health. Long cycles mean more can go wrong.
Play the long game
Set expectations across the team. This is no longer “close fast.” It’s “close right.” Deal size and strategic value justify the longer wait — but only if the close is solid.
13. CAC payback period at Seed: 6–9 months
Quick returns, but caution required
At Seed, payback is fast because you’re acquiring small, scrappy customers. That’s good, but not always repeatable.
Watch for false positives
Low CAC doesn’t mean it’ll stay low. You may be getting traction through:
- Founder network
- Friends of investors
- Organic buzz
Once you start scaling, those channels dry up.
What to do now
Use this time to:
- Test real acquisition channels
- Build scalable programs
- Track LTV even if it’s early
The goal is to learn what sustainable CAC looks like — not just what’s working now.
14. CAC payback period at Series A: 9–12 months
Real customer acquisition starts
Here, CAC begins to reflect reality. Paid programs, outbound reps, and longer sales cycles all raise costs.
Why it’s still healthy
A payback window of under 12 months is still strong. It shows:
- Efficient GTM processes
- Good early retention
- Reasonable ACVs
It also gives you room to scale while staying capital efficient.
How to manage it
Track CAC closely by channel. Separate:
- Inbound vs outbound
- Paid vs organic
- Self-serve vs sales-led
Use this data to make smarter hiring and budget decisions.
15. CAC payback period at Series B: 12–15 months
Rising CAC means maturing model
Now, CAC is increasing. This reflects:
- Higher ACVs
- More complex sales
- Investment in brand
You’re also hiring more expensive GTM talent, and running multi-touch programs.
It’s not bad — it’s just growth
As long as retention is strong and gross margins are healthy, this payback period is acceptable. Many SaaS companies stay here for years.
What to improve
Focus on:
- Better segmentation
- Tighter targeting
- Post-sale expansion (to improve LTV)
Keep experimenting with acquisition, but ensure every dollar has a clear return.
16. CAC payback period at Series C: 15–18 months
Big investments need long-term thinking
At Series C, your CAC is high. That’s expected. You’re spending heavily on brand, international expansion, new GTM motions, and longer enterprise sales.
Why this is still healthy
If your customers are:
- Paying $50K+ per year
- Staying 5+ years
- Expanding usage
Then a 15–18 month payback is fine. The lifetime value justifies the cost.
What to keep under control
Keep an eye on:
- Ramp time for AEs
- Channel ROI (especially paid)
- Operational overhead in GTM
Use cohort analysis. Know where your best customers come from and double down there. Focus on the channels that deliver long-term revenue, not short-term clicks.
17. Average quota per AE at Series A: $400K
Early targets, high touch
At Series A, quotas start modest. $400K per AE is manageable. You’re still building territory models, lead flow, and sales enablement.
Why it makes sense
AEs are:
- Selling a new product
- Working warm leads from founders
- Juggling GTM setup
You want them closing deals, but also giving feedback, shaping messaging, and helping the team improve.
What to support them with
Give your AEs:
- Strong onboarding
- Simple enablement materials
- Regular deal reviews
And set quotas based on realistic pipeline assumptions. Don’t burn out good reps with goals they can’t hit yet.
18. Average quota per AE at Series B: $700K
Time to raise the bar
With a better process, pricing, and product, AEs at Series B should aim higher. $700K is a healthy stretch that still accounts for learning.
Why they can handle it
By now, you’ve got:
- Better leads
- Defined playbooks
- Clear ICPs
Plus, your marketing team is generating pipeline. Reps aren’t starting from scratch.
Make it achievable
To help reps succeed:
- Review quota coverage weekly
- Track average deal size and cycle time
- Monitor time-to-first-deal for new hires
If reps consistently miss, it’s not just on them. Revisit territories, lead quality, and tools.
19. Average quota per AE at Series C: $1.2M
High-performing machines
At Series C, AEs should be bringing in over $1 million each. These are seasoned reps selling a mature product with strong support.
What enables this?
This is possible when:
- Sales motion is dialed in
- Pipeline is strong and qualified
- Product has broad appeal
You’ll also have support from SDRs, SEs, CS, and marketing. Reps aren’t closing alone.
Keep an eye on burnout
$1.2M is great — but only if sustainable. If ramp is long or churn is high, revisit the model. Track:
- Quota attainment over time
- Rep turnover
- Pipeline per rep
Strong reps hitting fair quotas builds a culture of success. Stretch goals with no support do the opposite.
20. SDR to AE ratio at Series A: 1:2
Supporting early sales
At Series A, a 1:2 SDR:AE ratio means each SDR feeds two sales reps. This is lean but effective when deal volume is low.
Why this works
SDRs are:
- Prospecting
- Booking meetings
- Qualifying leads
AEs can then focus on discovery and closing. With fewer reps to support, SDRs learn quickly and stay aligned.
How to scale this
Make sure SDRs:
- Have clear ICP criteria
- Get feedback from AEs often
- Use repeatable outreach sequences
This is where you learn what messaging sticks. Keep SDRs and AEs close — it shortens feedback loops and increases conversion.
21. SDR to AE ratio at Series B: 1:1.5
Growing outreach capacity
As you scale, the SDR team grows too. With a 1:1.5 ratio, SDRs are spread thinner, but with more tools and structure.
Why this shift?
You now have:
- More defined territories
- Better segmentation
- More targeted messaging
That means SDRs can focus on higher-quality outreach, not just volume.
Optimize the handoff
Align SDRs and AEs on:
- What a qualified lead looks like
- When to hand off a lead
- How to track and follow up
This keeps your funnel tight and conversion high.
22. SDR to AE ratio at Series C: 1:1
Full support for full quota
Now, each AE has a dedicated SDR. This enables personalized outreach, territory depth, and better coverage.
Why it’s worth it
SDRs can:
- Focus deeply on key accounts
- Run ABM campaigns
- Personalize every touchpoint
It’s about quality now — not just booking any meeting.
Keep it effective
Hold both roles accountable:
- SDRs for meetings held
- AEs for close rates
- Both for pipeline sourced
This close collaboration drives better results and faster deal progression.
23. AE ramp time at Series A: 3–4 months
Getting reps productive fast
At Series A, ramping AEs in 3–4 months is reasonable. You’re still refining training, so some trial and error is expected.
What slows them down?
- Lack of clear messaging
- Few real case studies
- Unstructured onboarding
These are fixable. Start by documenting what works and sharing it broadly.
Help them succeed
Build:
- A 30/60/90 plan
- Shadowing opportunities
- Weekly coaching sessions
And track time to first deal, not just quota. That’s a better early signal of ramp quality.
24. AE ramp time at Series B: 4–5 months
Bigger deals, longer ramp
At Series B, deals are more complex. AEs need more time to learn the product, objections, and sales process.
Why it takes longer
Now you’ve got:
- Segmented buyer personas
- More competition
- Legal/security hurdles
All of which take time to master.
How to structure ramp
Define:
- Milestones for product knowledge
- Practice sessions for common objections
- Roleplays for each stage
Use scorecards to assess skills weekly, not just activity volume. You want confident, not just busy, reps.
25. AE ramp time at Series C: 5–6 months
Ramp meets enterprise sales
At Series C, deals are long and complex. Ramping AEs takes time, but it pays off. A 6-month ramp is common in enterprise SaaS.
What they need to learn
- Industry-specific use cases
- Competitive landscape
- Procurement processes
This means more enablement, longer coaching cycles, and deeper shadowing.
How to measure success
Look beyond quota. Track:
- Pipeline generated
- Deal quality
- Stage progression
Also, set benchmarks by segment. Ramp time for SMB reps isn’t the same as for enterprise reps.
26. Marketing spend as % of revenue at Seed: 35–50%
Investing early in awareness
At the Seed stage, marketing spend is high relative to revenue. That’s normal. You’re building your presence, testing channels, and figuring out what works.
Why it’s justified
With little to no inbound traffic or brand recognition, most of your growth is outbound or paid. You may be:
- Running small ad tests
- Building content from scratch
- Hiring your first marketer
And all of it costs money without immediate returns.
Where to focus your budget
Spend on areas that help you learn fast:
- Landing pages and copy tests
- Small paid campaigns (LinkedIn, Google)
- Foundational SEO/content efforts
- Product marketing for positioning
Track CPL and engagement, not just conversions. You’re buying data to inform the next stage.
27. Marketing spend as % of revenue at Series A: 30–40%
Growing with focus
Now, marketing is still a major investment, but you should see better efficiency. You’ve tested channels, narrowed your ICP, and created core content.
Where budget goes now
At this stage, you’re likely spending on:
- Paid acquisition with more structure
- Content and SEO to build organic reach
- Webinars or events for education
- Basic marketing automation
You may also begin experimenting with partner marketing or customer advocacy.
How to measure ROI
Use pipeline attribution. Know what each dollar drives:
- MQLs and SQLs by channel
- Cost per opportunity
- Conversion by segment
Cut the fluff. Invest where ROI is visible or where learnings are critical.
28. Marketing spend as % of revenue at Series B: 25–35%
Efficiency starts to matter
As you scale, marketing needs to prove its worth. Spend as a percentage of revenue drops, but actual dollar investment rises.
What’s changing?
You’re:
- Scaling proven channels
- Running bigger programs
- Hiring more specialized marketers
Your brand is also stronger, reducing the need for brute-force paid tactics.
What to optimize
Start looking at:
- Multi-touch attribution
- Lead velocity
- Content ROI over time
This is where RevOps and marketing operations help. You want data guiding your budget decisions — not guesses or hunches.
29. Marketing spend as % of revenue at Series C: 20–30%
Scale with precision
At Series C, marketing is a growth engine — not a test lab. You’re optimizing at scale, and every dollar must contribute to pipeline.
How budget is used
You’re investing in:
- Global campaigns
- Industry events
- Full-funnel content
- Account-based marketing (ABM)
You also have deeper analytics. Your team knows what’s working and can double down quickly.
What to watch
Don’t over-optimize. Some brand spend may not be immediately trackable but still valuable. Balance:
- Brand vs demand
- Awareness vs conversion
- Short-term ROI vs long-term growth
At this stage, marketing and sales must be fully aligned on revenue targets.
30. Inbound vs outbound revenue contribution at Series C: 40% inbound / 60% outbound
A mature GTM mix
At Series C, most companies see about 60% of revenue from outbound and 40% from inbound. This is a healthy balance.
Why outbound still leads
Enterprise deals usually need outbound. Inbound leads may not be decision-makers or fit your ideal profile. Outbound allows control over:
- Account targeting
- Timing
- Deal structure
Your outbound team — SDRs, AEs, and partnerships — should be well-trained and closely coordinated.
Growing inbound’s share
Still, inbound matters. It helps with:
- Lead volume at lower CAC
- Long-term brand value
- Supporting expansion into new verticals
Make inbound strong by:
- Investing in SEO and content
- Running webinars and product launches
- Turning customers into advocates
The goal isn’t to replace outbound — it’s to support it with warm leads and faster cycles. Together, they make your GTM engine hum.
Conclusion
GTM doesn’t stand still. What works at Seed can hold you back at Series B. And by Series C, you need to rethink almost everything. But if you follow the benchmarks above and keep listening to your market, you’ll build a GTM motion that scales with you.
