Founding Account Executive - Startups

Virio
San Francisco, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Founding team members with startup experience and founder-led sales instincts will find this high-impact, in-office role in San Francisco.

Best fit for

  • Candidates who have built or led sales processes from scratch in early-stage startups
    — “You think from first principles and build process rather than inherit it”
  • Individuals with a track record of closing revenue in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
    — “Track record of closing revenue in ambiguous, fast-moving environments”
  • People who have sold directly to founders or executives at Series A–D B2B SaaS companies
    — “You've sold to founders or execs at early-stage startups and know how they buy”

Things to consider

  • The role requires full-time, in-office presence in San Francisco with no remote options
    — “San Francisco (in-person, in-office, full-time ONLY)”
  • No existing CRM hygiene or sales team support is provided, requiring high self-sufficiency
    — “You're comfortable being the only AE, with no playbook, no SDR team, and no CRM hygiene handed to you”

How to stand out

  • Emphasize your ability to self-source pipeline and not rely on inbound leads
    — “Self-source a meaningful share of your own pipeline, not just work inbound”
  • Showcase your background as a founder or early-stage sales hire, not just general sales experience
    — “You've been a founder, or a founding/very early sales hire at a startup”
  • Demonstrate how you have shaped pricing or packaging based on buyer feedback
    — “Shape ICP, pricing, and packaging based on what you're hearing from real deals”
  • Demonstrate your ability to work with minimal structure and build from scratch
    — “You're comfortable being the only AE, with no playbook, no SDR team”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · LowAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · IndividualLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • successful sales cycles
  • pipeline growth
  • ICP shaping
Typical background
founder experienceearly-stage sales

Skills & requirements

Required

SalesFounder-to-founder SellingSelf-sourcingClosing Deals

Preferred

Vertical Saas SalesAi-native GTM Experience

Stack & domain

SalesAccount ManagementSales StrategyLeadershipCommunicationProblem-solvingStartupsSaas

About the role

Original posting from Virio via Ashby

FOUNDING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE - STARTUPS

Location: San Francisco (in-person, in-office, full-time ONLY)

Compensation: $350K-$500K OTE | Uncapped Commission | Offers Equity

ABOUT VIRIO

Virio is building the next-generation B2B GTM stack.

Backed by investors and operators from LinkedIn, YouTube, HubSpot, Rippling, and Google, we help the fastest-growing B2B companies go to market through executive-led content that drives revenue.

We're hiring a Founding Account Executive - Startups to sell Virio into the startup segment: founders and GTM leaders at Series A–D B2B SaaS companies. You'll take our founder-led sales motion and turn it into a repeatable one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Own the full sales cycle for the startup segment: prospecting, discovery, demo, close
  • Self-source a meaningful share of your own pipeline, not just work inbound
  • Sell founder-to-founder. Speak the language of the buyer because you've been in their seat
  • Turn founder-led sales instincts into a documented, repeatable process others can run
  • Shape ICP, pricing, and packaging based on what you're hearing from real deals
  • Feed product and messaging directly with buyer feedback and objections
  • Help define what the startup-segment sales org looks like as we scale past you

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

  • You've been a founder, or a founding/very early sales hire at a startup. Not general sales leadership. Actual founding experience
  • Direct experience with founder-led sales, either running it yourself or building the motion that replaced it
  • You've sold to founders or execs at early-stage startups and know how they buy
  • You're comfortable being the only AE, with no playbook, no SDR team, and no CRM hygiene handed to you
  • You self-source. You don't wait for a lead list
  • Track record of closing revenue in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
  • You think from first principles and build process rather than inherit it

NICE TO HAVE

  • Experience selling into vertical SaaS (FinTech, PropTech, HealthTech, data infra, LegalTech)
  • Comfort with $30K–150K+ ACV deal sizes
  • Existing network of founders/operators in the Series A–D B2B SaaS world
  • Prior AI-native or tooling-heavy GTM experience

TRAITS THAT THRIVE AT VIRIO

  • High agency & execution bias – Takes action immediately without waiting for direction
  • Pipeline obsession – Focused on pipeline quality, velocity, and sustained forward momentum
  • Comfort with ambiguity – Energized by uncertainty and motivated by building from scratch
  • Direct, accountable communication – Values clarity, speed, and ownership in communication
  • Low ego & relentless ownership – Takes full responsibility and follows through without excuses

BENEFITS

  • Work directly with the CEO
  • Competitive total compensation aligned to impact and ownership
  • Meaningful equity upside as part of the founding team
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) plan
  • All meals covered in office
  • Relocation support for San Francisco
  • Company-wide annual off-site
  • High ownership, high trust, and fast career progression alongside world-class client partners
  • In-person culture with deep commitment to excellence

This is a full-time, on-site role based in San Francisco with the team coming in 6 days/week. We do not offer hybrid or remote positions.

Source: Virio careers (Ashby)

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