Hello and welcome to The Modern GTM Executive by Lunar Executive Search - read by 2,000+ leading Sales, Marketing, and Executive Leaders within Growth-Stage Technology businesses. We’re here to help people redefine their perspective on modern revenue acquisition models, understand what talent & skills are necessary to do so, and how to find the to 10% of GTM Leaders to execute.
| Sales Hiring Market – Current LinkedIn Job Postings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Within Software Industry – Posted Last 7 Days | ||
| VP of Sales Jobs | 361 | -8% |
| Enterprise AE Jobs | 532 | -2% |
| BDR Jobs | 325 | -7% |
To help readers stay grounded in the reality of today’s GTM hiring landscape, I’ll be sharing a weekly snapshot of active sales roles on LinkedIn. These metrics offer a simple but powerful pulse check: where demand is rising, where it’s cooling, and how the broader software market is shifting beneath the surface.
Quick Hits
(Our updated news & trends sections to highlight all relevant stories you need to know going into this week.)
Workforce cooldown: Oracle plans 20k–30k layoffs amid costly AI expansion.
Workday slims crew with 400 job cuts as software stocks tumble.
Peloton cuts ~11% of staff despite AI-focused product push.
Expedia to shed 100 roles in Austin, TX amid ongoing restructuring.
Amazon cuts hundreds of AWS and tech jobs in recent Washington layoffs.
Funding spotlight: ElevenLabs scores $500M at $11B valuation (AI voice tech).
Big rounds: Bedrock Robotics takes $270M Series B for automation.
Market & macro: SaaS stocks slump amid “SaaSpocalypse” fears over AI disruption.
AI regulation pulse: global AI compliance rules shaping SaaS strategy.
Stop Hiring Playbooks — Start Hiring Proof
For the last decade, GTM hiring has been dominated by playbooks.
“Built the outbound motion.”
“Scaled from $10M to $50M.”
“Managed 12 reps across three regions.”
These phrases sound impressive, but they’re not proof. They’re context, stripped of causality.
The uncomfortable truth:
Most hiring failures aren’t about talent gaps. They’re about evidence gaps.
Playbooks Explain Where Someone Worked
Proof Explains What Actually Happened
A playbook tells you the environment someone operated in.
Proof tells you whether they were the variable that mattered, or not.
Proof looks like:
What specifically broke before they arrived, and what changed after
The constraints they operated under (headcount, ICP clarity, pricing, product maturity)
What they owned vs. what they inherited
How performance held up when conditions got harder, not easier
Two candidates can come from the same “$10M → $50M” story.
One rode the wave.
The other built the surfboard.
2026 Hiring Reality: Fewer Seats, Higher Stakes
As GTM orgs get leaner and quotas consolidate, there’s less margin for narrative-based hiring.
You don’t need someone who’s seen the movie.
You need someone who can prove they drove the outcome.
That means:
Verifying results across multiple environments
Stress-testing claims against downturns, re-orgs, and leadership changes
Hiring for repeatable execution, not situational success
The Shift That Actually Matters
The best teams are quietly moving away from:
“Do they fit the playbook?”
And toward:
“Can they demonstrate repeatable proof?”
Because when growth slows and pressure rises, proof compounds.
Playbooks don’t.
If you want the full breakdown of our thoughts on what ‘good’ GTM looks like in 2026 — including team design, enablement impact, and what “great” teams actually look like — the data is in this report.
We've got a number of active opportunities across our portfolio of software clients at Lunar Executive Search currently.
A few select openings:
(New) RVP of Sales, East – VC Backed – Enterprise AI (NYC, Boston, Philly)
VP of Sales – PE Backed – HealthTech (US Remote)
(New) Chief of Staff - VC Backed - InsurTech (NYC Hybrid)
(New) Revenue Operations Lead - VC Backed - InsurTech (NYC Hybrid)
Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise SaaS (Remote - Central Territory)
(New) Strategic Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise AI (Remote)
Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - InsurTech (NYC Hybrid)
(New) Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Media Tech (NYC OR LA Remote)
I'm also always looking to speak to great candidates for future roles:
Chief Revenue Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI
Chief Marketing Officer - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI
VP of Product Marketing - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI
VP of Partnerships - Venture/PE-Backed - SaaS/Cyber/AI
Highlights from The GTM Kickback! Podcast
We've had a number of excellent interviews recently on The GTM Kickback!, with many more already booked and recorded on the way.
Want to be a guest? Ping me on LinkedIn! 😎
We're looking for: High-performance GTM Operators, VC/PE Investors in SaaS, and Leading GTM Consultants for early stage technology businesses
New to "The GTM Kickback!"? Subscribe to the podcast!
This newsletter is powered by Lunar Executive Search - Finding Premier GTM Talent for Growth Stage Tech Businesses.
We help disruptive technology companies grow. For venture-funded start-ups and PE-backed enterprise software firms, we have a track record in finding the Top 10% of Sales and Marketing Leadership Talent, and doing so swiftly.
Reach out here: [email protected]
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Till next time,
Joey
