Hello and welcome to The Modern GTM Executive by Lunar Executive Search - read by (now 2,455) 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 top 10% of GTM Leaders to execute.
| Sales Hiring Market – Current LinkedIn Job Postings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Within Software Industry – Posted Last 7 Days | ||
| VP of Sales Jobs | 280 | -30% |
| Enterprise AE Jobs | 464 | +0% |
| BDR Jobs | 279 | +10% |
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 (Anthropic had another week…)
(Our updated news & trends sections to highlight all relevant stories you need to know going into this week.)
Revenue race: Anthropic said its annualized revenue has passed $30B, driven heavily by enterprise coding tools, putting more pressure on every AI seller to prove real production usage, not just pilots.
Infrastructure lock-in: Anthropic expanded its compute deal with Google and Broadcom, with most of the new capacity set to be housed in the U.S., another sign that enterprise AI demand is increasingly favoring vendors with serious infrastructure backing.
Software reset: U.S. software stocks sold off again after Anthropic’s latest model update, showing how quickly AI announcements are now reshaping buyer, investor, and board expectations across SaaS.
Security tailwind: Palo Alto Networks highlighted continued demand tied to AI-driven threat environments, keeping cybersecurity one of the most resilient GTM categories.
Human Connection: SaaStock USA is coming back to Austin, TX - this Wednesday & Thursday at the Palmer Events Center.
Top 5 Questions Every Sales Rep Should Ask Before Joining a New Company
We source and publish a lot of data on what makes the best sellers and the best sales organizations the best. Most of this is directed towards leadership teams that are looking to increase their chances of success in roles that they're hiring for by qualifying people against the data that shows what most successful teams hire for.
But you also can flip this right around and utilize these same frameworks and research reports to increase your likelihood of success in joining a new sales organization.
Stemming from our recent Top 50 Venture-Backed SaaS Sales Teams report, here are the five questions that I recommend every sales rep or sales leader ask before joining a new organization in 2026:
1. “What % of the current team is hitting quota?”
Top orgs average ~80% attainment. Average around 45%.
If most of the team isn’t hitting, it’s generally not a talent issue (meaning you as a great seller can't change the outcome), it’s a systemic issue.
2. “What support do reps actually have?”
BDRs, RevOps, enablement, demand gen.
Teams with real support structures outperform by ~8–12%.
No support = you’re doing 4 jobs at once. Marginal gains for every one that is accounted for, but what you really are looking for here is exceptionally clear expectations on what you're walking into.
3. “What does a top rep here look like?”
Not on paper, in reality.
Top teams hire for fit to market + motion, not just experience.
If you don’t match it, you’re fighting uphill.
4. “Where does pipeline actually come from?”
Inbound, outbound, marketing, get specific.
72% of top orgs have SDR/BDR support feeding pipeline.
Again - less of a "need or leave" metric - but if a hiring manager can articulate clearly with data where the pipeline comes from, you'll have clear expectations and know that they are a well-organized and operated organization
5. “What’s rep experience actually like?”
Culture isn’t fluff.
Top-rated companies on Glassdoor outperform by ~30% in attainment.
Bad environments show up in your number.
Bottom line: Most people pick the offer. Top performers pick the environment.
If you want our full breakdown of our thoughts on GTM compensation in 2026, and all appropriate salary bands across Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and more, 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) Director of Marketing - VC Backed - Vertical SaaS (Remote)
Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise SaaS (Remote - Central Territory)
(NEW) Enterprise Account Executive - PE Backed - HealthTech SaaS (Remote)
Strategic Account Executive - VC Backed - Enterprise AI (Remote)
(NEW) Enterprise Account Executive - Public - Data & Analytics Systems Integrator (Remote)
(NEW) Senior Sales Engineer - Public - Data & Analytics Systems Integrator (Remote)
(NEW) Account Executive - VC Backed - Proptech (Remote)
Enterprise Account Executive - VC Backed - Media Tech (NYC OR LA Remote)
I'm also always looking to speak to great candidates for future & confidential 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
Check out our latest episode of The GTM Kickback!, The 4 Decisions CEOs Must Make to Drive GTM Growth in 100 Days | #85 w/ Vanessa Goolsby
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
