On this episode of The Founding AE, host Justin Dorfman sits down with Justin Silsbee - fresh off a stint as a Founding AE and now leading Business Development at a drone light-show company - to unpack what he learned on the front lines. We dig into selling to traditional industries like construction, prospecting when your buyers aren’t glued to a laptop, partnering closely with a founder through constant pivots, and how those reps translate into future entrepreneurship.What you’ll learn:How a Founding AE mindset accelerates your career (and preps you for founding)Prospecting playbooks when your ICP isn’t living on email/LinkedInTranslating frameworks into casual, human conversations (and when scripts get in the way)Partnering with founders: gathering real field data, shaping territory bets, and surviving pivotsTooling and experimentation: building your GTM stack from a clean slateChapters:00:00 Intro & why the Founding AE role matters01:02 Justin’s path: SDR → AE → Founding AE05:06 Selling into traditional industries (construction, trades)08:46 Prospecting channels that actually work when buyers aren’t online12:21 Beyond quota: tools, HubSpot, enrichment & experimentation18:04 Partnering with the founder, territory testing & pivots22:56 The hardest parts of being a Founding AE24:38 New chapter: Business Development in drone light shows27:24 How to connect with JustinAbout the guest:Justin Silsbee is a sales leader who’s sold into traditional markets and now leads Business Development in the fast-growing drone light-show space. Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-silsbee-0508251a3/Connect & Subscribe:Subscribe for more real talk with first sales hires & early sales leadersFollow the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7LrHo-zZHw2BXnFzl8CVAc33CHpkg-swHost: Justin Dorfman | Co-Founder & CEO, AssetMule https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindorfman87/Say hi:Got questions about selling into non-tech industries or the Founding AE path? Drop them in the comments, and connect with Justin Silsbee on LinkedIn.💪 Try FollowUp for FreeBack-to-back demos and follow-ups piling up? FollowUp by AssetMule instantly generates personalized Digital Sales Rooms from your sales calls—built for Founding AEs to move deals forward and enable champions to sell internally. Try it for free: https://www.gofollowup.ai/#FoundingAE #SalesLeadership #GTM #BusinessDevelopment #Prospecting #ConstructionTech #StartupSales #DroneShows #Sales

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