Early-stage selling is a different sport. In this episode of The Founding AE, host Justin Dorman sits down with multi-time founding AE Sean Donnelly of CloneOps.ai (ex-restaurant tech & logistics) to unpack the builder’s mindset, day-to-day rhythms, and the playbooks that actually move pipeline when you’re the first rep on the field.What you’ll learnFounding AE mindset: why being nimble, curious, and scrappy matters more than perfect structure.Day-to-day operating system: prospecting blocks, deal flow hygiene, and protecting time that keeps your pipe from drying up.Prospecting that works now: intentional LinkedIn, human-first outreach, and where broad blasts still make sense.Cross-functional impact: how great AEs act as the bridge between customers, product, and marketing.Avoiding the feature factory: asking “why?” to translate feature requests into real problems product can solve.Career durability: why consistency beats heroics for founders & first AEs alike.Chapters00:00 Welcome to The Founding AE00:35 Sean’s path: retail → Verizon → FiveStars → Fox Ordering → Seven Ships → CloneOps.ai03:10 Who thrives as a Founding AE (and who doesn’t)04:39 Biggest challenges when you’re starting from zero06:45 Training like an athlete: focus on the work, not just outcomes08:10 Daily cadence: blocking time for outbound, follow-ups, customers10:48 Channels & tools that work: LinkedIn, intent-led outreach, ZoomInfo, events14:56 Partnering with marketing & product without becoming a feature dump18:20 Post-sale mindset, referrals, and building the flywheel19:28 Advice to new Founding AEs: wear every hat, build the playbook, stay consistent-What is a Founding AE?A first sales hire who proves GTM, creates process, and helps shape product and positioning in an early-stage startup.How should a Founding AE structure the day? Front-load prospecting, protect calendar blocks, keep follow-ups tight, and reserve time for customer success and internal feedback loops.Best prospecting channel right now?Intentional, personalized LinkedIn and targeted email, amplified by events and a credible personal brand in your niche.How should AEs work with product?Be the bridge: collect problems, pattern-match themes, and prioritize what drives outcomes.About the guestSean Donnelly - Founding AE at CloneOps.ai (freight and logistics automation). Background across restaurant tech and logistics; multiple zero-to-one sales roles. Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sean-donnelly • CloneOps: https://cloneops.ai/About the hostJustin Dorman — Host of The Founding AE. Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindorfman87/ -If you’re a first sales hire, founder-seller, or early GTM leader, subscribe for weekly tactics, war stories, and templates you can use tomorrow. Drop your questions in the comments—Sean will be hanging out and replying.💪 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/#TheFoundingAE #StartupSales #FirstSalesHire #GTM #B2BSaaS #Prospecting #Logistics #FounderLedSales #SalesPlaybook #Sales

Ver todos los episodios