A working template for a B2B founder preparing to transfer sales or business-development responsibilities.
Use current customer and opportunity evidence. Complete the review with the person who will manage the hire. The 90-day sections organize onboarding; they do not promise a sale, a completed hire, or a fully independent team by a fixed date.
Company: ____________________
Prepared by: ____________________
Review date: ____________________
Current commercial team: ____________________
Role being considered: ____________________
1. What work needs an owner?
List the work that consumes founder time or repeatedly waits for attention. Describe tasks a person can take responsibility for.
| Task | Current owner | Frequency or volume | What happens when it waits? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
The most important responsibility to transfer:
Evidence that this responsibility needs a dedicated person:
2. What is established about the customer and sale?
Identify what a new hire can learn from actual opportunities.
The buyer and use case with the strongest evidence:
Recent customers, pilots, wins, or losses to study:
Why customers bought, in their own terms:
The part of the sale that still needs testing:
For each answer, record where the evidence lives: CRM record, call note, customer message, proposal, or another approved source.
3. What should this role own?
Choose the primary responsibility before adding secondary tasks. Examples include prospecting, progressing qualified deals, developing partners, or maintaining revenue operations.
Primary responsibility: ____________________
Supporting responsibilities: ____________________
Responsibilities excluded from this role: ____________________
Manager and weekly review owner: ____________________
| Responsibility | Decision the hire can make | When to involve the founder |
|---|---|---|
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
4. What must remain with the founder or another owner?
Decide who owns product commitments, pricing exceptions, final agreements, delivery promises, hiring decisions, and important customer learning.
Founder responsibilities during onboarding:
Product or delivery owner: ____________________
Commercial approval owner: ____________________
Expected founder availability each week: ____________________
5. What evidence should a candidate demonstrate?
Define the work evidence before reviewing candidates. Weight the criteria according to the role.
| Criterion | Evidence to request | Importance | Interview owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant customer understanding | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Judgment about an account or deal | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Clear written and spoken communication | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Follow-through and operating discipline | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Role-specific experience | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
A concern that would change the hiring decision:
6. What practical exercise will help you evaluate the role?
Use a fictional or appropriately authorized example. Keep the exercise focused and proportionate. Tell candidates what you will assess.
Exercise: ____________________
Information provided: ____________________
Expected output: ____________________
Time allowed: ____________________
Evaluation criteria: ____________________
Possible exercises include preparing discovery questions, assessing an account, outlining a partner proposition, or organizing next steps for a sample opportunity. Choose the exercise that reflects the actual job.
7. What must be ready before the person starts?
| Material or access | Ready? | Owner | Completion date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer profile and disqualification criteria | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Product introduction and demo materials | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Approved claims, proof, and customer references | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Discovery questions and proposal examples | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| CRM stages, fields, and ownership rules | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Active opportunity context and commitments | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Required tools and authorized access | ______ | ______ | ______ |
The gap most likely to slow onboarding:
8. How will responsibility expand during the first 90 days?
Choose milestones based on the role, starting point, and sales cycle. Review readiness before transferring more responsibility.
| Period | Work to learn or own | Evidence of readiness | Support required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Days 31 to 60 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| Days 61 to 90 | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
First task the hire can own independently: ____________________
First review date: ____________________
How customer feedback will be captured: ____________________
9. How will you judge progress?
Choose measures that fit the responsibility. Distinguish preparation and activity from customer progress and revenue.
| Measure | Starting point | Intended change | Source | Review date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
| ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ | ____________________ |
What would prompt additional coaching or a scope change?
10. What is the next hiring decision?
Decision: Hire now / prepare the role first / use scoped support / revisit later
Reason: ____________________
Approved budget and employment arrangements: ____________________
Decision owner: ____________________
Next action and date: ____________________
Discuss the operating plan
Rebar CRO helps founders define the role, prepare the commercial materials, support evaluation and onboarding, and transfer agreed responsibilities. Candidate sourcing is a separate scope decision.
Request a 20-minute CRO call. Bring this worksheet and the responsibility you most need to transfer.