Braun Board

Manager, Strategic Sales

Baseten · Hybrid · San Francisco, CA

Base
$320K–$360K
OTE
Not disclosed
Posted
9mo ago

Still open · checked 2h agoon Baseten's careers page

What Baseten sells

Servers that run AI models for fast-growing AI companies

When an AI company wants its model out in front of customers, it has to get that model running on real servers. The problem is, a model that works fine in testing can struggle once real customers start using it. Baseten runs AI models in production for fast-growing AI companies, so they can ship new models without building that setup themselves.

In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us

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The Braun Read

Ask hard questions

Too much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.

Pay
Base is listed but not OTE. Ask what the variable is and how many people hit it.
Transparency
Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
Pipeline
Doesn't say where pipeline comes from. Ask.
Time on market
Open 277 days. Ask why it's been hard to fill.
Company hiring
12 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.

Red lights

None spotted.

Yellow lights

  • Open 90+ days. This role has been posted for three months or more. Ask why it's been hard to fill, and whether anyone left it.

Green lights

None spotted.

Based only on what the posting says. Lights are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.

Questions to ask on the first call

Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.

  1. 1.

    This role has been open a while. What's made it hard to fill?

    The answer tells you what candidates saw that made them walk.

  2. 2.

    What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?

    OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.

  3. 3.

    What's the OTE, and what did the median rep earn last year?

    Base is what you're guaranteed. OTE and the median show the upside.

  4. 4.

    What's the annual quota, and how was it set?

    A quota built from real data is a target. Otherwise it's a hope.

  5. 5.

    Where does pipeline come from: inbound, SDRs, or me?

    Tells you how much of your week is prospecting versus selling.

  6. 6.

    Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?

    New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.

When the offer comes

Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.

  1. 1.

    Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?

    What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.

  2. 2.

    Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?

    The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.

  3. 3.

    I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?

    Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.

Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →

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The role

Manage a team of Strategic Account Executives selling AI inference infrastructure to fast-growing AI companies. Coach reps through complex, technical deals and partner with product and engineering. Based in SF or NY.

Strategic

Selling motion

Not stated in the posting.

Who you're selling to

Buyer:
AI companies and their engineering teamsIn their words: “powers mission-critical inference for the world's most dynamic AI companies”
Industry:
AI and machine learningIn their words: “enable companies operating at the frontier of AI to bring cutting-edge models into production”
Company size:
Strategic

Pipeline expectations

Not stated in the posting.

Compensation

$320K–$360K base

What is not disclosed

This posting doesn't tell you:

  • OTE
  • Quota size
  • Quota attainment
  • Average deal size
  • Territory
  • Sales cycle length

The questions above cover the big ones.

Full posting
ABOUT BASETEN Baseten powers mission-critical inference for the world's most dynamic AI companies, like Cursor, Notion, OpenEvidence, Abridge, Clay, Gamma, and Writer. By uniting applied AI research, flexible infrastructure, and seamless developer tooling, we enable companies operating at the frontier of AI to bring cutting-edge models into production. We're growing quickly and recently raised our $1.5B Series F https://www.baseten.co/blog/announcing-our-series-f/, led by Altimeter Capital, Conviction Partners, and Spark Capital. Join us and help build the platform engineers turn to ship AI products. THE ROLE We are seeking a Sales Manager to help lead a team of Strategic Account Executives. This person will be responsible for building and coaching a team of high-performing sales reps, driving revenue growth, and partnering closely with product and engineering to bring our cutting-edge AI infrastructure to customers. RESPONSIBILITIES - Lead and mentor a team of Strategic Account Executives to consistently exceed pipeline and revenue goals. - Help define and execution on go-to-market strategy for our fastest growing customer segment. - Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, and Engineering to align customer needs with Baseten’s product roadmap. - Be deeply engaged with the product, enabling reps to have highly technical conversations with prospects and customers. - Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and collaboration within the sales team. REQUIREMENTS - 6+ years of closing sales experience, with 2+ years in management leading high-performing teams. - Strong technical acumen, ideally with background in AI infrastructure, cloud infrastructure, or developer platforms. - Comfortable operating in the weeds with technical products and guiding reps through complex deals. - Proven track record of success in Strategic/Enterprise sales environments. - Based in San Francisco or New York and open to coming in office at least 3 days per week (Tuesday-Thursday). BENEFITS - Competitive compensation, including meaningful equity - (U.S. only) 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and dependents - Flexible PTO policy including company wide Winter Break (our offices are closed from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day!) - Paid parental leave - Fertility and family-building stipend through Carrot - (U.S. only) Company-facilitated 401(k) - Exposure to a variety of ML startups, offering unparalleled learning and networking opportunities. Apply now to embark on a rewarding journey in shaping the future of AI! If you are a motivated individual with a passion for machine learning and a desire to be part of a collaborative and forward-thinking team, we would love to hear from you. At Baseten, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law (by example, the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, where applicable).
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