Staff Solutions Engineer - Central
Kong · Remote · US
- Base
- $220K–$250K
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 2h ago
Still open · checked 1h agoon Kong's careers page
What Kong sells
Secures and manages traffic between apps and AI
Companies have many apps and AI models sending data back and forth, and it gets hard to keep that traffic safe, fast, and under control. Kong sells a product that handles this flow, so a company can secure it, manage it, speed it up, and set rules for it. Teams can then use their apps and AI tools with less worry about what goes where.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us
More Developer & IT tools companies →The Braun Read
Worth a lookSolid on the basics. Use the first call to fill in the gaps.
- 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
- Mostly inbound or an assigned book.
- Time on market
- Brand new.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 10 sales roles in the last 30 days.
Red flags
None spotted.
Green flags
- SDR or inbound support. You won't be building all of your own pipeline from zero.
Based only on what the posting says. Flags 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.
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.
- 2.
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.
- 3.
Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?
Selling to a CFO and selling to a developer are different jobs.
- 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.
How long is ramp, and what's the quota during it?
Full quota on day one means you start behind.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
Got an offer from Kong? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
The role
Technical pre-sales role supporting field sales on Kong's API and AI connectivity platform for large enterprises. Covers discovery, POCs, demos, and feasibility workshops across assigned accounts.
Enterprise · Inbound
Selling motion
Who you're selling to
- Buyer:
- Not stated in the posting.Ask: “Who's the economic buyer, and who else is in the deal?”
- Company size:
- Enterprise
Pipeline expectations
Compensation
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.