Strategic Partnerships Manager - VC & Accelerator Ecosystem
Mercury · San Francisco, CA
- Base
- $181K–$226K
- OTE
- Not disclosed
- Quota attainment
- Not disclosed
- Posted
- 3mo ago
Why it matters: OTE tells you what you could earn. Attainment tells you how realistic it is.
Ask: “What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?”
Still open · checked 2h agoon Mercury's careers page
What Mercury sells
Business banking, cards, and payments for startups
When a startup has to manage its money, there are bank accounts, cards, payments, and bills to keep track of. The problem is, that's a lot of work for a founder who should be building the company. Mercury offers banking, payments, cards, accounting, and cash management for ambitious companies, so founders and finance teams can handle their money with tools made for them.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us
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Ask hard questionsToo 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
- A mix of self-sourced pipeline and inbound or SDR help.
- Time on market
- Open 111 days. Ask why it's been hard to fill.
- Company hiring
- 5 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
- Pays accelerators. Higher commission rates once you pass quota. Overperformance actually pays.
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.
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.
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.
What percentage of reps on the team have been here more than 18 months?
Tenure shows whether people stay long enough to get paid.
- 4.
Has the comp plan changed in the last 12 to 18 months? What changed?
A plan that changes every year means the goalposts keep moving.
- 5.
Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?
Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.
- 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.
Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →
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The role
Build and run Mercury's VC and accelerator partner program, recruiting ecosystem partners to drive referrals and usage. Based in the SF Bay Area, with about 35% travel to tech hubs.
Strategic · Partnerships
Selling motion
Who you're selling to
- Buyer:
- VC funds, accelerators, venture studios and their startupsIn their words: “driving new customers to Mercury–including VC funds and their portfolio companies”
- Industry:
- Venture capital and startup ecosystemIn their words: “you will be able to touch all elements of Mercury’s work with the VC and startup community”
- Company size:
- Strategic
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.