Jason Lemkin exposes the 0% Quota Club: Why mediocre reps fail outside PMF

The Gist

• Mediocre reps hit 70% quota at PMF-rich companies but 0% elsewhere
• Only 18% of early-stage teams have 70%+ quota attainment
• Process gaps turn average performers into total failures overnight
• Rocket ship resumes often hide reps who can't sell without infrastructure

• Mediocre sales reps can hit 50%-90% of quota in orgs with extreme product-market fit, tight processes, and substantial support, but often hit 0% in orgs missing any of these elements.
• Only 18% of early-stage teams have 70%+ of their reps hitting quota, with most teams seeing 20%-40% attainment or worse.
• Reps in orgs without PMF, process, or support are forced to invent the sales process, pricing strategy, and technical story, which is beyond their capability.
• Two reps hitting quota is the threshold for hiring a VP of Sales, as it indicates something repeatable might exist.
• Adding sales headcount to weak PMF is the most expensive way to learn that the product isn’t ready for scaling.
• The highest-ROI hire in most 0% orgs isn’t another AE but a solutions engineer, sales-focused product marketer, or someone who owns security and legal processes.

• Reverse engineer your top-performing rep’s process and create a sales playbook based on their actions.
• Fix support gaps (e.g., hire a solutions engineer or product marketer) before adding more sales reps.
• Stop hiring additional reps until PMF, process, and support are in place to avoid scaling failure.
• Be honest about PMF and avoid adding sales headcount if deals only close with founder involvement.

• 50%-90% (Quota attainment for mediocre reps in orgs with PMF, process, and support.)
• 0% (Quota attainment for mediocre reps in orgs missing PMF, process, or support.)
• 18% (Percentage of early-stage teams with 70%+ of reps hitting quota.)
• 20%-40% (Quota attainment for the majority of early-stage teams.)