Every hire is a bet.
The question is: are you betting on the right things?
I work with CEOs and founders who are sharp, driven, and genuinely good at building businesses. And yet, many of them make the same expensive mistake: hiring someone because they look right—instead of first defining what right actually means.
One client needed an attorney with startup joint venture experience.
Another needed a bookkeeper to build their accounting processes from the ground up.
A third needed an operations manager who could actually run things—not just manage them.
I asked each of them the same question:
What does success look like, and how will you know when they’ve achieved it?
Blank stares. Every time.
The Missing Piece: The Scorecard
That’s where the Scorecard comes in.
A Scorecard is a simple but powerful hiring tool built on three questions:
- What are the 4–9 things this person must accomplish to be considered an “A” performer?
- What does success look like, and how will we know when it’s been achieved?
- What metrics will we use to measure it?
And this applies to everyone you pay for their time and expertise—full-time, part-time, fractional, contractor, or vendor. No exceptions.
What Happens When You Skip It
Founder and GTM advisor Charlie Solorzano tells the story of an early-stage SaaS company under $10M ARR that hired a “big-name” Chief Revenue Officer.
On paper, the hire was flawless: senior titles, recognizable companies, strong references.
But there was one problem—no one had clearly defined what success looked like for the role.
Without clear outcomes or metrics, the CRO defaulted to what they knew: building dashboards, setting territories, and creating long-range forecasts.
Meanwhile:
- Revenue growth stalled
- Pipeline dried up
- Burn increased
The founders stepped back from selling, assuming “the CRO owns revenue now,” but new business wasn’t being generated.
After several missed quarters, they made a tough call and parted ways.
Only then did they define success clearly—specific ARR targets, new customer goals, and a repeatable sales playbook. The next hire, a more hands-on VP of Sales, delivered—and growth restarted.
The issue wasn’t the person.
It was the lack of clarity.
What Happens When You Hire for Outcomes
At SaaS company TestGorilla, Laura Donovan had repeatedly been passed over for roles.
She didn’t fit the typical mold:
- Based in Rapid City, South Dakota
- Background in advertising, PR, and education
- No “brand-name” SaaS logos
On paper, she didn’t look like the right hire.
But when she applied to a company using skills-based assessments, the process started differently—with clearly defined outcomes for the role.
- Supporting customers in a complex SaaS product
- Collaborating across a remote team
- Learning quickly
Measured against those outcomes, Laura surfaced as a top performer. She was hired—and ultimately became Head of Customer Success at TestGorilla.
The same resume that once excluded her became irrelevant once success was clearly defined.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Weak:
We need an attorney to help us with our partnership documents.
Strong:
By the end of Q2, our partnership agreements will be drafted and finalized by an attorney with 10+ years of experience forming joint ventures in the hospitality industry.
The difference?
The strong version:
- Narrows your search
- Sharpens your interviews
- Makes decisions easier
- Aligns expectations from day one
And when the engagement begins, both sides know exactly what “done” looks like.
The Real Cost of a Bad Hire
Yes, bad hires are expensive.
But the real cost isn’t the fee or the severance check.
It’s the six months of lost momentum while you figure out it isn’t working.
A Question to Consider
Think about the last person you hired—or the last vendor you brought on.
Could you clearly articulate, in one sentence, what success looked like for that role?
And knowing what you know now…
What would you add to a Scorecard today?
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