You carried the bag from zero to one.
You closed the first deals.
You learned every objection the hard way.
That works to $1M ARR.
It fails on the way to $10M.
Somewhere between your first hires and your first real quota miss, the pressure shifts.
You feel it late at night when the pipeline looks full and nothing is closing.
You cannot clone yourself.
Your reps do not close like you.
Deals feel close until they are not.
That is not a hiring problem.
It is not a tooling problem.
It is not a messaging problem.
It is a sales conversation problem.
Your sales motion lives in your head.
SPRINT turns it into a system.
SPRINT is not a mindset.
It is not a framework for slides.
It is a scoring system for whether a sales call is moving toward a decision or hiding in curiosity.
At its core, SPRINT works because each letter creates a specific buying condition.
Speed creates attention.
Problem creates urgency.
Results create belief.
Implementation creates safety.
Niche creates repeatability.
Trust creates permission.
Below is SPRINT exactly as we use it to score real founder-led sales calls.
Before breaking it down, it helps to understand what this looks like in practice.
SPRINT is not theory. It is call film.
S. Speed: Create Attention
Definition
Speed is the ability to establish credibility and relevance early in the buyer interaction.
Strategic Truth
Speed is not about talking fast.
It is about earning attention before the buyer disengages.
Buyers arrive informed and skeptical.
If you do not establish relevance immediately, the call gets downgraded to curiosity.
Curiosity does not close.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Speed scores a 9 or 10 only when, in the opening minutes, the founder:
Establishes relevance
Names the tension
Sets a clear decision frame
If the opening is biography, philosophy, or product explanation, Speed is a 5 or below.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“What changed that made this a priority now?”
“By the end of this call, we should decide if this is worth pursuing. Fair?”
Why Founders Miss
They try to warm up the room.
They earn politeness instead of attention.
P. Problem: Create Urgency
Definition
Problem is the ability to identify not only a valid pain point, but a reason the buyer must act now.
Strategic Truth
Buyers do not act because problems exist.
They act because delay is getting more expensive.
Most sales calls explore pain.
Very few prove urgency.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Problem scores a 9 or 10 only when the buyer clearly articulates:
What changed
Why now
Why waiting makes this worse
If “what changed” never surfaces, Problem is a 4 or below. No exceptions.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“What changed internally that pushed this up the list?”
“What breaks if this is not solved this quarter?”
“What happens if this slips another 90 days?”
Why Founders Miss
They accept interest as intent.
Discovery becomes education.
Education creates comfort, not action.
R. Results: Create Belief
Definition
Results are the ability to demonstrate measurable outcomes rather than theoretical benefit.
Strategic Truth
Founders close deals on intuition and credibility.
Teams close deals on belief.
Belief comes from numbers.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Results score a 9 or 10 only when outcomes are:
Measurable
Tied to the buyer’s priority
Used to justify a decision
If results stay abstract, Results is a 5 or below.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“If this works, what changes in revenue, cost, or risk?”
“What number makes this worth doing?”
“How will you know this was successful?”
Why Founders Miss
They talk about value they believe in.
Not outcomes the buyer is accountable for.
I. Implementation: Create Safety
Definition
Implementation is the ability to reduce perceived deployment risk through simplicity, governance, and operational guardrails.
Strategic Truth
Buyers rarely block deals on value.
They block them on fear.
Fear of disruption.
Fear of failure.
Fear of blame.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Implementation scores a 9 or 10 only when the founder clearly explains:
How the work actually starts
What early progress looks like
What limits risk and exposure
If implementation feels vague or heavy, buyers delay.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“Here is what happens first and who owns what.”
“Here is how we control risk if this does not work.”
Why Founders Miss
They describe process.
Buyers are listening for safety.
N. Niche: Create Repeatability
Definition
Niche is the discipline to focus on a narrow buyer segment where urgency and repeatability are concentrated.
Strategic Truth
Trying to sell to everyone between $1M and $10M ARR breaks sales teams.
Niche does not limit growth.
It makes growth teachable.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Niche scores a 9 or 10 only when you can clearly say:
Who this works for best
When urgency peaks
Where deals repeat predictably
Broad ICP language scores a 5 or below.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“We win fastest when this role hits this trigger.”
“This is not for everyone, and that is intentional.”
Why Founders Miss
They chase TAM instead of traction.
Sales becomes inconsistent and unscalable.
T. Trust: Create Permission
Definition
Trust is the ability to reduce buyer uncertainty through transparency, proof, and reliability.
Strategic Truth
Buyers do not need more confidence.
They need less uncertainty.
Trust is permission to move forward.
SPRINT Scoring Definition
Trust scores a 9 or 10 only when the buyer clearly sees:
Why you versus alternatives
How risk is reduced
What happens if it fails
If trust relies on stories or credentials, it tops out at 6.
What a 10 Sounds Like
“Here is who this is not for.”
“If this does not work, we stop.”
“Here is the exact decision we are helping you make.”
Why Founders Miss
They try to impress.
Impressing creates nodding.
Clarity creates decisions.
Key Takeaways
Founder-led sales fails when conversations cannot be scored.
Each SPRINT pillar creates a specific buying condition.
If you cannot score your calls, you cannot scale them.
Final Note
If you are a founder between $1M and $10M ARR and sales still depend on you, SPRINT will show you why.
Here is the hard truth.
If your sales motion cannot be scored, it is not a system. It is a personality.
The fastest way to see the difference is not a conversation.
It is a score.
Send me a recent sales call recording.
I will score it using SPRINT and show you exactly where momentum is created and where it dies.
Email me at dave@100founders.ai.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I hire my first salesperson?
When you can win repeatedly with the same ICP, problem, and call structure.
What is the difference between curiosity and intent?
Curiosity is interest. Intent is urgency with consequences.
Why does niche matter so much?
Niche concentrates urgency, improves repeatability, and makes sales teachable.
What metrics define sales velocity?
Win rate, deal size, and cycle length.
As you reach the end of this post, the question is simple.
Do your calls actually hold up when someone scores them?