Startup Spotlight: Bullpen is filling Canada’s sales talent shortage

Welcome to Vancouver Tech Journal’s startup spotlight series, where we dive into companies building in Vancouver.

What’s the key to scaling a startup that many overlook?

It isn’t just unveiling an innovation at the right time or having strong relationships with strategically aligned investors. What many forget is the people inside the company who get and keep the business going in between raises: the sales team.

Experts and research point toward Canada’s sales talent shortage being a challenge in our startups’ ability to scale to a world-class size — calling for the need for more highly capable and trained sales teams like our American counterparts.

This long standing challenge is why Theo Yeung founded the Vancouver-based tech sales consulting firm, Bullpen. In the past, Yeung was pivotal in ramping up revenue for tech companies like Qlik, SAP, and HealthSpace — notably driving ARR from $500,000 to $9.6 million — before joining Slack and Zoom.

Yeung sat with Vancouver Tech Journal to share what Bullpen is all about, who they’re keen to work with next, and his biggest challenge in the company’s early days.

What’s your elevator pitch?

We’re your rocketship to revenue. Whether your company is pre-seed and you're looking for product market fit, seed stage where you’re trying to go-to-market, or series A where you need more top-of-funnel, we have what you’re looking for to scale.

When did you start the Bullpen?

I did it on the side of my desk while working at HealthSpace in 2016. Then, I took a hiatus to work at Slack and Zoom, but I’m now back in full force.

What was the catalyst behind building the Bullpen?

The gap of selling that most Canadian companies have. We’re great with R&D but don’t have the same sales engine as our American counterparts. I wanted to take what I learned from working with unicorn tech companies in the U.S. and bring it to Canada. 

Most tech consultants will give you a playbook to execute on your own. A lot of technical founders don’t have the time or experience to make this happen and are left with just a playbook and no results. Sales needs to be a good mix of art and science.

The sales process is also very fluid and needs constant iteration. If you aren’t going through the changes and iterating fast with the founder, you’ll let them down. We aren’t your typical consultants who used to do this once upon a time. We eat our own dog food and do the work hand-in-hand with our founders. I always joke with my clients that if you don’t get a response from me in two hours on Slack, call the cops.

What problem is the Bullpen solving?

Go-to-market, sales, and product market fit for tech companies. 

We not only give you the playbook but also verify and make sure your hypothesis is true. Then, we replicate it, back it up, and find additional customer personas so that you can be a rockstar to your current and future investors.

What markets are you in?

Any pre-seed, seed, and series A tech companies.

How big is your team?

10 people.

Are you hiring?

We’re always looking to hire and mentor new talent. If you’re gritty, curious, and a team player, we’ll always make room for you. 

What does Bullpen need right now?

More great customers to scale up with.

To date, we’ve already helped over 40 pre-seed to series B companies develop sales and GTM strategies to increase revenue and expand their business. 

If you’re a founder who’s looking to grow, we want to be that trusted partner with you.

Where do you want the Bullpen to be in the future?

I hope that Bullpen will continue to have a significant impact in helping more Canadian tech companies.

Within three to six years, we’re also looking to validate product market fit, then book and close meetings for our customers and onboard their sales reps — essentially, come in and drop a validated and working sales team.

Ultimately, I want Canadian tech companies not to be an afterthought but a leader. We build great tools but need to get the product out there to show how awesome we are.

Looking back on the early days of starting Bullpen, what was the biggest challenge you faced? How did you overcome it?

In the beginning, I thought that I would be mostly focused on selling.

As the company grew, I had to learn how to balance allocating time to dealing with finances and people management — ensuring the team remained happy and motivated. I started getting better at delegating and trusting that we’re all on this ship to steer in one direction fast and far.

If you want to go somewhere fast, go alone. If you want to go somewhere far, go together.

How can people connect with you?

Find me on LinkedIn or email me.

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