{"podcast":{"title":"Hunters and Unicorns","slug":"hunters-and-unicorns-1378689","podcast_index_feed_id":1378689,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/huntersandunicorns/feed.xml","website_url":"https://huntersandunicorns.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/9005185/hu_podbean_logo_1600bfjow.png","author":"huntersandunicorns","episode_count":100,"summary":"Introducing ’Hunters and Unicorns’ – Your Gateway to Tech Leadership Insights! Are you hungry for the inside scoop on what it takes to lead in the dynamic world of technology? Look no further than our celebrated interview series, ’Hunters and Unicorns’! Join us as we dive deep into the journeys of the trailblazers who are shaping the future of the tech landscape. 🎙️ Unveil the Playbooks of Tech Titans! 🚀 Revealing strategies of tech leaders driving growth. 🔍 Dive into pivotal past experiences. 🌐 1M+ global downloads – a community of tech enthusiasts. 🎯 Insights from thought leaders, entrepreneurs, execs. 🔥 Ignite innovation, leadership, extraordinary achievements. 🦄🎉 Subscribe for transformative tech insights!","last_synced_at":"2026-06-18T00:17:43.678058+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689"},"episode":{"title":"How I Landed a Job in Sales with a Cardboard Cutout, w/ Liam Mulcahy","slug":"how-i-landed-a-job-in-sales-with-a-cardboard-cutout-w-liam-mulcahy","published_at":"2025-09-10T10:51:28+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/how-i-landed-a-job-in-sales-with-a-cardboard-cutout-w-liam-mulcahy","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689","url":"https://huntersandunicorns.podbean.com/e/how-i-landed-a-job-in-sales-with-a-cardboard-cutout-w-liam-mulcahy/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/7crx2ab2zkq8uj7t/Hunters_ECE_Liam_v2_audio.mp3","summary":"In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Liam Mulcahy, Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins. Having worked with over 100 startups, from first-ever sales rep to operating partner, Liam shares his unfiltered playbook for success in the chaotic world of early-stage companies. We cover how to identify the right opportunities, what a founder-led sales motion looks like, the red flags to watch for in an interview, and the mindset needed to thrive in a high-risk, high-reward environment. Liam also shares his famous cardboard cutout story that landed him a job at MongoDB, a company he helped take public. 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:53 - The Operating Partner Role at KP 05:18 - From Mongo to VC 09:34 - The Cardboard Cutout Story 11:53 - Product-Out vs. Customer-In 13:30 - Intrinsic Motivation for Startups 17:39 - The \"Revenue-Generating PM\" 19:53 - Qualifying a Startup as a Rep 23:26 - The Player-Coach Myth 27:49 - Scaling a Sales Team with Pods 30:34 - Evaluating Pre-Revenue Companies 35:22 - Finding the Right Company 40:30 - Red Flags when Interviewing Founders 48:09 - Faster Enterprise Buying Cycles 50:13 - The Future of Sales and AI 55:16 - The Value of Sales Training 💥 3 Biggest Lessons: The DNA of a Founder: Look for founders who see sales as a first-class citizen and have a high emotional resonance with the problem they are solving, not just a homework assignment from a board. The \"Player-Coach\" Myth: The idea of a single person acting as both a top rep and a team leader is a \"misnomer\" that often leads to failure at an early-stage startup. It's better to hire great reps first, and then bring in a leader once the sales motion is proven. Bet on Yourself: The best early-stage hires have an intrinsic motivation to prove they can succeed in…","meta_description":"In this episode of the East Coast Elite series, we sit down with Liam Mulcahy, Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins. Having worked with over 100 startups,…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3484,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/episodes/how-i-landed-a-job-in-sales-with-a-cardboard-cutout-w-liam-mulcahy/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/hunters-and-unicorns-1378689/how-i-landed-a-job-in-sales-with-a-cardboard-cutout-w-liam-mulcahy.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}