hiring-agencies · diff
v1.0.0 to v1.1.0
151 added, 91 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: hiring-agencies
description: >-
- Evaluate, hire, and manage agencies for SaaS GTM — outbound agencies, dev
- shops, marketing agencies, and design studios. When to use an agency vs hiring
- in-house, how to structure engagements, and how to measure ROI. Triggers on:
- "hire agency", "outbound agency", "dev shop", "marketing agency", "agency vs
- in-house", "outsource GTM", or any agency hiring request.
+ Evaluate, hire, and manage GTM agencies — outbound, RevOps/Clay, demand gen,
+ design, and dev shops. Agency vs in-house decision framework, pilot structure,
+ scorecards, kill switches, and handoff to internal teams. Use when outsourcing
+ GTM execution, evaluating an outbound agency, or deciding agency vs first hire.
+ Triggers on: "hire agency", "outbound agency", "GTM agency", "Clay agency",
+ "RevOps agency", "agency vs in-house", "outsource GTM", "marketing agency",
+ "dev shop", "manage agency".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Hermes, Windsurf, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Zed, VS Code, Goose
metadata:
- version: "1.0.0"
+ version: "1.1.0"
author: LeadMagic
category: founder-led
- tags: [agencies, outsourcing, gtm, marketing, development]
+ tags: [agencies, outsourcing, gtm, revops, outbound, contractors]
frameworks:
- - "Agency Selection Framework"
- - "SaaStr Agency Hiring Guide"
+ - "Winning by Design — GTM Index (Operating Model score)"
+ - "Jason Lemkin — SaaStr Agency vs Hire Guidance"
- "Paul Graham — Do Things That Do Not Scale"
- related_skills: [hiring-contractors, sales-team-building, tool-selection-stack]
+ related_skills: [hiring-contractors, sales-team-building, pipeline-management, cold-email-strategy, clay-automation, tool-selection-stack]
---
# Hiring Agencies
## Overview
- Agencies give you a team without building one. The right agency accelerates
- GTM faster than hiring. The wrong agency burns cash for months before you
- realize it's not working. This skill covers agency selection, engagement
- structure, and the metrics that separate productive partnerships from
- expensive mistakes.
-
- ## Frameworks Referenced
-
- This skill is grounded in public frameworks and source material relevant to the task:
+ Agencies buy speed, not strategy. The right agency proves a channel or builds
+ a workflow faster than hiring. The wrong agency burns 90 days and your domain
+ reputation with nothing to show for it.
- - **Agency Selection Framework.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.
- - **SaaStr Agency Hiring Guide.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.
- - **Paul Graham — Do Things That Do Not Scale.** Use the relevant method or published guidance where it improves the requested deliverable; do not cite it as decoration.
+ You cannot outsource your ICP, positioning, or sales process — those are yours.
+ Agencies execute within a process you define (`pipeline-management`,
+ `gtm-context`). This skill covers agency vs in-house decisions, GTM agency
+ types, evaluation, pilot structure, weekly management, and when to bring
+ the function in-house (`sales-team-building`).
## When to Use
- "Should I hire an outbound agency?"
- - "Find a dev shop for our SaaS"
- "Agency vs building an in-house team"
- - "Evaluate a marketing agency"
- - "How much should an agency cost?"
- - "Structure an agency engagement"
+ - "Find a Clay / RevOps agency"
+ - "Evaluate a marketing or demand gen agency"
+ - "How to manage an agency engagement"
+ - "Structure an agency pilot"
+ - "When to fire an agency"
+ Do not use for individual freelancers — use `hiring-contractors`. Do not use
+ for partner/reseller programs — use `partner-programs`.
+
+ ## Authoritative Foundations
+
+ - **Winning by Design — GTM Index (Operating Model).** Score your Operating
+ Model 1–10 before outsourcing. Below 6: you lack the process for an agency to
+ execute against. Fix `pipeline-management` first — agencies amplify process,
+ they do not create it.
+ - **Jason Lemkin (SaaStr).** Agencies work for channel testing and specialized
+ execution. Core sales motion and customer relationships stay in-house. Never
+ outsource strategy; outsource labor on a defined playbook.
+ - **Paul Graham — Do Things That Do Not Scale.** Founders must do unscalable
+ work first (sell, define ICP, write messaging). Agencies scale what you've
+ already proven — not discovery of what works.
+
## Step-by-Step Process
### Phase 1: Agency vs In-House Decision
| Factor | Agency | In-House |
|---|---|---|
- | Time to start | 1-4 weeks | 3-6 months to hire + ramp |
- | Monthly cost | $3-15K (outbound), $10-50K (dev) | $8-15K/employee fully loaded |
- | Commitment | Month-to-month or quarterly | Long-term employment |
- | Domain knowledge | Broad (multiple clients) | Deep (your business only) |
- | Control | Lower (they own the process) | Higher (you own the process) |
- | Best for | Testing a channel, scaling fast, specialized work | Core functions, ongoing work |
+ | Time to start | 1–4 weeks | 3–6 months hire + ramp |
+ | Monthly cost | $3–15K (GTM ops), $5–20K (outbound) | $8–15K/employee fully loaded |
+ | Commitment | Month-to-month or 90-day pilot | Employment |
+ | Process control | You define playbook; they execute | You own process end-to-end |
+ | Best for | Channel test, overflow, specialized tooling | Core revenue function |
- **Agency makes sense when:** Testing a new channel, need to move faster than
- hiring allows, specialized work your team can't do, variable capacity needs.
+ **Choose agency when:** Operating Model ≥6, playbook documented, you need
+ capacity or a channel test, specialized skill (Clay, paid media) you won't
+ hire for yet.
- **In-house makes sense when:** Core business function, ongoing work, deep
- domain knowledge required, competitive differentiation depends on it.
+ **Choose in-house when:** Core sales motion, ongoing customer relationships,
+ competitive differentiation, or agency pilot proved the channel and ROI justifies
+ a hire (`sales-team-building`).
- ### Phase 2: Agency Types and Costs
+ ### Phase 2: GTM Agency Types
- | Agency Type | What They Do | Monthly Cost | Expected ROI Timeline |
+ | Agency Type | What They Do | Monthly Cost | Prove By Day 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
- | Outbound / Lead Gen | Cold email, LinkedIn, cold calling, pipeline generation | $3-15K/mo + tool costs | 3-6 months to prove |
- | Dev Shop | Build product, features, integrations | $10-50K/mo | Depends on scope |
- | Marketing / Growth | Content, SEO, paid ads, CRO | $5-20K/mo | 3-12 months |
- | Design Studio | Brand, UI/UX, web design | $5-15K/project or $3-10K/mo retainer | Project-dependent |
- | RevOps / GTM Ops | Clay workflows, CRM, automation | $3-8K/mo | 1-3 months |
+ | **Outbound / SDR** | Cold email, LinkedIn, calling, meeting booking | $3–15K + tools | Qualified meetings at target CPA |
+ | **RevOps / Clay** | Enrichment workflows, CRM hygiene, automation | $3–8K | Pipeline data quality, workflow uptime |
+ | **Demand gen / Growth** | Content, SEO, paid ads, CRO | $5–20K | MQL→SQL conversion, CAC by channel |
+ | **Sales consulting** | Playbook design, process audit, training | Project: $10–30K | Documented process + rep certification |
+ | **Design studio** | Brand, UI/UX, web | $5–15K/project | On-brand assets, conversion lift |
+ | **Dev shop** | Product features, integrations | $10–50K | Shipped, reviewed, owned code |
- ### Phase 3: Evaluation Framework
+ Match agency type to gap. Do not hire an outbound agency to fix a broken ICP.
- Score agencies on 5 dimensions:
+ ### Phase 3: Evaluation Scorecard
- 1. **Relevant case studies** — Have they produced results in YOUR industry,
- with YOUR deal size, for YOUR ICP? Generic case studies are noise.
+ Score each candidate 1–5 on six dimensions:
- 2. **Process transparency** — Can they explain exactly what they'll do, when,
- and how they'll measure success? "We have a proven process" without
- specifics is a red flag.
+ | Dimension | What to Verify | Red Flag |
+ |---|---|---|
+ | **Relevant case studies** | Your industry, ACV, ICP — not generic logos | "We've worked with 200 SaaS companies" |
+ | **Process transparency** | Weekly deliverables, tools, data sources named | "Proprietary process" |
+ | **Reference calls** | 2–3 clients: actual results, what failed | No references or only cherry-picked |
+ | **Contract flexibility** | 90-day pilot, 30-day out | 12-month lock-in |
+ | **Data hygiene** | Verified contacts, suppression lists, opt-out | Purchased/scraped lists |
+ | **Your playbook fit** | Will execute YOUR stages and messaging | Insists on their own messaging |
- 3. **Reference calls** — Talk to 2-3 current or former clients. Ask: What
- results did you actually get? What went wrong? Would you hire them again?
+ ### Phase 4: Pilot Structure (30–90 Days)
- 4. **Contract flexibility** — Month-to-month or 90-day out. Never sign
- 12-month contracts with untested agencies. If they're confident in their
- results, they'll agree to a trial period.
+ **Scope (specific, measurable):**
+ - Bad: "Generate pipeline"
+ - Good: "Book 8 qualified meetings/month with VP+ at Series B fintech, $20K+ ACV"
- 5. **Cultural fit** — Do they communicate the way you do? Do they push back
- on bad ideas or just say yes? The best agencies act as partners, not
- order-takers.
+ **Your inputs (non-negotiable):**
+ - ICP definition and exclusion list
+ - Approved messaging and `pipeline-management` stage definitions
+ - CRM access (they log activity in YOUR system)
+ - Suppression list (customers, competitors, opted-out)
+ - Weekly reporting template
- ### Phase 4: Engagement Structure
+ **Weekly agency scorecard:**
- **The Pilot (first 30-90 days):**
- - Specific, measurable goals. "Book 10 qualified meetings" not "generate pipeline."
- - Weekly reporting: activities completed, results, what they're learning.
- - Monthly review: is this working? Should we continue, adjust, or stop?
- - Kill switch: if results aren't there by day 90, end the engagement. No hard
- feelings — it's a test, not a marriage.
+ | Metric | Target | Actual | Notes |
+ |---|---:|---:|---|
+ | Activities completed | | | |
+ | Qualified meetings booked | | | |
+ | Cost per qualified meeting | | | |
+ | Data quality (% verified) | | | |
+ | CRM hygiene (% logged) | | | |
- **Scaling (after pilot succeeds):**
- - Increase budget or scope based on proven ROI.
- - Move to quarterly contract with 30-day out.
- - Consider bringing the function in-house if the agency proved the channel works.
+ **Kill switch:** End at day 90 if targets missed by >30%. No extensions without
+ a written remediation plan.
+ ### Phase 5: Ongoing Management
+
+ - **You own:** ICP, positioning, messaging, sales process, approval on copy
+ - **Agency owns:** Execution, tooling, activity volume, reporting
+ - **Cadence:** 30-min weekly review (scorecard + pipeline inspection)
+ - **Access:** Agency works in your CRM and sequencer — not a black box spreadsheet
+ - **Graduation:** If pilot succeeds, either scale agency budget or hire in-house
+ using proven playbook (`sales-team-building`, `hiring-by-role`). Clay/RevOps
+ agency → **GTM Engineer FTE**: `gtm-role-descriptions` → `gtm-engineer-hiring.md`
+
+ ### Phase 6: Agency → In-House Transition
+
+ When an agency proves a channel:
+
+ 1. Document their playbook (stages, templates, targeting rules)
+ 2. Hire for the proven role — not the agency's account manager
+ 3. Run 30-day overlap: agency + new hire parallel
+ 4. Cut agency scope as internal team ramps
+ 5. Keep agency for overflow or specialized work only
+
## Output Format
- Agency evaluation with: decision framework (agency vs in-house), shortlist
- with scores on 5 dimensions, pilot scope and metrics, and budget recommendation.
+ Agency plan containing: agency vs in-house recommendation, agency type selection,
+ shortlist scorecard, 90-day pilot scope with measurable targets, weekly scorecard
+ template, kill switch criteria, and in-house transition plan.
+ Use `templates/output-template.md` for structure. Run `scripts/check-output.py`
+ before delivery.
## Quality Check
Before delivering, verify:
- - [ ] All required sections are complete
- - [ ] Output matches the user's stated need
- - [ ] Named frameworks are cited for key recommendations
- - [ ] No vague claims — every recommendation has a specific action
- - [ ] Deliverable is ready for operational use, not just conceptual
+ - [ ] Operating Model readiness assessed (process exists before outsourcing)
+ - [ ] Agency type matches the actual gap (not defaulting to outbound)
+ - [ ] Pilot goals are measurable with numeric targets and deadlines
+ - [ ] Suppression list and data verification requirements included
+ - [ ] Weekly scorecard template provided
+ - [ ] Kill switch defined at day 90
+ - [ ] In-house transition path documented if pilot succeeds
+ - [ ] Founder/strategy ownership explicit — agency executes, not decides
## Common Pitfalls
- 1. **No pilot period.** Signing a 12-month contract with an untested agency
- locks you into a relationship that may not work. Always pilot first.
+ 1. **Agency before process.** Without `pipeline-management` stages and SPICED
+ fields, the agency invents its own motion. Fix: document process first.
- 2. **Vague success metrics.** "Generate pipeline" is not measurable. "Book
- 10 qualified meetings per month with VP-and-above at Series B SaaS companies"
- is measurable.
+ 2. **Outsourcing strategy.** Agencies write messaging from scratch without your
+ positioning. Fix: provide approved copy, ICP, and talk tracks.
- 3. **Outbound agency without verified data.** An agency sending to unverified
- emails burns your domain reputation. Require verification before sending.
- LeadMagic Email Validation in the workflow is non-negotiable.
+ 3. **Black-box reporting.** Activity counts without pipeline impact. Fix: score
+ on qualified meetings and cost-per-meeting, logged in your CRM.
- 4. **Dev shop without code review.** Same as contractors — review everything
- before merge. You own the codebase long after the agency is gone.
+ 4. **Unverified data.** Bad lists burn domain reputation. Fix: require verified
+ emails and suppression checks before any send.
- 5. **Abandoning the function after outsourcing.** You can outsource execution,
- not strategy. Stay involved in messaging, targeting, and positioning.
+ 5. **No kill switch.** Sunk-cost extensions for 6+ months. Fix: 90-day pilot
+ with explicit stop criteria.
+ 6. **Never bringing in-house.** Perpetual agency dependency at 2–3x employee
+ cost. Fix: graduate proven channels to hires.
+
+ ## Execution Artifacts
+
+ - `references/framework-notes.md` — agency types, scorecard, WbD readiness gate
+ - `templates/output-template.md` — agency evaluation and pilot plan
+ - `scripts/check-output.py` — validates deliverable sections
+
## Related Skills
- - **hiring-contractors**: Individual contractors vs agencies
- - **sales-team-building**: Building an in-house team as alternative
- - **cold-email-strategy**: Outbound agency evaluation criteria
+ - `hiring-contractors` — Individual freelancers vs agency teams
+ - `sales-team-building` — In-house alternative and graduation path
+ - `gtm-role-descriptions` — GTM Engineer JD when graduating Clay agency work
+ - `hiring-by-role` — GTM Engineer scorecard after agency pilot
+ - `pipeline-management` — Process agencies execute against
+ - `cold-email-strategy` — Outbound agency messaging standards
+ - `clay-automation` — RevOps agency workflow requirements
+ - `tool-selection-stack` — Tool budget when agency brings their own stack