Four Steps to Unstick a Stalled Deep Tech Deal
Once you can see Push, Pull, Anxieties, and Inertia in a deal, the question is what to do about each one. Here is the four-step diagnostic we run with founders at VECTOR.
guideLevel Selling: Why You Need More Than One Person Inside the Account
Running enterprise sales like a product team - one owner, one lead - is why deep tech deals stall at month four. Here's how level selling fixes single-threaded accounts.
guideFrom Academic Lab to Commercial Traction: The Deep Tech Founder's Transition
The hardest transition in deep tech isn't technical. It's the moment a brilliant researcher has to think like a commercial leader. Here's what that shift actually looks like - and how to make it without losing what makes you great.
strategyFocus vs. Opportunity: How Deep Tech Teams Decide Which Markets to Pursue
One founder sees opportunity in three markets. The other wants to win one first. Neither is wrong — but there's a question that resolves it.
guideBuilding a Reusable Discovery Playbook for Deep Tech Sales
The skill that wins your first customer is not the skill that wins your fifth. Here's how to turn hard-won discovery lessons into a repeatable system - so every sales conversation gets sharper.
guideHow to Run Customer Conversations That Qualify Deals
Most deep tech founders skip discovery and jump straight to demos. Here's the playbook for running customer conversations that separate real pain from polite interest — so you stop wasting POCs on the wrong prospects.
strategyDominate One Segment, Then Expand
Chasing multiple customer segments feels like the safe bet. It's usually the reason deals stall. Geoffrey Moore's advice from Crossing the Chasm still works - here's why, and how to apply it.
frameworkGoal Setting in Deep Tech: From Vague Aspirations to Measurable Momentum
Most founders set goals to impress investors, then miss them and lose team credibility. A practical framework combining OKRs, SMART goals, and confidence assessment — to set targets you can actually hit.
guideThe Founder's Guide to Senior Hires
Hiring senior talent at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons burns runway fast. When to hire your first VP of Sales or head of product, what to look for, and how to run a process that actually works.
frameworkHow to Identify Your Customers' Burning Needs
Classic product-market fit happens when a burning need covers for imperfect execution. A 2x2 and five discovery questions to tell if your deep tech startup is addressing one.
guideEveryone Says It's Exciting, But Nothing's Happening
The disconnect between early excitement and actual sales is painful for deep tech founders. Here's why it happens — three critical disconnects — and how to bridge the gap between enthusiastic nods and signed contracts.
frameworkFrom POC Failures to Predictable Sales: Using BANT and MEDDIC in Enterprise Sales
Your POCs aren't converting because you're qualifying on hope, not data. Here's how to use the MEDDIC framework with AI to score deals objectively - without hiring a £150K VP of Sales.
guide90-Day Sales Scorecard: Is Your Head of Sales Fit for Purpose?
You hired a head of sales but you're still missing targets. Five measurable metrics to evaluate whether the problem is your sales leader, your product-market fit, or both - before you make an expensive mistake.
frameworkUnderstanding Customer Progress Drives Product Adoption
Most deep tech founders lead with technology instead of customer progress. The Four Forces of Progress show why buyers actually switch - and why your deals stall when one of them is missing.