Founding SDR
Build your outbound sales engine from scratch with your first SDR hire
Key Takeaways
- 1Fractional CFOs work 1-3 days per week, providing senior expertise without full-time costs
- 2UK day rates range from £800 to £1500, depending on experience and sector
- 3Typical engagements save 50-70% compared to full-time executive hires
- 4Ideal for startups, scale-ups, and SMEs needing strategic leadership
- 5No employment overhead: no pension, NI, benefits, or notice periods
What is a Founding SDR?
Quick Definition
A Founding SDR is the first Sales Development Representative hired by an early-stage startup. They build the outbound function from scratch, creating processes, testing channels, and laying the foundation for a scalable sales development program alongside the founding team.
Founding SDRs are critical hires for startups transitioning from founder-led outreach to systematic outbound. They need to be self-starters comfortable with ambiguity, able to build processes while executing prospecting—a rare combination.
Founding SDR vs Regular SDR
Founding SDRs operate with far more autonomy than typical SDRs. They create playbooks rather than follow them, test and iterate on messaging, select and implement tools, and help define the ICP based on early conversations. Regular SDRs execute established processes; Founding SDRs build them.
Cost Comparison
Fractional vs Full-Time Executive
Your Potential Savings
£180k+
Time Allocation
How fractional executives spend their time
UK Fractional Executive Day Rates
Compare day rates across C-suite roles
Fractional vs Interim vs Full-Time
Choose the right engagement model
| Aspect | Fractional | Interim | Full-Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Commitment | 1-3 days/week | 4-5 days/week | 5 days/week |
| Duration | Ongoing/flexible | 3-12 months | Permanent |
| Annual Cost | £50-150k | £150-300k | £200-400k+ |
| Best For | SMEs, startups, scale-ups | Crisis, transitions | Large enterprises |
| Flexibility | ★★★ High | ★★☆ Medium | ★☆☆ Low |
Costs are indicative UK market rates. Actual costs vary by role, experience, and sector.
Calculate Your Day Rate
Calculate Your Potential Income
Based on 2.5 days/week x 2 clients x 48 working weeks. CFO UK average day rate: £1000.
BetaThis calculator provides rough estimates for illustration only. Actual rates and salaries vary based on location, experience, industry, and market conditions.
Related Executive Roles
Complementary leadership for your organisation
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
Typically at Seed or early Series A, when founders have closed initial deals and validated product-market fit. Earlier, founders should do outbound themselves to learn the market. Later, you might hire an SDR Manager or Fractional Sales leader to build the team.
Industry Resources & Authority Links
Resource
Industry resource
www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Resource
Industry resource
technation.io
Resource
Industry resource
www.british-business-bank.co.uk
Resource
Industry resource
www.ismprofessional.com
Resource
Industry resource
www.saastr.com
Resource
Industry resource
www.saleshacker.com
Resource
Industry resource
www.seedlegals.com
Resource
Industry resource
www.gov.uk
Related Pages
The Fractional Executive Trend
Industry data on the rise of fractional leadership
of executives who moved to fractional work report higher job satisfaction
Source: Harvard Business Review ↗Platform Stats
Founder's background
📊 Exec Market Snapshot
💰 Exec Day Rates
Based on 2026 market data for UK Exec roles.
