Three Traits I Look for When Interviewing for GTM Roles

As an SE, you are often asked to interview different GTM roles including Account Executives (AEs), Business Development Representatives (BDRs), Customer Success Managers (CSMs), Sales Engineers (SEs), and more. Over the years, across multiple startups and many interview cycles, there are three traits I always look for and that I regard as the most important for anyone joining a GTM organization.

1. Coachability

This is the most important trait of all. Coachability is the ability to self-reflect, to take feedback as a mechanism to improve, and to recognize that it is never personal. It is the willingness to take a step back and intensely look at ones actions. It shows maturity. It shows growth potential. Without coachability, nothing else matters.

Red flags are easy to spot. Getting defensive. Becoming argumentative. Disregarding feedback or advice. If this happens in an interview setting, it will almost certainly get worse under pressure. The question every interviewer needs to ask is simple: can I imagine working with this person day to day and, if I am a manager, can I imagine managing them?

If the answer is hesitation, the answer is no.

2. Stress Resistance

Early to mid-stage startups come with high pressure by default. When the startup is US-based, the EMEA GTM team is often less mature and lacks in-region marketing, partners, or BDRs with native language skills. The top of the funnel is not guaranteed. Everyone needs to pitch in and wear multiple hats. People need to be able to operate independently and figure things out without relying on others for every answer.

There will be moments where stress hits hard. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I have ever received from a seasoned sales leader was to slow down to speed up. It is critical to not panic under any circumstances and instead to stop, evaluate and assess the situation, evaluate options, and then act decisively. Those who can do this stay effective when others get overwhelmed.

If someone cannot operate calmly in those moments, they will not survive in a startup GTM environment.

Stress resistance is also about being able to push back. Even as a smaller company, you cannot allow others to bully you into skipping due diligence or showing desperation just to get a deal. Maturity, experience, and seniority show up most clearly under pressure.

3. Curiosity

The third trait is curiosity. Not the superficial kind, but the deep, lasting desire to know why. Curious people ask more questions than they answer. They listen more than they talk. They do not fill silence out of insecurity. They are not afraid to pause and think. They do not talk for the sake of talking.

Curiosity is what helps someone fully understand the customer. Why they made certain decisions. What drives them. What they are not saying yet. Inexperienced professionals often struggle here. Silence scares them, so they fill it by pitching irrelevant things or repeating what was already said. It adds noise rather than value.

Great GTM professionals ask a good question and then stay quiet. They listen with intent. When they speak, they add value. Curiosity is the basis for improving the status quo internally and for guiding customers externally. It positions you as the expert and helps others reach conclusions themselves.

Why These Traits Matter Even More in Early Startups

In early startups the hiring bar is naturally high. Teams often do not have the time or bandwidth to teach junior people, which means these roles are typically filled with more mature and experienced professionals. Coachability, stress resistance, and curiosity are not nice-to-haves in this environment. They are table stakes. And the more senior the role, the more of these boxes a candidate needs to tick. With seniority, the expectation rises, and these traits become even more important.

Closing Thoughts

Skills can be taught. Product knowledge can be trained. Playbooks evolve. Markets shift. But coachability, stress resistance, and curiosity remain constant. If someone has these three traits, they can grow into almost any GTM role and thrive in the chaotic, high-pressure environment of a startup.

And if they do not, nothing else will compensate.