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EP 69Sep 28, 2026· 6 min

Stop Begging For Headcount

0:000:00↓ MP3
Why the SE ratio debate is a qualification problem, not a staffing problem

Ava asked her CRO for three more SEs and got one question back: prove the twelve you have are on the right deals. She rebuilt the ask as a capacity model — and found one AE eating 38% of her team's hours.

What Nate and Ava discuss

  • The embarrassingly simple way to instrument presales consumption per AE
  • Where a win-probability gate breaks down in long enterprise cycles
  • Finding capacity without hiring: lighter first demos and AE-led first calls

The move

Instrument presales consumption per AE for one quarter — one CRM field, four effort buckets. Then open a standing quarterly capacity review with your sales leader with a reallocation proposal, not a complaint.


🚀 Join the PreSales Leadership Community: serockstars.com/community

🔗 Resources & Links: paths.to/presales

Your hosts

Nate Hargrove

Nate Hargrove
The Seasoned Pragmatist

Ava Vasquez

Ava Vasquez
The Modern Builder

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