When I first tried scaling our sales team, I failed miserably. It wasn't until we implemented deal scoring that everything clicked. Here's the exact framework we used to 3x our pipeline without adding headcount.
What I've Learned From 104 Companies
Across 234 angel investments, including Anthropic, a few patterns in deal scoring come up again and again.
The founders who handle deal scoring well understand that timing is everything in this game.
The Framework That Actually Works
Here is a simple framework for evaluating deal scoring. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: you need to move fast and break things
This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: the market doesn't care about your roadmap
Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly
Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies that get deal scoring right treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The Reality Nobody Talks About
A lot of the advice on deal scoring rests on assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on.
The first thing to understand is that customer feedback is the only metric that matters. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.
Many teams spend months on the wrong path before realizing that most founders overthink this and underspend on execution. Once they make the switch, everything changes.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Investing early in deal scoring can be the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.
One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.
This connects to broader themes around revenue intelligence, sales forecasting AI, AI CRM, conversational sales AI, AI sales tools that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Final Thoughts
There are no shortcuts in deal scoring, but there are smarter paths.
The strongest teams treat deal scoring as a competitive advantage, not a checkbox. They invest in it early, measure it obsessively, and never stop improving.
If you're just getting started with deal scoring, don't be intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. The key is to start with the right mindset and the right framework, and then execute like your company depends on it. Because it probably does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
Q:Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
Q:How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
Q:How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.