Startups Lead

San Franciscofull timeOn Site

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senior

$180k–$200k

H1B: no

Blacksmith Startups Lead owning Blacksmith's motion across early-stage startups, focusing on YC companies and VC-backed ecosystem. Build pipeline, develop relationships, and close partnerships with founders and engineering leaders.

Responsibilities

As a Startups Lead you'll own Blacksmith's motion across early-stage startups, with a particular focus on YC companies and the broader VC-backed startup ecosystem.
You'll work with companies at the point where engineering teams are growing quickly, infrastructure decisions are still being made, and developer velocity matters enormously. Your job is to identify the startups with the potential to become great Blacksmith customers, get in early, and grow with them. Your goal is to ensure Blacksmith is setting them up for success.
This is a high-velocity role. You'll build pipeline, develop relationships across the startup ecosystem, work directly with founders and engineering leaders, and close a high volume of net-new partnerships.
You'll also help us build the playbook. Startups are already an important part of Blacksmith's growth, and we're looking for someone who can turn that momentum into a repeatable GTM motion.
Own the startup ecosystem
Build and own a territory of high-growth, venture-backed startups.
Develop deep relationships across the YC ecosystem and broader startup community.
Identify promising companies early and build relationships before infrastructure decisions are locked in.
Become a trusted resource for founders and engineering leaders as they think about CI, developer infrastructure, and scaling their engineering organizations.
Build pipeline from the ground up
Generate your own pipeline through targeted outbound, referrals, events, founder networks, VC relationships, and creative prospecting.
Use funding, hiring, GitHub activity, engineering growth, product adoption, and other signals to identify startups at the right moment to engage.

Qualification

You've built startupYou understand GitHub ActionsYou've built a territory

Required

You've sold into Seed through Series B companies.
You've built startup, emerging, or SMB sales motions before.
You understand GitHub Actions, CI/CD, developer infrastructure, or cloud economics.
You're active in the startup community and genuinely enjoy meeting founders and learning what they're building.
You've built a territory, community, or ecosystem from scratch.

Preferred

You've worked at an early-stage startup yourself.

Benefits

Dental
Vision
401(k)
PTO
Equity/RSU
Parental Leave

Company

Blacksmith

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Source: ashby

Active within the past hour

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You've built startupYou understand GitHub ActionsYou've built a territory

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