What is th...

Question

What is the usual career advancement trajectory for sales professionals within the sales organization at Datadog?

Former Employee · Accepted Answer

Typically higher performing SDR's get promoted to the commercial AE org in about a year - year and a half. After that there are specific quarter over quarter quota metrics to hit to be qualified for a promotion - typically within another year and a half that brings you to Team Lead. In my time there nobody made it out of this because management will come up with excuses of why you dont deserve a promotion beyond this. I saw multiple top performers leave because of this. With a huge factor in success being based on the accounts you get, I wouldn't count on being promoted in the commercial AE org even if you are a hard worker and historically top performer.

Former Employee · Answer

While moving into a larger market or leadership positions are the typical next steps laid out for you, commercial sales is typically the dead end for most, including top performers.

Current Employee · Answer

Here's a very simple update to this to lay things out for you as if you were to enter Datadog as a new employee today for the following roles.

SDR Promo Requirements (what they tell you)
- 80% or more of your number for >12months 
- Recommendation from manager/director/AE's

SDR Promotion to CAE (what they don't tell you)
-Tons of subjectivity out of your control "whatever they feel like doing, when they feel like it"
-Datadog hires on 2 cycles a year so likely 18 months+
-Paid significantly less than an external hire for the same position
-Externals paid 3 quarters worth of ramp bonus, internal only paid 2
-Only 25% of SDRs promoted before leaving, you have to be high performing outbounder

If you get promoted to CAE, before moving up market you will need to be either promoted to SR. or Team Lead before being eligible for Mid-Market.

CAE Promo (SR/Team Lead) Requirements (what they tell you)
-80% of number or hitting your number 2 Quarters in a row (15KMRR Quarterly)
-9 months in the role, 2 years minimum sales experience
-Leadership must endorse this move

CAE Promo (SR/Team Lead) Requirements They Don't Tell You
-Hire on cycles, 2x a year
-If you hit requirements but doesn't align with cycles, you need to hit again for promo
-Leadership often chooses to Gate-keep this promo (probably too lazy for paperwork)
-5% of reps hit 80% of their number over 12, <5% of reps hit number back to back quarters
-Promos historically handed out based on friendships/golf buddies

CAE Sr./Team Lead Promotion to Mid-Market
-9 months minimum as Senior or Team Lead
-80% of number over 12 months or B2B Quarters Hitting your number
-15KMRR Quota increases with promo to team lead/senior
-"Leader on the Commercial Sales Floor"

CAE Sr./Team Lead Requirements They Don't Tell You
-9 months isn't long enough
-Have stopped hiring CAE's internally upmarket regardless of success
-Even fewer reps in mid-market are hitting their numbers than commercial

The Top commercial rep (closed some of commercials biggest deals to date) sat in the seat for 3 years and was never promoted to mid-market. Guy defied all odds, perennial p-clubber & still was denied the promotion to mid-market. He sold more than 90% of the mid-market team B2B years.

Here are the average Promo timelines under perfect circumstances (highly unlikely) 
-SDR Promo to CAE (1.5 Years)
-CAE  Promo to Senior CAE (2+ Years)
-Senior CAE to Mid-Market (1-2 Years)
-Mid-Market to Enterprise (2+ Years)
***You have to close some legendary deals to do this (3 reps all-time)***

For SDR's that are hungry, talented, smart and gritty--you have an opportunity to succeed and earn a seat at the sellers table.

Once you are a CAE & learn to sell....it's time to pack your bags and leave. DD does not value their homegrown talent. If you have seen success in your first year or 1.5 years as a CAE, you're a great seller and it is time for you to go else where to progress your career and make some money.

External CAE's....few of you will make it LOL

Current Employee · Answer

Datadog was a different company 3-4 years ago & offered a ton of opportunity for internal growth when the organization was scaling & before it began building out it's sales organization to what it is today.

The reality today is that they value external hires for positions much higher than they do internally. Most of the top talent can't get to where they want to internally because of leadership's inability to recognize/reward top sellers.

There are internal roadmaps outlining promotion requirements, but the reality is that favoritism and politics plays a huge role in leadership promotion decisions & you are better off picking up golf clubs than you are hitting your targets when it comes to promotion.

Current Employee · Answer

Datadog has a very defined career progression plan in place. If you're exceeding your numbers you will be promoted to either Senior or Team lead within 12-18 months, if it takes longer they look at your performance over the past 12 months to determine promotion eligibility. After a year of solid performance in the Sr. or Team lead position you can make a choice to go into leadership for that segment (or down segment) or move to the next market size up.

In terms of market segments, it goes: SDR > Commercial Sales (0-999 employees) > Mid-Market Sales (1,000-5000) > Enterprise Sales (5000+) > Strategic Sales (5,000+) > Majors/Key Accounts.  Key Accounts focus solely on new logo opportunities across the largest most strategic greenfield accounts, whereas Majors focuses on driving growth within two 2 large customers that have a lot of expansion opportunity.

Former Employee · Answer

Probably Datadog’s strongest selling point is career trajectory.

SDRs who perform well routinely get promoted to AE.

AEs who exceed quota 2 Qs in a row in a year and are either close or at quota for the year get promoted to SR AE by EOY.

From there you can go to MM or sales leadership.

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Anonymous Q&A

What is the usual career advancement trajectory for sales professionals within the sales organization at Datadog?