Hiring Agencies

---
name: hiring-agencies
description: >-
  Evaluate, hire, and manage GTM agencies — outbound, RevOps/Clay, demand gen,
  design, and dev shops. Agency vs in-house decision framework, pilot structure,
  scorecards, kill switches, and handoff to internal teams. Use when outsourcing
  GTM execution, evaluating an outbound agency, or deciding agency vs first hire.
  Triggers on: "hire agency", "outbound agency", "GTM agency", "Clay agency",
  "RevOps agency", "agency vs in-house", "outsource GTM", "marketing agency",
  "dev shop", "manage agency".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.1.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: founder-led
  tags: [agencies, outsourcing, gtm, revops, outbound, contractors]
  frameworks:
    - "Winning by Design — GTM Index (Operating Model score)"
    - "Jason Lemkin — SaaStr Agency vs Hire Guidance"
    - "Paul Graham — Do Things That Do Not Scale"
  related_skills: [hiring-contractors, sales-team-building, pipeline-management, cold-email-strategy, clay-automation, tool-selection-stack]
---

# Hiring Agencies

## Overview

Agencies buy speed, not strategy. The right agency proves a channel or builds
a workflow faster than hiring. The wrong agency burns 90 days and your domain
reputation with nothing to show for it.

You cannot outsource your ICP, positioning, or sales process — those are yours.
Agencies execute within a process you define (`pipeline-management`,
`gtm-context`). This skill covers agency vs in-house decisions, GTM agency
types, evaluation, pilot structure, weekly management, and when to bring
the function in-house (`sales-team-building`).

## When to Use

- "Should I hire an outbound agency?"
- "Agency vs building an in-house team"
- "Find a Clay / RevOps agency"
- "Evaluate a marketing or demand gen agency"
- "How to manage an agency engagement"
- "Structure an agency pilot"
- "When to fire an agency"

Do not use for individual freelancers — use `hiring-contractors`. Do not use
for partner/reseller programs — use `partner-programs`.

## Authoritative Foundations

- **Winning by Design — GTM Index (Operating Model).** Score your Operating
  Model 1–10 before outsourcing. Below 6: you lack the process for an agency to
  execute against. Fix `pipeline-management` first — agencies amplify process,
  they do not create it.
- **Jason Lemkin (SaaStr).** Agencies work for channel testing and specialized
  execution. Core sales motion and customer relationships stay in-house. Never
  outsource strategy; outsource labor on a defined playbook.
- **Paul Graham — Do Things That Do Not Scale.** Founders must do unscalable
  work first (sell, define ICP, write messaging). Agencies scale what you've
  already proven — not discovery of what works.

## Step-by-Step Process

### Phase 1: Agency vs In-House Decision

| Factor | Agency | In-House |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | 1–4 weeks | 3–6 months hire + ramp |
| Monthly cost | $3–15K (GTM ops), $5–20K (outbound) | $8–15K/employee fully loaded |
| Commitment | Month-to-month or 90-day pilot | Employment |
| Process control | You define playbook; they execute | You own process end-to-end |
| Best for | Channel test, overflow, specialized tooling | Core revenue function |

**Choose agency when:** Operating Model ≥6, playbook documented, you need
capacity or a channel test, specialized skill (Clay, paid media) you won't
hire for yet.

**Choose in-house when:** Core sales motion, ongoing customer relationships,
competitive differentiation, or agency pilot proved the channel and ROI justifies
a hire (`sales-team-building`).

### Phase 2: GTM Agency Types

| Agency Type | What They Do | Monthly Cost | Prove By Day 90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Outbound / SDR** | Cold email, LinkedIn, calling, meeting booking | $3–15K + tools | Qualified meetings at target CPA |
| **RevOps / Clay** | Enrichment workflows, CRM hygiene, automation | $3–8K | Pipeline data quality, workflow uptime |
| **Demand gen / Growth** | Content, SEO, paid ads, CRO | $5–20K | MQL→SQL conversion, CAC by channel |
| **Sales consulting** | Playbook design, process audit, training | Project: $10–30K | Documented process + rep certification |
| **Design studio** | Brand, UI/UX, web | $5–15K/project | On-brand assets, conversion lift |
| **Dev shop** | Product features, integrations | $10–50K | Shipped, reviewed, owned code |

Match agency type to gap. Do not hire an outbound agency to fix a broken ICP.

### Phase 3: Evaluation Scorecard

Score each candidate 1–5 on six dimensions:

| Dimension | What to Verify | Red Flag |
|---|---|---|
| **Relevant case studies** | Your industry, ACV, ICP — not generic logos | "We've worked with 200 SaaS companies" |
| **Process transparency** | Weekly deliverables, tools, data sources named | "Proprietary process" |
| **Reference calls** | 2–3 clients: actual results, what failed | No references or only cherry-picked |
| **Contract flexibility** | 90-day pilot, 30-day out | 12-month lock-in |
| **Data hygiene** | Verified contacts, suppression lists, opt-out | Purchased/scraped lists |
| **Your playbook fit** | Will execute YOUR stages and messaging | Insists on their own messaging |

### Phase 4: Pilot Structure (30–90 Days)

**Scope (specific, measurable):**
- Bad: "Generate pipeline"
- Good: "Book 8 qualified meetings/month with VP+ at Series B fintech, $20K+ ACV"

**Your inputs (non-negotiable):**
- ICP definition and exclusion list
- Approved messaging and `pipeline-management` stage definitions
- CRM access (they log activity in YOUR system)
- Suppression list (customers, competitors, opted-out)
- Weekly reporting template

**Weekly agency scorecard:**

| Metric | Target | Actual | Notes |
|---|---:|---:|---|
| Activities completed |  |  |  |
| Qualified meetings booked |  |  |  |
| Cost per qualified meeting |  |  |  |
| Data quality (% verified) |  |  |  |
| CRM hygiene (% logged) |  |  |  |

**Kill switch:** End at day 90 if targets missed by >30%. No extensions without
a written remediation plan.

### Phase 5: Ongoing Management

- **You own:** ICP, positioning, messaging, sales process, approval on copy
- **Agency owns:** Execution, tooling, activity volume, reporting
- **Cadence:** 30-min weekly review (scorecard + pipeline inspection)
- **Access:** Agency works in your CRM and sequencer — not a black box spreadsheet
- **Graduation:** If pilot succeeds, either scale agency budget or hire in-house
  using proven playbook (`sales-team-building`, `hiring-by-role`). Clay/RevOps
  agency → **GTM Engineer FTE**: `gtm-role-descriptions` → `gtm-engineer-hiring.md`

### Phase 6: Agency → In-House Transition

When an agency proves a channel:

1. Document their playbook (stages, templates, targeting rules)
2. Hire for the proven role — not the agency's account manager
3. Run 30-day overlap: agency + new hire parallel
4. Cut agency scope as internal team ramps
5. Keep agency for overflow or specialized work only

## Output Format

Agency plan containing: agency vs in-house recommendation, agency type selection,
shortlist scorecard, 90-day pilot scope with measurable targets, weekly scorecard
template, kill switch criteria, and in-house transition plan.

Use `templates/output-template.md` for structure. Run `scripts/check-output.py`
before delivery.

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:
- [ ] Operating Model readiness assessed (process exists before outsourcing)
- [ ] Agency type matches the actual gap (not defaulting to outbound)
- [ ] Pilot goals are measurable with numeric targets and deadlines
- [ ] Suppression list and data verification requirements included
- [ ] Weekly scorecard template provided
- [ ] Kill switch defined at day 90
- [ ] In-house transition path documented if pilot succeeds
- [ ] Founder/strategy ownership explicit — agency executes, not decides

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Agency before process.** Without `pipeline-management` stages and SPICED
   fields, the agency invents its own motion. Fix: document process first.

2. **Outsourcing strategy.** Agencies write messaging from scratch without your
   positioning. Fix: provide approved copy, ICP, and talk tracks.

3. **Black-box reporting.** Activity counts without pipeline impact. Fix: score
   on qualified meetings and cost-per-meeting, logged in your CRM.

4. **Unverified data.** Bad lists burn domain reputation. Fix: require verified
   emails and suppression checks before any send.

5. **No kill switch.** Sunk-cost extensions for 6+ months. Fix: 90-day pilot
   with explicit stop criteria.

6. **Never bringing in-house.** Perpetual agency dependency at 2–3x employee
   cost. Fix: graduate proven channels to hires.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — agency types, scorecard, WbD readiness gate
- `templates/output-template.md` — agency evaluation and pilot plan
- `scripts/check-output.py` — validates deliverable sections

## Related Skills

- `hiring-contractors` — Individual freelancers vs agency teams
- `sales-team-building` — In-house alternative and graduation path
- `gtm-role-descriptions` — GTM Engineer JD when graduating Clay agency work
- `hiring-by-role` — GTM Engineer scorecard after agency pilot
- `pipeline-management` — Process agencies execute against
- `cold-email-strategy` — Outbound agency messaging standards
- `clay-automation` — RevOps agency workflow requirements
- `tool-selection-stack` — Tool budget when agency brings their own stack