The Role of the Fractional CRO with Jonathan Tice

Many B2B startups find themselves stuck in "founder-sales jail," where growth is limited by the founder’s bandwidth and a lack of documented, repeatable processes. If you're struggling to bridge the gap between initial traction and a scaled sales organization, this episode of FiredUp! is for you. We explore the strategic rise of the Fractional CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) and how this role provides the "outside lens" and expertise needed to audit, triage, and scale your revenue engine without the overhead of a full-time hire. This week, episode 119 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the role of the fractional CRO! 

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In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Jonathan Tice shares the important role a fractional CRO can fill in your growing business and actionable steps you can take right now to find someone who will help to bridge the gap between founder-led sales and a strong sales team. 

Jonathan Tice is the Founder and Fractional CRO at Fit To Scale. Jonathan is a veteran revenue leader who specializes in helping B2B SaaS and AI companies navigate the complex transition from founder-led sales to high-growth teams. As a Fractional CRO, he provides strategic advisory and hands-on support to incubators and startups, helping them build repeatable sales playbooks.

Jonathan, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Define Your "Bridge" Strategy: Understand that a Fractional CRO isn't just a part-time manager; they are a high-level strategic partner who aligns sales, marketing, and customer success to prepare your company for a full-time leader.
• Audit Before You Hire: Before hiring your first sales rep, use a fractional leader to "audit, assess, and triage" your current business. This identifies whether your bottlenecks are in product-market fit, messaging, or the sales process itself.
• Document the "Founder Magic": The biggest hurdle in scaling is failing to document the sales process. A successful transition requires turning the founder's intuition into a repeatable playbook that a new hire can actually follow and execute.
• Shift to Signal Tracking: In the AI era, volume is no longer a differentiator. Startups must move toward signal tracking—identifying high-intent behaviors and "warm" signals—to prioritize sales efforts effectively.
• The 2026 High-Touch Trend: As digital noise increases due to AI, the most successful startup growth strategies in 2026 will lean back into in-person meetings and exclusive customer events to build authentic, human-to-human relationships.

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