The Complete HUNT Framework eBook

The Grizzly Phase: Finding & Winning Enterprise Deals

After 25 years of enterprise sales, I've learned that successful prospecting isn't about luck—it's about systems.

The HUNT framework is the exact methodology I used to scale Hortonworks from $0 to $250M+ and IPO. It's what I teach every founder who wants to build a repeatable enterprise sales motion.

Target: $0 → $10M ARR

The HUNT framework is designed for the early stage when you're finding product-market fit and winning your first enterprise customers. Focus on quality over quantity, and build deep relationships with early adopters.

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Table of Contents

1. H - Hone Your ICP
2. U - Uncover Champions
3. N - Navigate the Committee
4. T - Transform with MEDDIC
5. Putting It All Together
6. Real-World Examples
7. Common Mistakes
8. Implementation Guide

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H - Hone Your ICP

Every great deal starts with surgical precision about who you're targeting. Most founders cast too wide a net, wasting time on prospects who will never buy.

The Problem

Most founders think their ICP is "enterprises" or "Fortune 500 companies." That's not an ICP—that's a category. An ICP is specific enough that you can score prospects objectively.

The Framework

1. Define the problem - What urgent, expensive problem does your ICP have?

The problem must be:

• Urgent - They're feeling pain right now
• Expensive - The cost of inaction is significant ($1M+ annually)
• Specific - Not "they need better software" but "their production systems fail weekly, costing $500K per incident"

2. Identify the buyer - Who feels this pain most acutely?

Hint: It's usually not the CEO. The person who feels the pain is often:

• A VP or Director who owns the problem
• Someone whose job performance is measured by solving it
• Someone who gets blamed when things go wrong

3. Understand the trigger - What event makes this problem urgent right now?

Common triggers:

• A recent incident or failure
• A new executive who needs to prove value
• A competitive threat
• A compliance deadline
• A budget cycle opening

Real-World Example: Hortonworks

At Hortonworks, we didn't target "enterprises with big data." We targeted:

ICP: Fortune 500 companies with Hadoop clusters that were failing in production

Why this worked:

• Specific enough to identify prospects
• Clear pain point (production failures)
• Urgent (costing millions annually)
• Specific buyer (VP of Data Infrastructure)

Result: Our sales cycle cut in half. We went from 12-month cycles to 6-month cycles.

The ICP Scorecard

Score each prospect on these 5 criteria (1 point each):

1. Company size

• $500M+ revenue: 1 point
• $100M-$500M: 0.5 points
• <$100M: 0 points

2. Technology stack

• Already using your technology category: 1 point
• Evaluating your category: 0.5 points
• Not using your category: 0 points

3. Pain point

• Quantified pain costing $1M+ annually: 1 point
• Some pain identified: 0.5 points
• No clear pain: 0 points

4. Budget

• IT operations budget holder identified: 1 point
• Budget unclear: 0 points

5. Timeline

• Active project, not exploratory: 1 point
• Exploratory: 0 points

Scoring:

• 4-5 points: Qualified ICP, pursue aggressively
• 3 points: Needs qualification, proceed cautiously
• <3 points: Disqualify, move on

Common ICP Mistakes

Mistake #1: Too broad

❌ "Enterprise companies" ✅ "Fortune 500 companies with Hadoop clusters failing in production"

Mistake #2: No urgency

❌ "Companies that might need our solution" ✅ "Companies with active projects to solve this problem"

Mistake #3: Wrong buyer

❌ "The CEO" ✅ "The VP of Data Infrastructure who gets paged at 2 AM when systems fail"

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U - Uncover Champions

Your best salesperson isn't on your payroll—they're inside your prospect's organization.

What Makes a True Champion

Not every friendly face is a champion. True champions have three things:

1. Authority or influence over the decision

They're not just "interested"—they can actually move the deal forward. This could be:

• Budget authority (they control the spend)
• Technical authority (their recommendation matters)
• Political authority (people listen to them)

2. Personal motivation to see the deal succeed

Their reputation is on the line. If the deal fails, they look bad. If it succeeds, they're the hero. This alignment is critical.

3. Internal credibility and political capital

They have the respect of their peers. When they recommend something, people listen. They've earned the right to spend political capital.

Red Flags (These Are NOT Champions)

• "I love your product, but I can't make decisions"
• "Let me check with my boss"
• "I'll see what I can do"
• "I'm not sure if we have budget"

These people are friendly, but they're not champions. Don't waste time on them.

How to Identify Champions Early

The signals:

1. They ask detailed technical questions - They're thinking about implementation, not just evaluation.

2. They introduce you to other stakeholders - They're building internal consensus, not just gathering info.

3. They share internal documents - Org charts, budget info, competitive intel. They're treating you like a partner.

4. They fight for you in meetings - They push back on objections. They defend your solution. They're invested.

5. They give you competitive intel - They tell you what other vendors are saying. They want you to win.

The Champion Scorecard

Score each potential champion:

• Introduces you to decision makers: +2 points
• Shares internal budget/timeline info: +2 points
• Fights for your solution in meetings: +3 points
• Provides competitive intelligence: +2 points
• Asks implementation questions: +1 point

Scoring:

• 6+ points: You have a champion. Nurture them like your best customer.
• 4-5 points: Potential champion, needs more enablement
• <4 points: Friendly contact, not a champion

Real-World Example: Cockroach Labs

At Cockroach Labs, our champions were database administrators who were tired of managing PostgreSQL clusters at scale.

Why they became champions:

• They felt the pain daily (managing complex databases)
• They had technical authority (their recommendation mattered)
• They were motivated (solving this made them heroes)
• They had credibility (peers trusted their judgment)

Result: Our champions sold the solution internally when we weren't in the room. They became our best salespeople.

How to Enable Your Champions

Give them the ammunition they need to sell internally. Most champions want to help, but they don't know how.

1. Executive summaries they can forward

One-page PDFs they can email to their boss. Include:

• The problem you're solving
• Why it's urgent now
• The ROI
• Next steps

Make it easy for them to forward. Don't make them write it.

2. ROI calculators they can share

Spreadsheets they can customize with their numbers. Show:

• Cost savings
• Time savings
• Revenue impact
• Payback period

3. Case studies from similar companies

Not just "here's a case study"—specifically "here's how Company X (similar to yours) solved this problem."

The more similar, the better. Same industry. Same size. Same use case.

4. Internal presentation decks

PowerPoint decks they can present to their team. Pre-written. Branded. Ready to go.

5. Competitive battle cards

Help them defend you against competitors. What are the common objections? What are your differentiators? Give them talking points.

The Champion Nurture Process

Champions don't appear overnight. You build them over 6-18 months.

Month 1-3: Build the relationship

• Regular check-ins (not sales calls)
• Share valuable content
• Help them with problems (even if unrelated to your product)
• Introduce them to your network

Month 4-6: Identify the opportunity

• They mention a problem you solve
• You position your solution
• They get interested
• You qualify the deal

Month 7-12: Enable the champion

• Provide all the materials above
• Coach them on internal selling
• Help them navigate politics
• Support them in meetings

Month 13-18: Close the deal

• Champion builds internal consensus
• You handle final negotiations
• Champion gets credit for the win
• You start the expansion motion

The Payoff

When you have a true champion:

• Faster sales cycles - They navigate internal politics for you
• Higher close rates - They fight objections when you're not there
• Larger deal sizes - They advocate for the full solution
• Easier expansions - They become your advocate post-sale

At Cockroach Labs, our champions closed deals 40% faster than deals without champions. Our close rate was 2x higher.

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N - Navigate the Committee

Enterprise deals die in committee meetings, not in one-on-ones. Map every stakeholder before you make your first call.

The Problem

Most salespeople think enterprise deals have one decision-maker. They don't. Enterprise deals have buying committees of 5-15 people, each with different motivations, concerns, and power.

The Buying Committee Map

Every enterprise deal has these roles:

1. Economic buyer - Controls budget (usually CFO or VP Finance)

• What they care about: ROI, cost, budget approval
• What they can do: Approve or kill the deal
• How to reach them: Through the champion or CFO's team

2. Technical buyer - Evaluates feasibility (CTO, VP Engineering)

• What they care about: Architecture, integration, scalability
• What they can do: Disqualify you technically
• How to reach them: Technical demos, architecture reviews

3. User buyer - Day-to-day users (often multiple departments)

• What they care about: Ease of use, features, workflow
• What they can do: Slow down adoption, create support issues
• How to reach them: Product demos, user interviews

4. Champion - Your internal advocate

• What they care about: Solving the problem, looking good
• What they can do: Sell internally, accelerate the deal
• How to reach them: Regular check-ins, enablement

5. Influencer - Doesn't decide but influences (consultants, advisors)

• What they care about: Best practices, industry standards
• What they can do: Influence the decision criteria
• How to reach them: Industry reports, best practices

The Framework

Step 1: Map all stakeholders before first meeting

Don't wait until you're in the deal. Map the committee before you make your first call.

Ask your champion:

• "Who else is involved in this decision?"
• "Who needs to sign off?"
• "Who could kill this deal?"

Step 2: Understand each person's success metrics

Each stakeholder has different success metrics:

• Economic buyer: ROI, budget
• Technical buyer: Architecture, scalability
• User buyer: Features, ease of use
• Champion: Solving the problem
• Influencer: Best practices

Step 3: Tailor your message to each role

Don't give the same pitch to everyone. Tailor your message:

• Economic buyer: ROI, cost savings, payback period
• Technical buyer: Architecture, integration, scalability
• User buyer: Features, workflow, ease of use

Step 4: Identify who can say "no"

These are your biggest risks. They can kill the deal even if everyone else says yes.

Common "no" voters:

• Procurement (if you don't meet their requirements)
• Security (if you don't meet their standards)
• Legal (if your terms don't work)
• CFO's team (if the ROI doesn't work)

Real-World Example: The $10M Deal That Died

I've seen $10M deals die because we didn't know the CFO's procurement team had veto power.

What happened:

• We had the champion
• We had the technical buyer
• We had the users
• We didn't know procurement had veto power
• Procurement killed the deal over terms

Lesson: Map the committee. Know who can kill the deal.

The Committee Mapping Template

For each stakeholder, document:

Name: [Name] Role: [Economic buyer / Technical buyer / User buyer / Champion / Influencer] Power: [High / Medium / Low] Stance: [Champion / Supporter / Neutral / Skeptic / Blocker] Success Metrics: [What they care about] Concerns: [What they're worried about] How to Reach: [Best way to engage them] Next Steps: [What to do next]

Common Committee Mistakes

Mistake #1: Only talking to the champion

The champion can't close the deal alone. You need the committee.

Mistake #2: Ignoring the "no" voters

They can kill the deal even if everyone else says yes.

Mistake #3: Same message to everyone

Each stakeholder has different concerns. Tailor your message.

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T - Transform with MEDDIC

MEDDIC is the qualification framework that separates predictable deals from pipe dreams.

Deep Dive: For a comprehensive guide to MEDDIC, see MEDDIC: The Qualification Framework That Turned 35% Close Rates Into 82%.

What Is MEDDIC?

MEDDIC is a qualification framework that ensures you're only pursuing deals you can actually win. It stands for:

• M - Metrics
• E - Economic Buyer
• D - Decision Criteria
• D - Decision Process
• I - Identify Pain
• C - Champion

Each element is scored 1-2 points. You need 10+ points total to have a qualified deal.

M - Metrics: Quantify the Business Impact

The first question: What's the business impact of solving this problem?

Good metrics:

• "This will save us $2M annually in infrastructure costs"
• "We'll reduce customer churn by 15%, worth $5M in ARR"
• "This cuts our time-to-market by 6 months, worth $10M in revenue"

Bad metrics:

• "This would be nice to have"
• "It might improve efficiency"
• "We're exploring options"

The framework:

1. Quantify the problem - What does the current state cost them?
2. Quantify the solution - What's the value of fixing it?
3. Make it urgent - What happens if they don't act?

Scoring:

• 2 points: Quantified ROI >$1M, urgent timeline
• 1 point: Some quantification, moderate urgency
• 0 points: Vague benefits, no urgency

E - Economic Buyer: Who Controls the Budget?

The economic buyer isn't always who you think. At Fortune 500 companies, the person who "wants" your solution rarely controls the budget.

How to identify the economic buyer:

1. Ask directly: "Who approves budgets for initiatives like this?"
2. Follow the money: Who signs the purchase order?
3. Understand the process: Is there a procurement team involved?

Red flags:

• "I'll need to check with finance"
• "We don't have budget allocated yet"
• "This would need board approval"

Green flags:

• "I control the $2M budget for this initiative"
• "I can approve up to $500K without board approval"
• "This fits in our Q2 budget cycle"

Scoring:

• 2 points: Met economic buyer, confirmed budget authority
• 1 point: Identified economic buyer, haven't met yet
• 0 points: Unclear who controls budget

D - Decision Criteria: Do You Meet Their Requirements?

Every buyer has evaluation criteria. Most sellers never ask what they are.

The questions:

1. What are your evaluation criteria?
2. How do you score vendors?
3. What would disqualify a vendor?
4. What's your ideal solution look like?

Common criteria:

• Security certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
• Integration capabilities (API, SSO)
• Support SLAs (24/7, <1 hour response)
• Reference customers in their industry

The trap:

Don't assume you meet their criteria. Ask. Document. Verify.

Scoring:

• 2 points: Meet all criteria, documented confirmation
• 1 point: Meet most criteria, some gaps
• 0 points: Unclear criteria, or don't meet them

D - Decision Process: How Do They Make Decisions?

Enterprise deals die in process, not in product. Map the decision process before you invest time.

The questions:

1. What's the approval process?
2. Who needs to sign off?
3. What's the timeline?
4. Are there any gates or checkpoints?
5. What could delay or kill this deal?

The framework:

• Formal process: RFP → Evaluation → POC → Legal → Procurement → Approval
• Informal process: Champion → Demo → Budget approval → Purchase

Formal processes take 6-12 months. Informal processes take 1-3 months. Know which you're in.

Red flags:

• "We're just exploring"
• "No timeline yet"
• "We need to get buy-in from multiple teams"
• "This might need board approval"

Green flags:

• "We need to decide by Q2"
• "We have budget allocated"
• "The champion is driving this forward"
• "We've done this type of purchase before"

Scoring:

• 2 points: Clear process, realistic timeline, mapped stakeholders
• 1 point: Process identified, timeline uncertain
• 0 points: No process, no timeline

I - Identify Pain: What's the Cost of Inaction?

Pain without urgency is just a complaint. Urgent pain is a deal.

The framework:

1. Current state: What's broken?
2. Cost of inaction: What happens if they don't fix it?
3. Urgency: Why now?

Good pain:

• "Our current system fails weekly, costing us $500K per incident"
• "We're losing customers because we can't scale"
• "We're missing compliance deadlines, risking fines"

Bad pain:

• "It would be nice to improve"
• "We're thinking about upgrading"
• "This might help efficiency"

The urgency test:

Ask: "What happens if you don't solve this in the next 90 days?"

If the answer is "nothing much," you don't have urgent pain. Move on.

Scoring:

• 2 points: Quantified pain, urgent timeline, cost of inaction clear
• 1 point: Pain identified, moderate urgency
• 0 points: Vague pain, no urgency

C - Champion: Your Internal Advocate

Your champion is your best salesperson. They're inside the organization, selling when you're not there.

What makes a true champion:

• Authority or influence over the decision
• Personal motivation to see the deal succeed
• Internal credibility and political capital

Champion behaviors:

1. Introduces you to decision makers
2. Shares internal budget information
3. Fights for your solution in meetings
4. Provides competitive intelligence
5. Accelerates the timeline

The champion scorecard:

• Introduces you to economic buyer: +3 points
• Shares budget info: +2 points
• Fights for you in meetings: +3 points
• Provides competitive intel: +2 points
• Accelerates timeline: +2 points

Scoring:

• 2 points: Strong champion, clear advocacy
• 1 point: Friendly contact, limited influence
• 0 points: No champion

The MEDDIC Scorecard

Score each element 1-2 points. Total possible: 12 points.

Qualification thresholds:

• 12+ points: High probability, fast-track this deal
• 10-11 points: Qualified, standard process
• 8-9 points: Needs work, don't forecast
• <8 points: Disqualify, move on

The rule:

Don't forecast deals that score below 10. Don't invest time in deals that score below 8.

At StarTree, we stopped forecasting deals below 10 points. Our forecast accuracy went from 60% to 92%. Our close rate went from 35% to 82%.

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Putting It All Together

HUNT isn't a checklist—it's a system. Use it in sequence:

The HUNT Process

Step 1: Hone your ICP

Score every prospect. Only pursue prospects that score 4/5 or higher on the ICP scorecard.

Step 2: Uncover champions

Identify potential champions early. Score them. Only invest time in deals with champions scoring 6+ points.

Step 3: Navigate the committee

Map every stakeholder. Understand their motivations. Tailor your message. Identify who can kill the deal.

Step 4: Transform with MEDDIC

Score every deal. Only forecast deals scoring 10+ points. Disqualify deals scoring below 8.

The Results

The founders who master HUNT don't just close more deals—they close deals faster, with less effort, and higher win rates.

At Hortonworks:

• Sales cycle: 12 months → 6 months (50% faster)
• Close rate: 35% → 82% (with MEDDIC)
• Average deal size: $500K → $1.2M

At Cockroach Labs:

• Deals with champions: 40% faster cycles
• Close rate: 2x higher with champions
• Forecast accuracy: 60% → 92%

At StarTree:

• Close rate: 35% → 82% (with MEDDIC)
• Forecast accuracy: 60% → 92%
• Sales efficiency: Improved as we scaled

That's the difference between a sales team and a revenue machine.

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Real-World Examples

Example 1: Hortonworks - The $10M Deal

The ICP:

• Fortune 500 company
• Hadoop cluster failing in production
• $2M+ annual cost of failures
• VP of Data Infrastructure as buyer
• Active project to solve the problem

ICP Score: 5/5 ✅

The Champion:

• VP of Data Infrastructure
• Introduced us to CFO
• Shared budget information
• Fought for us in meetings
• Provided competitive intel

Champion Score: 9/10 ✅

The Committee:

• Economic buyer: CFO (met, confirmed budget)
• Technical buyer: CTO (met, approved architecture)
• User buyer: Data team (met, approved features)
• Champion: VP Data Infrastructure
• Influencer: External consultant (neutral)

MEDDIC Score:

• Metrics: 2 points ($2M+ annual savings)
• Economic buyer: 2 points (met CFO, confirmed budget)
• Decision criteria: 2 points (met all requirements)
• Decision process: 2 points (clear timeline, mapped stakeholders)
• Identify pain: 2 points (urgent, quantified)
• Champion: 2 points (strong champion)

Total MEDDIC Score: 12/12 ✅

Result: Closed $10M deal in 6 months.

Example 2: Cockroach Labs - The Champion-Driven Deal

The ICP:

• Mid-market SaaS company
• PostgreSQL clusters at scale
• Database admin pain
• CTO as buyer
• Active scaling project

ICP Score: 4/5 ✅

The Champion:

• Database administrator
• Introduced us to CTO
• Shared technical requirements
• Fought for us in technical reviews
• Provided competitive intel

Champion Score: 7/10 ✅

The Committee:

• Economic buyer: CFO (met through champion)
• Technical buyer: CTO (met, approved)
• User buyer: Database team (met, approved)
• Champion: Database administrator
• Influencer: None

MEDDIC Score:

• Metrics: 1 point (some quantification)
• Economic buyer: 2 points (met CFO)
• Decision criteria: 2 points (met all requirements)
• Decision process: 1 point (process identified, timeline uncertain)
• Identify pain: 2 points (urgent scaling need)
• Champion: 2 points (strong champion)

Total MEDDIC Score: 10/12 ✅

Result: Closed $500K deal in 3 months. Champion became advocate, expanded to $2M.

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Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Skipping Steps

The mistake: Jumping straight to MEDDIC without honing ICP or uncovering champions.

Why it fails: You're qualifying the wrong deals. You're wasting time on prospects who will never buy.

The fix: Follow HUNT in sequence. Don't skip steps.

Mistake #2: Confusing Contacts with Champions

The mistake: Thinking a friendly contact who answers emails is a champion.

Why it fails: They can't sell internally. They don't have the authority or motivation.

The fix: Use the champion scorecard. Score 6+ points? You have a champion. Score less? You have a friendly contact.

Mistake #3: Ignoring the Committee

The mistake: Only talking to the champion, ignoring other stakeholders.

Why it fails: The committee can kill the deal even if the champion says yes.

The fix: Map the committee. Understand each stakeholder. Tailor your message.

Mistake #4: Scoring Optimistically

The mistake: "Maybe they have budget" isn't 2 points. "Confirmed budget" is 2 points.

Why it fails: You forecast deals that will never close. Your forecast accuracy suffers.

The fix: Score ruthlessly. Don't forecast deals below 10 points.

Mistake #5: Not Enabling Champions

The mistake: Expecting champions to sell internally without giving them materials.

Why it fails: Champions want to help, but they don't know how.

The fix: Give them executive summaries, ROI calculators, case studies, presentation decks, and battle cards.

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Implementation Guide

Week 1: Define Your ICP

Day 1-2: Document your current ICP

• What problem do you solve?
• Who feels this pain?
• What makes it urgent?

Day 3-4: Create your ICP scorecard

• Define the 5 criteria
• Set scoring thresholds
• Test it on existing customers

Day 5-7: Score your pipeline

• Score every prospect in your pipeline
• Disqualify prospects scoring <3
• Focus on prospects scoring 4-5

Week 2: Find Your Champions

Day 1-2: Identify potential champions

• Review your pipeline
• Score each potential champion
• Focus on deals with champions scoring 6+

Day 3-4: Create champion enablement materials

• Executive summaries
• ROI calculators
• Case studies
• Presentation decks
• Battle cards

Day 5-7: Enable your champions

• Share materials with champions
• Coach them on internal selling
• Support them in meetings

Week 3: Map the Committee

Day 1-2: Map stakeholders for each deal

• Use the committee mapping template
• Identify each stakeholder's role
• Understand their motivations

Day 3-4: Tailor your message

• Create role-specific messaging
• Address each stakeholder's concerns
• Identify who can kill the deal

Day 5-7: Engage the committee

• Meet with each stakeholder
• Address their concerns
• Build consensus

Week 4: Implement MEDDIC

Day 1-2: Score every deal

• Use the MEDDIC scorecard
• Score each element 1-2 points
• Calculate total scores

Day 3-4: Disqualify low-scoring deals

• Move deals scoring <8 out of pipeline
• Don't forecast deals scoring <10
• Focus on deals scoring 10+

Day 5-7: Improve high-scoring deals

• Work to get deals from 10 to 12 points
• Address gaps in scoring
• Fast-track deals scoring 12+

Month 2+: Optimize and Scale

Week 5-8: Refine your process

• Review what's working
• Fix what's not
• Update your scorecards

Month 3+: Scale the system

• Train your team on HUNT
• Document your process
• Create playbooks

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The Bottom Line

HUNT isn't about saying "no" to deals. It's about saying "yes" to the right deals.

The framework:

1. Hone your ICP until you can score prospects objectively
2. Uncover champions who will sell for you internally
3. Navigate the committee so you know who can kill the deal
4. Transform with MEDDIC to qualify ruthlessly

The results:

• Faster sales cycles
• Higher close rates
• Larger deal sizes
• Better forecast accuracy

That's how you scale from $0 to $10M ARR.

That's the difference between a sales team and a revenue machine.

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Next Steps

1. Score your pipeline - Use the ICP and MEDDIC scorecards
2. Find your champions - Identify and enable them
3. Map your committees - Understand every stakeholder
4. Qualify ruthlessly - Only pursue deals scoring 10+

Ready to implement HUNT? Start with Week 1 of the Implementation Guide.

Questions? Reach out at [your contact information].

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This eBook is based on 25 years of enterprise sales experience scaling companies from $0 to $100M+ ARR. The HUNT framework was used to scale Hortonworks from $0 to $250M+ and IPO.