Roger Willms

Why this persona fits the audience

He runs sales for a 7-person B2B workflow SaaS in Austin, building daily prospect lists from LinkedIn, company websites, and a spreadsheet before sending emails himself. He tracks replies in HubSpot and does not have a dedicated SDR.

• Age: 34
• Location: Austin, Texas, US
• Occupation: Co-founder and CEO
• Income: US$118k
• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Company size: 7
• Years in role: 4

“Every hour I spend manually building a list is an hour I'm not focusing on strategy or closing deals. There has to be a smarter way to get the right eyes on our product.”

Roger Willms, 34, is a co-founder and CEO of a 7-person B2B workflow SaaS company based in Austin, Texas. Growing up in a modest household, he developed an early appreciation for hard work and self-reliance. He pursued a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, where he was fascinated by market dynamics and entrepreneurial case studies. After a few years in a corporate sales role, he felt stifled by the bureaucracy and yearned for greater autonomy and the thrill of building something from the ground up. This led him to co-found his current venture three years ago, pouring his savings and relentless energy into its development. Roger’s current income of $118k reflects the company's early-stage growth, with a significant portion reinvested back into the business. He thrives on the independence his role offers, constantly seeking ways to optimize processes and achieve measurable progress. His primary responsibility, beyond overall leadership, is driving sales, which he executes personally through meticulous outbound efforts. He spends a substantial part of his day building prospect lists from various online sources and his internal spreadsheet, then crafting and sending personalized emails. He meticulously tracks every interaction and conversion in HubSpot, keenly aware that his direct efforts are the lifeblood of the company's current revenue stream. He recently decided to double down on his cold email strategy, investing in a more robust email sequencing tool to improve deliverability and engagement, rather than hiring an SDR immediately, prioritizing a lean operational model and capital efficiency. This decision stemmed from a recent analysis of his sales funnel, which indicated that while lead volume was a challenge, the quality of leads generated through his targeted approach was high.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Roger's typical weekday begins at 6:30 AM with a quick run or a yoga session at home, followed by a large coffee and reviewing overnight HubSpot activity. From 8:00 AM to noon, he's immersed in outbound: meticulously crafting prospect lists from LinkedIn Sales Navigator, company websites, and his internal CRM spreadsheet, then composing and scheduling personalized outreach emails. Lunch is usually a quick affair at his desk while listening to a startup podcast. The afternoon is a mix of follow-ups, analyzing email performance metrics, brief check-ins with his engineering or product leads, and strategizing for the next day's outreach. He aims to wrap up by 7:00 PM, but often finds himself back online for another hour after dinner.

Lifestyle

Roger lives in a moderately sized apartment in South Austin, prioritizing proximity to work and good coffee shops over square footage. His income supports a comfortable but not extravagant lifestyle; he's saving aggressively for future company growth and personal investment. Weekday mornings start early with a quick workout or a walk before diving into work. Weekends involve a mix of catching up on industry reading, occasional social outings with his small circle of entrepreneur friends, and exploring Austin’s food scene. He's mindful of his health but often sacrifices sleep for productive work hours.

Work life

As co-founder and CEO, Roger wears multiple hats, but sales is his primary focus due to the company's lean structure. He spends his days meticulously building prospect lists, a process he finds both tedious and crucial. He's constantly refining his cold email sequences, A/B testing subject lines and CTAs. The pressure to hit revenue targets is immense, with every reply and conversion tracked religiously in HubSpot. He trusts his small team—a product manager, two engineers, and a customer success lead—but feels the weight of sales ownership squarely on his shoulders, especially without a dedicated SDR to filter leads.

Relationships

Roger's primary professional relationships are with his 6-person team, whom he trusts implicitly for their technical skills and dedication. His closest friends are fellow entrepreneurs in the Austin tech scene, providing a vital support network for sharing challenges and celebrating small wins. He maintains a good relationship with his parents, who live back in his home state, but their understanding of his startup life is limited.

How they decide

Roger is a data-driven decision-maker who values speed and efficiency. He'll research options thoroughly, often relying on podcast insights and peer recommendations, but once he has a clear direction supported by quantifiable benefits, he acts decisively. He's not afraid to experiment but prefers structured approaches over impulsive choices, always looking for the most direct path to measurable progress.

How they sound

Speaks with a clear, measured cadence, often using business jargon but not excessively. He's articulate and direct, favoring concrete examples over abstract ideas. When discussing challenges, he remains pragmatic, avoiding overly emotional language. He uses phrases like 'bandwidth,' 'leverage,' 'actionable insights,' and 'optimization.' He tends to avoid slang and is generally quite professional, even in informal settings.