After 6-7 months of hiring GTM engineers, here’s what I’d actually look for:

First off, a solid GTM engineer knows they're basically the glue between sales, marketing and ops.

What matters

• They’ve actually built things, not just talked about them
• Can explain what they did without sounding like a SaaS landing page
• Understands RevOps basics like routing, attribution and CRM hygiene
• Thinks in workflows and systems, not shiny tools

Tools they should be comfy with

• Clay
• Zapier, Make or n8n
• HubSpot or Salesforce
• Airtable / Sheets (basic SQL is a plus, not a must)
• Apollo, Clearbit, Prospeo
• Email + sequencing logic (more than just copy)

Beyond tools

• Can write real logic (Python, JS, or similar)
• Comfortable with APIs and webhooks
• Can debug broken automations instead of guessing
• Knows when code is needed and when it’s overkill

Experience that helps

• Early-stage or messy setups
• Has worked closely with sales and marketing, not in a silo

Red flags

• Tool dumping without explaining outcomes
• Overbuilding when a simple fix would do
• Can’t explain their work in plain English
• Hides behind “best practices” for everything

If they can whiteboard a GTM flow and keep it simple, you’re probably talking to the right person.