At some point in every sales career, you hit the crossroad. You start wondering:
Do I stay in the grind and sharpen my edge as an SDR — or step up, take the AE seat, and own the full deal?
It’s not just a title change. It’s a mindset shift; from output to outcome, from speed to strategy.
And if you get it wrong, it can break your confidence faster than quota ever could.
I’ve been on both sides. Same game. Completely different pain.
Let me help you break it down.
Focus
As an SDR, your mission is simple: book the damn meeting. Your scoreboard resets every morning: more dials, more demos, more dopamine. As an AE, the mission never ends. You chase signatures, not smiles. You stop celebrating meetings and start obsessing over contracts.
SDR life runs on momentum. AE life runs on endurance.Control
As an SDR, effort feels linear: More calls → more meetings → more wins. You control your fate. As an AE, control is an illusion. You can run a flawless demo and still lose to budget, legal, or an exec ghosting you after three months.
It grows beyond control and starts chartering towards influence.Workflow
SDRs live in short bursts: high-energy sprints, reset every day. You get immediate feedback: booked or bounced. AEs run marathons. You’re managing ten deals, five calendars, and one thousand moving parts that don’t care about your quota.
SDRs start the fire. AEs keep it alive through rain, wind, and procurement.Skillset
As an SDR, grit and tone take you far. You learn rhythm, rejection, and emotional recovery. As an AE, the skill shifts. You trade aggression for patience, and charisma for control under pressure.
You stop hunting. You start strategizing.Pressure
SDRs face rejection every day — it stings, but it’s fast. Tomorrow is a reset. AEs face uncertainty that never ends. A quarter can vanish in one email.
The SDR’s battle is external… the AE’s battle is internalMoney
As an SDR, you grind. The math is predictable: work hard → get meetings → get paid. As an AE, you might triple your effort and still earn zero if deals slip. But when it lands — when the pipeline holds and contracts close — that high? Unmatched.
“So which role is the best fit for me?”
Before you jump into either seat, pause and ask yourself three things:
What are my goals? What drives me daily? And what kind of pressure do I handle best?
👉 If you lean SDR...
You thrive on motion; the buzz of new names, fresh rejections, and the next call on the list. You love competing with yourself, chasing streaks, and turning small wins into momentum. You’re probably wired for:
High energy and quick adaptation. You reset fast and stay hungry.
Performance-based progress. You like knowing that activity = outcome.
Clear targets. You prefer visible goals and daily scoreboard wins.
If your career goal is to sharpen your outbound edge, master messaging, and build discipline that fuels any sales role, the SDR path is your foundation. You’ll build resilience, rhythm, and real empathy for buyers. It’s where hunters are born.
👉 If you lean AE...
You’re drawn to strategy — the bigger picture, the chess game behind each deal. You don’t just want to open doors; you want to walk through them, negotiate, and close. You’re probably wired for:
Patience and control under chaos. You keep your cool when timelines stretch.
Curiosity. You want to understand businesses deeply, not just pitch them.
Influence over activity. You’d rather move one big deal than 50 small ones.
If your career goal is ownership (from discovery to close), the AE role gives you that control (and risk). You’ll build business acumen, leadership skills, and a mindset that translates to entrepreneurship. It’s where strategists grow.
STILL THINKING ABOUT IT?
Here’s the truth: neither path is permanent.
Some of the best AEs were once relentless SDRs. And some veterans move back to SDR leadership because they crave pace over politics.
Your best fit lives at the intersection of your energy and your ambition. If you love building momentum… go SDR. If you love managing complexity… go AE.
But whichever path you choose, make sure it feeds the part of you that refuses to settle. Because this game goes beyond titles, it’s also about aliveness and the adrenaline rush.
Choose the road that keeps you hungry, curious, and awake. Not the one that just looks good on LinkedIn.
And when you do (and I trust you’ll make the right one), I’ll see you on the other side of that decision.
Cheers
— The Sheriff in Town
