In most SaaS companies, SDR territories are split by geography or company size. That’s a useful starting point - but for DevTool companies, it’s not enough. The way engineering teams evaluate and adopt tools varies widely depending on company size, industry, and who the buyer is.
A fast-growing startup may evaluate quickly with just one decision-maker. An enterprise account might involve platform teams, security, and months of nurturing. Some products are adopted by app teams; others by DevOps or security. Because of that variability, territory planning needs to go beyond firmographics and reflect how different sales motions work.
There are several ways companies typically assign SDR territories:
- Geography – SDRs are assigned based on region (e.g., North America, EMEA, APAC) to account for time zones, language, and regional GTM efforts.
- Account Size or Revenue Band – SDRs focus on companies of different sizes, such as SMB, Mid-Market, or Enterprise
- Industry – SDRs are assigned by vertical for e.g., fintech, gaming, healthcare
- Product Line or Problem Statement – If a company has multiple products with different buyers, SDRs may be split based on the use case or audience.
- GTM Motion (Inbound vs. Outbound) – Teams are split by type of motion. Inbound SDRs handle warm leads; outbound SDRs focus on cold outreach based on intent signals.
- Named Accounts – SDRs are assigned a fixed list of high-value or strategic accounts to prioritize.
But here’s what works best for DevTools:
1. Start with Geography:
Geography is often the simplest and cleanest way to begin territory planning — and in DevTools, it still plays a foundational role.
Why? Because when you look at regions like EMEA, APAC, or North America, the differences are real — in time zones, cultural expectations, language, and even how GTM activities are executed locally.
Why assigning by geography works:
- Better scheduling and alignment → SDRs can set up calls, demos, and follow-ups during business hours, making conversations more fluid and responsive.
- Build trust faster → SDRs familiar with local culture and language can communicate more naturally — which helps in both outreach and qualification.
- Support region-specific GTM efforts → Regional campaigns, events, or meetups often need SDRs on the ground (or at least in-region) to follow up effectively and personalize outreach.
Example
For a company like Postman - with a global user base across North America, EMEA, and APAC - assigning SDRs by geography makes a lot of sense. Each region operates in a different timezone, with distinct cultural expectations and local GTM activities. In setups like this, having SDRs aligned by region helps ensure timezone-friendly outreach, localized messaging, and stronger follow-through on region-specific campaigns and events.
Geographic territory assignment is a great foundation - but it needs to be layered with factors like account size, industry, or product line to make outreach more precise and meaningful.
2. Layer by Account Size or Revenue Band: Because the Selling Motion Changes Completely
How a company buys your DevTool changes drastically with its size.
- Sales cycles are longer in larger companies - You’ll often deal with 6–12 month timelines, multiple stakeholders, and layered approvals. While SMB deals move quickly, often with just one or two decision-makers.
- Org structure impacts adoption - In SMBs, the person evaluating the tool might also be the buyer. In enterprises, SDRs have to navigate platform teams, security, and procurement before anything moves.
- Objections look different - SMBs care about cost, setup time, and immediate value. Enterprises worry about compliance, integrations, vendor risk, and overlap with internal tools.
Because of this, the selling motion looks very different.
- Enterprise SDRs need to build relationships, personalize deeply, and sometimes even meet in person. They may only be working a few accounts, but the motion is slow, strategic, and high-value.
- SMB SDRs work faster - it’s more about high volume, short cycles, and quick qualification. Success often comes down to speed, clarity, and persistence.
Why assigning by account size works
Segmenting SDR territories by company size ensures each rep can specialize in the motion they’re best suited for - and be measured accordingly. It helps with setting realistic KPIs, hiring the right profiles, and coaching reps effectively based on the motion they’re operating in. It also reflects the difference in required skill sets: enterprise SDRs often need more experience and stronger communication skills, while SMB reps typically operate with less experience but higher activity levels. These differences also tend to show up in compensation - with enterprise roles typically commanding higher pay.
3. Layer by Industry: So SDRs Can Build Expertise That Compounds Over Time
Once you’ve assigned SDRs by geography and account size, the next logical layer is industry - especially if your product has strong traction in specific verticals.
Pain points, workflows, and evaluation criteria vary across industries. What is important for a gaming company may differ significantly from what would be a priority for a Fintech. SDRs who specialize in a single vertical are better equipped to speak the buyer’s language, bring relevant examples, and handle objections with confidence.
Why assigning by industry works:
- Builds Expertise → By focusing on one industry, SDRs build a clearer understanding of that segment’s challenges and workflows. This allows them to speak the buyer’s language, reference relevant case studies, and position the product around the specific value drivers that matter most - whether it’s real-time performance in gaming or compliance in fintech.
- Relationships compound → Buyers often move within industries. A lead from a fintech company might resurface at another fintech firm months later - giving the SDR a head start based on context and familiarity.
Example:
Snyk - it serves a broad set of industries with distinct security needs. In fintech, the focus is often on compliance and risk mitigation. E-commerce companies care more about performance at scale, while healthcare organizations prioritize data privacy and governance. Each vertical brings different stakeholders, objections, and buying triggers. In cases like this, it makes sense to assign SDRs by industry - so they can build relevant context, tailor messaging to each segment, and reference examples that resonate, like Monzo or Revolut in fintech.
4. Split by Product Line or Problem Statement: Only When the Buyer Is Different
Some DevTool companies have multiple products - and in some cases, each product solves a fundamentally different problem and speaks to a different buyer. If that’s true, splitting SDR coverage by product line can work well. If one product targets DevOps engineers and other targets security teams, your messaging, sales cycle, and discovery approach will all need to change. But this only makes sense when the buyer and sales motion are meaningfully different - otherwise, it just creates unnecessary complexity.
Why assigning by Product Line works:
- Specialization builds relevance → SDRs focusing on a single product can speak confidently about the use case, understand the buyer’s world, and craft more specific, relevant outreach.
- Coordination improves → When product lines have separate AEs, SEs, or marketing motions, keeping SDRs aligned to those tracks helps avoid duplication and internal confusion.
Example
Take Harness - it offers a suite of DevOps products under one umbrella, but each one speaks to a different buyer. Their Feature Management tool is used by application teams to roll out features safely, Cloud Cost Management targets platform engineering and DevOps leaders focused on budget optimization, and Security Testing is built for DevSecOps and security teams. Each product solves a different problem, plugs into different workflows, and has a different buyer inside the company. In cases like this, it makes sense to split SDRs by product line - not just for messaging relevance, but because the entire GTM motion (from discovery to close) needs to adjust accordingly.
5. Inbound vs. Outbound Split
One way to split SDR responsibilities - especially in larger teams - is by GTM motion.
Why assigning by GTM Motion works:
- The skill sets are different → Inbound SDRs need to move quickly, qualify efficiently, and understand product usage or behavioral signals. Outbound SDRs need more research ability, persistence, and creativity to break into accounts that haven’t shown obvious interest.
- The workflows are different → Inbound SDRs manage higher volume and need fast response times. Outbound reps often work fewer accounts but go deeper - customizing messaging, tracking signals, and following longer cadences.
- Prevents context-switching → Splitting the motions helps SDRs focus. Inbound doesn’t get deprioritized in favor of prospecting, and outbound reps aren’t distracted by demo requests or routing form fills.
Not every inbound lead is ready to buy - and not every outbound account is cold. SDRs in both motions need access to deeper intent signals (e.g., product usage, GitHub activity, hiring patterns) to decide when to reach out. Without those, you risk treating all signups as high intent or burning good accounts with irrelevant outbound.
6. What About Named Accounts? Why It Doesn’t Work Well for DevTools
Some companies assign SDRs a fixed list of “named accounts” - often big logos or high-value prospects - and ask them to go deep. While this can work in enterprise SaaS, it often breaks down in DevTools.
Why?
Because DevTools only get bought when there’s a real technical need. If your named account list isn’t based on actual developer pain or technical change, it’s just a list of logos. Without signs like a new stack being adopted, a migration underway, or scale problems emerging, SDRs can waste months chasing accounts that aren’t ready to engage - no matter how impressive the logo looks.
So to Summarise:
Territory planning for DevTool companies can’t be a copy-paste from traditional SaaS. The sales motion, buyer type, and technical context vary too widely. That’s why the most effective way to assign SDR territories in DevTools is to layer multiple factors - starting with geography, then segmenting further by account size, industry, or product line where needed.
- Start with geography to manage time zones, language, and regional GTM efforts.
- Add account size to align with completely different sales motions and KPIs for SMBs vs. enterprises.
- Layer in industry or product line where applicable - to help SDRs build expertise, tailor outreach, and align with specialized GTM tracks.
- Split by GTM motion when inbound and outbound workflows demand distinct skills and rhythms.
What doesn’t work? Assigning named accounts. In DevTools, buying only happens when there’s a real technical trigger - and territory design should reflect that.
Even with well-defined territories, not all accounts are equal. SDRs should be equipped to prioritize accounts based on:
1) Tech stack signals (e.g. using Kubernetes, React, Kafka)
2) Hiring patterns (e.g. hiring for SREs, platform engineers)
3) Recent activity (e.g. spikes in GitHub contributions, new docs usage)
This ensures SDRs focus not just on who’s assigned, but who’s actually in-market.
The goal isn’t just clean coverage - it’s focus, fit, and fluency. When SDRs know their motion, their buyer, and their context, everything works better - from messaging to meetings to pipeline.
