Without commenting on the possibility that 10x engineers exist, I can tell you from experience in sales that 10x salespeople are extraordinarily easy to identify, but nearly impossible to hire.<p>The problem is that the market for salespeople is very efficient. So your 10x salesperson is nearly always already earning an outstanding amount of money working for an excellent company. They are already selling a product with a demonstrable value-add, and they are employed by a company with a good reputation.<p>Why would they want to come and work for a start-up that stumbled and then at some future date tried to turn itself around?