In early 2025, the tech job market was still recovering from a period of restructuring influenced by advancements in artificial intelligence and a shift towards more strategic hiring practices. Companies were cautious, focusing on quality over quantity in their recruitment efforts.
However, by April, there has been a noticeable uptick in hiring, particularly for roles that bridge technical expertise and market strategy, such as GTM Engineers. While the exact number fluctuates, job boards like Indeed list over 8,000 roles under the broader "go to market engineer" category, though this includes various related titles and functions.
While we’ve seen an uptick in in-house roles, we’ve also seen a large increase in Outbound Agencies. The Clay Experts Network has bloomed with agencies over individuals due to the increased demand for AI instrumentation within GTM teams.
As we know, AI is reshaping the modern sales process—from prospecting to closing deals. But when it comes to implementing AI tools and automation, should your team hire an in-house Go-To-Market (GTM) Engineer or partner with an outsourced agency?
Here’s a quick breakdown of the benefits of each path, and when one might make more sense than the other.
Why an Outsourced Agency?
Speed to Execution
Agencies come with pre-built processes, tooling, and technical know-how. They can hit the ground running and often launch solutions in weeks—perfect for companies needing quick wins or proof of concept.
Broader Expertise
Most agencies work across industries and tech stacks. That cross-functional exposure means they bring fresh ideas and proven playbooks, plus they’re usually up to speed on the latest AI trends.
Lower Upfront Cost
Instead of paying a full-time salary, benefits, and onboarding costs, agencies offer scoped pricing. You only pay for what you need—whether that’s a full automation buildout or ongoing optimization. The pre-built tooling allows you to save big on a pre-requisite tech stack to see results.
Flexibility
Scale up or down as your needs change. This is especially helpful for early-stage or high-growth teams testing their GTM model.
Why Hire In-House?
Deep Context and Integration
An in-house GTM Engineer understands your systems, culture, and strategy at a deeper level. That can lead to more tailored and effective AI solutions over time.
Long-Term Ownership
Once the automation is built, maintaining and iterating on it becomes smoother with someone embedded in the team. This is key for companies looking to build a permanent data-driven culture.
Cross-Team Collaboration
Internal engineers can partner more closely with sales, marketing, and product teams to create custom workflows that align with the company’s unique GTM motion.
So, Which One Should You Choose?
Choose an outsourced agency if you need fast deployment, are testing ideas, or don’t yet have the internal bandwidth or budget to hire. We are seeing agencies or individuals require less of a time-commitment and offering shorter engagements at lower costs as well as longer term commitments.
Hire a GTM Engineer if you’re building a long-term AI-first sales strategy and want tight integration with internal systems and teams.
Some companies even blend both: use an agency to kickstart efforts, then bring on an engineer to scale and refine.
