Use minimum evidence and visible uncertainty
Your exact entry criteria depend on the product and deal complexity. A useful definition separates fit, pain, buyer involvement and active decision. It also specifies who can accept a record and what happens when evidence is missing.
Do not require every early-stage detail to be complete if that encourages guessing. Record unknown budget or approval roles and the next validation action. The important distinction is between a credible buying conversation and a target that merely matches your filters. Stage advancement should add evidence rather than relabel interest.
| Decision | Evidence to use | What changes next |
|---|---|---|
| Fit and problem | Standard offer can serve a buyer-confirmed issue | Accept relevance without inventing impact |
| Buyer and decision | Relevant participant and plausible change process | Record missing stakeholders or approval questions |
| Ownership and next step | Named seller and mutual action | Make the record operable rather than merely reportable |
Work through the decision
Illustrative discovery: an engineering manager confirms repeated access exceptions and wants to compare approaches. They agree to a scoped evaluation conversation with product leadership. The seller can accept an early opportunity while marking budget authority unknown.
By contrast, an email saying 'send information' without a confirmed problem may be an interested conversation. Keep it in the appropriate state and decide what question comes next. The distinction creates a more honest pipeline without dismissing useful early interest.
Mandatory fields create fictional certainty
If sellers must fill an amount and close date before discovery, they may produce precise-looking guesses. Label assumptions and keep them outside confirmed reporting. A field requirement cannot create buyer evidence.
A concrete next step
Write your opportunity entry rule in plain language and test it on five records. Have two sellers classify them independently; resolve disagreements before enforcing the definition.
Sources and research notes
- GitLab commercial opportunity stagesCompany operating handbook
- GitLab sales development handbookCompany operating handbook
Primary sources reviewed October 6, 2026. The operating recommendations and worked scenarios are Daavid’s analysis. Illustrative numbers are assumptions, not measured client results. Company marks identify sources and prior experience; they do not imply a customer relationship or endorsement.
Schematic