Most early-stage B2B founders spend their first weeks either avoiding CRM setup entirely or drowning in HubSpot configuration. Attio offers a third path: a schema-first, API-native CRM that you can shape around your actual sales motion instead of fitting your process into someone else's template. This guide walks through every step of building an Attio workspace from scratch.
Why Attio suits early-stage B2B
Traditional CRMs were built for sales teams that already exist. The onboarding assumes you have a defined ICP, a repeatable pipeline, and a handful of sales reps who need guardrails. At the seed stage, none of that is true yet.
Attio's core insight is that a CRM is a database first. You define your objects (Companies, People, Deals), add the attributes that matter to your specific business, and build views that surface the signal you care about. There's no legacy UI to fight through, no unused fields cluttering every record, and no $400/month commitment before you've closed your first customer.
The free tier supports unlimited records and one workspace. For a seed-stage team, that covers everything until you have a proper revenue team.
Browse all Wkspace guides for Attio and Notion
Step 1: Define your pipeline stages
Before touching the UI, write down your actual sales motion on paper. For most B2B SaaS companies at the seed stage, the pipeline looks something like: Prospect (company identified, no contact yet), Qualified (confirmed fit on ICP criteria), Demo (discovery or demo scheduled or completed), Proposal (commercial terms shared), Negotiation (active back-and-forth), Closed Won (contract signed), Closed Lost (decided not to proceed).
In Attio, create a Deals object (or rename it to match your language) and add a Stage select attribute with these values. Assign each stage a colour so your pipeline board is readable at a glance. Resist the urge to add more than seven stages at this point. Pipeline complexity compounds with team size; start lean.
Attio documentation on deals and pipelines
Step 2: Companies object — the attributes that matter
Every B2B deal lives inside a company relationship. The Companies object in Attio is where you track the accounts you're actively working. Beyond the defaults (name, domain, website), add these custom attributes: ARR Potential (a number field for annual contract value), ICP Tier (Tier 1, 2, 3 for prioritisation), Contract Start Date and End Date (for renewals), Decision-Maker Title (economic buyer), Industry (select), and Employees (company size). Attio often auto-enriches from the domain, but having the attribute defined lets you filter by segment.
Step 3: People object — tracking your champions
People are the humans inside those companies. Add these attributes to the People object: Persona (Champion, Economic Buyer, Technical Evaluator, Blocker), LinkedIn URL (for research and job-change tracking), Last Contacted (date — filter by "not contacted in 14 days" to surface deals going cold), and Champion Status (the one person actively selling internally). Every deal needs an identified champion.
Step 4: Lists and workspaces — the views you'll actually use
Attio's Lists feature lets you create filtered views. Set up these three immediately: Active Deals (Deals where Stage is not Closed Won or Closed Lost, sort by ARR Potential descending), Prospect Pool (Companies at Prospect or Qualified that haven't moved in 30 days), and Customers (Companies with at least one Closed Won deal, with Contract End Date visible for renewals). Keep your workspace structure flat; nested sub-workspaces become navigation friction as your team grows.
Using Attio for product feedback once you have customers
Once you've closed your first handful of accounts, create a lightweight Feedback object linked to Companies with attributes for Feature Area, Priority, and Status. Now you have a direct line from "who is asking for this" to "how much ARR is at stake", which makes product prioritisation conversations significantly easier.
Generate your Attio schema automatically
See how Wkspace generates your Attio schema in 60 seconds
The setup above takes 2–3 hours to do manually. Wkspace generates a complete Attio schema — pipeline stages, company attributes, people attributes, and lists — in 60 seconds, tailored to your specific business type and ICP.
Frequently asked questions
Is Attio free for startups?
Attio's free tier supports unlimited records and one workspace, with full CRM functionality. For a seed-stage team of one to a few people, that typically covers everything until you have a dedicated revenue team.
How long does it take to set up Attio from scratch?
Doing it manually with pipeline stages, company and people attributes, and key lists usually takes 2–3 hours. Using a generator like Wkspace, you can get a tailored schema in about 60 seconds.
Can I use Attio for product feedback as well as sales?
Yes. Once you have customers, you can add a Feedback object linked to Companies and track feature requests, priority, and status. That links feedback directly to ARR and makes prioritisation easier.
How many pipeline stages should I start with?
Start with five to seven stages that match your real sales motion: Prospect, Qualified, Demo, Proposal, Negotiation, Closed Won, Closed Lost. Adding more stages makes reporting noisier and slows down deal movement; you can add sub-stages later when you have a dedicated RevOps function.