Couldn’t agree more with this, especially regarding the commoditization of knowledge. Huge opportunity for second/third order thinkers to win big. Huge downfall for those who dwell only in cliches and best practices.

This is all true and it's why @naval's advice to fine-tune what you do until you're the best in the world at it is so valuable. It has never been less valuable to be generic, and it will only get worse with AI. But it's never been more valuable to be hyper-specific.

This is a common look and skill set among sales engineers. I get the sense that many SEs could be hitmen on the side if they wanted. Lots of highly competent, creative, unassuming guys who I wouldn’t want to see against me in battle.

Absolutely. Software is easier to create than ever, and AI will only reduce barriers to entry. Success will fall less on technical differentiation and more on sales execution - which means a deep understanding of how to bring real value to the market you sell to.

True! But it’s the easiest possible way to improve your performance. You get to try every restaurant in town on the company dime, build relationships and trust with clients, establish yourself with channel partners, and get intel you’d never get otherwise. Lunch is the biggest tech sales hack.

Pipeline. More pipeline.

I went to kindergarten with a kid who grew up to be an NFL running back. Even at 5 years old he was so dominant that it was remarkable. Lapping people on the running track. I wasn't surprised when I saw him playing college football and ultimately the NFL. Different level.

Typical tech sales rep 2024:

I was in the networking space for many years- I moved into cybersecurity for a few reasons: 1. Enterprise networking is obsolete. It's been apparent for at least 5 years that the days of huge investments in routers/switches are over. 95% of use cases are sufficed by giving users simple Internet access. 2. SD-WAN is a bridge between the past (legacy routing) and the future (all apps being delivered via Internet/VPN). SD-WAN has one refresh cycle before its own obsolescence. 3. Networking is becoming commoditized to the point where it'll become a utility similar to plumbing. Doesn't really matter what brand of piping you use as long as it works. 4. Cybersecurity isn't going away. There will always be bad actors and solutions to help thwart, mitigate, or report on those bad actors. 5. Cybersecurity is more interesting. I just turned 40. I got my first computer in 1997 at age 13. Within 3 months of getting that computer, me and a few friends built a website and had "hacked" into numerous other sites. I learned HTML. A shocking number of websites had anonymous FTP access, and we replaced many index.html files with our own 13-year-old humor (many dirty jokes). We were the textbook "script kiddies" but we managed to do a lot of stuff anyway. Today, I'm still fascinated by the methods that attackers use. Some are as simple as the ones we used as kids. Others are very sophisticated. But cybersecurity is ultimately a cat-and-mouse game. It's an intellectual challenge. One that will never get old. The smartest people trying to break in, and the smartest people trying to keep them out. For better or for worse, the attackers will always have the upper hand because they care more.

Approach it like practicing basketball without defenders. If you get your reps in during practice, you won't have to think about it during the game. You've got the fundamentals that free you up to play naturally. Sales is the same way. Nothing beats repetition. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes, and the better you get. Even with subpar material or canned scenarios, you start to learn what works and what you can add or subtract. Many reps feel like they're supposed to take the scripted presentations and regurgitate them verbatim. That's counterproductive: it's more about internalizing the concepts and then practicing them in a way that's natural to your style.

There are some sick people in this world. Yesterday, my mom got a call from someone claiming to be a sheriff's deputy. He told her that she was going to be arrested for missing a jury summons and that she needed to post bail, in cash. He kept her on the phone for an hour, asking about her whereabouts and when she would be able to meet with the cash to "avoid having to get booked with fingerprints and a mugshot" There were multiple people involved: he passed her to his "supervisor" who continued the act. Luckily, she realized it was a scam when they told her she would be arrested if she hung up, and kept insistently asking when she would be leaving for the meeting place. God only knows what would have happened if she had showed up. My Mom is one of the nicest, most trusting people on the planet. A truly good person. I was shocked and appalled when she told me about this. These guys need to get caught and sent to prison. Truly the scum of the earth. It sounded like they were well practiced and they have surely robbed others before. It's sad that this type of crime exists, but make sure your older relatives are aware that there are predators out there. If it feels sketchy, hang up and talk it through with someone you trust.

The essence of sales will always be human decision making. ROI calculators and proposal submissions are simply supporting data for a decision a person wants to make.

One of the best articles not just about Bitcoin, but many things in life

When I interview SE candidates, one of my favorite questions is to have them walk me through an interesting deal they've recently won. I keep it open-ended to see how they respond. If it's 100% focused on the tech and they go deep into the weeds, that says a lot. The spot-on perfect answer is to start from the deal's first principles (why the customer needs the solution/the business value), the dynamics of the players involved in the deal, competition/alternatives, and the thought process behind how you architected the solution.

It's difficult to really succeed in sales without one thing: Belief in the solution you're selling. If you have doubts about your solution, you will feel (consciously or not) morally wrong pitching it to others. You will perform poorly and you'll feel empty. If you do believe your solution is helping your clients, it flows. You will sell more because you feel like you're making a positive difference. I get that we need to pay the bills. But if you're serious about this business, make it your top priority to work someplace that sells stuff you believe in.