conviction (n.) A strong persuasion or belief. — Merriam-Webster
It is more than a lesson learned and far more durable than a preference. A conviction is earned with repeated direct experience and observation over time. It is shaped by successes and failures. It survives pressure to conform. It’s no longer an opinion.
I am very cautious when it comes to forming convictions. They don’t come quickly. As a husband and father of 3, I’m frequently reminded of the fact that my way isn’t always the best way. So I tend to keep an open mind.
But after 20+ years in cybersecurity marketing leadership roles, I do have some convictions about GTM and leadership in general:
Alignment + transparency + trust = ownership. Don’t expect team members to own their role if you haven’t created the conditions for them to do so.
Time kills conversion. The more you can shrink the “prospect first raises hand” to “meeting” window, the better.
Sales and Marketing should have the same ARR and pipeline goals. No fighting over credit, 100% focus on helping everyone win.
Hire marketers who have experienced adversity. All other qualifications equal, go with candidates who have been through the fire and are still pushing forward.
Everyone in marketing needs to understand the product and ICP. It empowers the team and makes planning and execution faster.
Marketing should be making it easier for sales. Fit into how sellers operate, avoid creating additional steps, streamline wherever possible.
Trust marketing ROI in the macro, not the micro. In the enterprise, you can’t wait 6-12 months for ARR to make decisions and there are too many touchpoints to attribute to individual marketing activities without making a lot of assumptions.
Everyone in marketing needs to be in front of sales. Sellers need to know who does what and be empowered to go directly to the right marketers when they have questions, feedback, or requests.
Simple and “good enough” beats complicated and “perfect.” Complexity is the enemy of scale and speed. Recognize when you’ve hit the point of diminishing returns.
FUD is counterproductive. It’s manipulative, hurts your brand, and makes you hard to trust.