Perry Carpenter’s Post

Just wanted to share the Aurora Borealis, from the northern #NewMexico desert.

This was me last year, on the way home from #BlackHat LV. I sent a text to my wife, letting her know I was waiting for a Lyft to head to the airport. My title was Business Development Manager. In Seed and Series A, this is the embodiment of wearing a lot of hats. A title does not accurately demonstrate every task or accomplishment. A resume or LinkedIn cannot describe the entire scenario. Here's an idea of what one day at BlackHat looked like for me: Showed up early to make sure the booth was clean and ready for show. Checked and confirmed our team calendar for 1:1 private meetings. 🌎 Showtime 🌎 Talked to people walking by, practitioners and C-level alike. Provided technical products demos. Talked to partners like Cloud Security Alliance. Talked to interested investors. Paid attention and talked to folks from competing companies. Met folks in person, who I'd only met through text on LinkedIn. Kept consistent communication with marketing and sales about all of the observations. Took notes and communicated with Product on feedback during the show. Working in a "startup" is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Reflecting on the past 4 years, it's clear that being a Business Development Manager goes far beyond the title. It's about building relationships, driving innovation, and contributing to growth. I'm excited to bring my diverse skill set and hands-on experience to a new opportunity, where I can help shape the future of a company and its products. If you're looking for someone who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and make an impact, I’d love to connect and explore how I can contribute to your team. Let's talk! #openforwork #startup #tech

Hey folks! Help a brother out! My contract term with Metaphor Data has come to a close and I'm available for an FTE role, plus contract work until that time. This term with Metaphor was one of a lot of experiments and filling in gaps between sales, marketing, and channel. I worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and helped set up Metaphor on the Amazon Partner Network. Worked with investor partners on outbound strategy. Onboarded Warmly, as a revenue orchestration platform (which is a fantastic platform BTW). Conducted 3 existing types of outreach and implemented 3 new methods of outbound outreach. Created new deals with large enterprise international orgs. Coached the sales team on outbound messaging and account targeting. And more! Looking at roles such as sales leadership, Account Executive, Channel, Territory Manager (in New Mexico / Four Corners / Southwest / Rockies), and open to other roles as well.

Perry's hot take of the day 🔥 Don't be afraid to be the idiot in the room. The picture below is from last year at World Business Forum in New York, where Simon Sinek is answering a question I asked. Yes, while he was also speaking to about 2000 people, he was speaking directly to me in this photo. One of the things he said is "Don't be afraid to be the idiot in the room." How often have you wanted to look your best and as a result, you didn't ask about something? How often have you wanted clarification, but didn't speak up? What if I told you that you aren't the only one? What if others in the room have the same thoughts and questions you do? Don't be afraid of looking stupid. Do yourself and others in the room a favor. Be the idiot in the room.

Perry's hot take of the day 🔥 And this may be a multiple post take. Call this Part 1....maybe? Not all that glitters is gold. A startup founder reached out to me a while back, asking me to be an advisor for a DSPM company they are creating. Having been with a DSPM startup before, I was curious. He first got me in a Zoom room, where he wanted "skin in the game" by me paying him to be invested in the startup and it's success. First it was $5000. Then it was $1000. I told him no to both. At no point in time will I be paying anyone to help with the success of their company. Absolutely laughable. About 5 months later, he says the opportunity presented itself again and asked me again to meet with his team. I obliged, thinking maybe he had wisened up. But no. Now I'm in a Zoom room with about 70 other people. CISOs, VCs, executive leadership. We're all are being pitched as to why we should be investing and involved in his startup, at undisclosed pricing and expectations. How brazen can someone be? You're asking for my insight and expertise, yet want me to send over cash and wait 1 year for the possibility of equity?? Sounds scammy to me. Anyone else heard of this "strategy"?

Today I talked to the VP of Analytics, Data, and Innovation at a well-known multi-national investment bank and financial services provider, after a cold call. (Yes, cold calling does still work regardless of what some might say.) Problem: Over 20,000 people in the company are utilizing data, but it's messy. Several different places that data is stored and things get lost easily. The company is using a legacy data tool, but in their words "It's underutilized and difficult to maintain". After a bit of conversation, he said "Why didn't I know about you guys 2 years ago? I was thinking about this 2 years ago when I was going through all the [legacy tool] issues and it was ridiculous. I just want to search on one (platform) and find what I want." Something else he said "We don't move things fast enough here because we can't find the data. Data exploration is a big issue we have." "Every single project we have starts with data analysis and data exploration." Got another meeting scheduled for next week for his team to check out Metaphor Data and pre-plan a POC! #data #innovation #analytics

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength" Or in other words: Control the controllables. This is a phrase you've seen me use quite a bit. I've read "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius a few times digitally, but I appreciate paper books more. Today, my wife and I found a store called Second Story Books in Durango, CO. This was the first time I've seen Meditations in physical form, so you know I had to get it.