I remember the day clearly. It was a huge demo, the biggest I had ever participated in. This one was bigger though since I was the one leading the charge. The deal rested solely on this one demo, this one moment, going exceedingly well. My only thought the minute before it was our turn to present was, “Don’t screw this up!”
Three weeks back, I got word that the lead for this demo had gotten terribly sick and was going to be out indefinitely. We had precise specifications to follow as outlined by the consultants helping this enterprise with a massive customer experience transformation and replatforming program. Basically the customer was going to put their entire global organization operating across 67 countries on a single customer system and database.
The task was handed off to me to take over the customer account, lead the demo, and complete the necessary demo configuration. I was well-versed in the customers’ industry, so when I reviewed the scenarios, I knew this would require more, much more, than simple configuration.
The task before me was monumental. I had to assemble a team, storyboard the scenarios, determine what was configuration versus customization, create an entire new data set to make the scenarios work, write a script, and bring together multiple different teams to ensure we could support the functionality being sought. Then there was the matter of integrating an analytics tool that we just acquired and was a critical component for a successful demo.
I did not know if we could pull it all together in time. I sat through numerous delays in responses, fights among team members, stonewalling from product managers, and general large company chaos and inertia. I felt my job was just a continuous cycle of escalations, arguments, nudging, and pleading. I lived in the office for days on end pulling all-nighters just so we could stay on track and do all the testing needed to bullet-proof the demo.
Honestly, this was more than a demo. It was a proof-of-concept. We had to convince a room full of 85 managing directors, department heads, and the president that we understood their needs and the business. We were up against two other providers that were throwing everything they had into winning the business. And it was not just about outdoing the competition. If no provider was able to convince the executive team that they could adequately support their needs, they could simply walk away and not choose a technology solution.
The Eminem song from 8 Mile comes to mind when I think back to that moment in front of an auditorium full of people deciding the fate of three weeks worth of frantic work.
“You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow,
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime”
I actually do not remember much from demo day. It seemed to go according to plan as was rehearsed. Not a single hiccup or snag or foible. Mostly I just felt distant and numb from lack of sleep and residual adrenaline running through my veins. What jolted me back to reality was the applause I heard, first from a few people in front, then the entire audience. They were standing and applauding us, the team, for the demo we just completed.
I bowed, a reflex from my theater and musician days. I felt everything inside my skin melt and turn to liquid, as the stress that was holding my being together loosened at the atomic level. I was pretty sure I would soon turn into a gaseous form, float out of the auditorium, and evaporate into nothingness.
We made sure to leave the building and get well beyond their offices before we visibly high-fived each other. Though worn out and frazzled, our team of eight tired souls had enough energy left to acknowledge our resounding success. It was at that moment that our boss said we were going to celebrate. She called around a few places, booked a table for us at one of the hottest restaurants in town, and then we hopped in cabs to head over there.
I came in late to the office the next morning. I should say late morning because it was past 11 AM. My head was in a fog. Messages were piling up in my inbox. I walked into my boss’s office to apologize, when she stopped me mid-sentence and said:
“You earned the time to celebrate.”
She had also stumbled into the office late. She was in no mood to apologize though. Her team, with me leading the charge, turned a desperate situation into real chance. It would be six months later before the deal was officially ours, but without that demo, there would have never been an opportunity to begin with.
There is an expression that goes something like, “celebrate the small victories.” The sentiment is right, but the word “small” never felt appropriate. Instead I always thought of it as the “steps” to victory. The path to anything meaningful and impactful is going to require lots of work, time, and a bit of serendipity whether it is a major transformation project or a startup seeking product-market fit. This is why sports teams celebrate getting into the playoffs or winning a hard-fought match. Sure, it is not the championship, but they got a step closer.
Here in my role at AWS, I have had my own steps toward reaching a bigger vision. The AWS Startups Show on Clubhouse is now 5,700 members since launching the club a few months ago. We have hosted a 100 shows, reached nearly 40,000 people listening for over 190,100 minutes, and have directly helped over 400 founders, developers, students, and startup operators with their questions.
There is much more room to grow the show and build a genuine community. It takes great content such as the shows we have hosted, big events to build anticipation, and a means for everyone to engage with each other. If you would like to help out with content, have ideas to build excitement, or want to pitch in on a platform for supporting peer engagement, I would love to chat more!
And thanks again for all of your support over the past several years. I look forward to sharing more about the community I am building and will welcome you there in the next few months.
Mark Birch, Editor & Founder of DEVBIZOPS
I had a great trip to San Francisco this past week visiting AWS colleagues and startup operators in the heart of tech innovation. And given my recent Italy travels and last post on Two Pizza teams, it should come as no surprise that pizza was on the agenda!
These coming two weeks also are busy with events. The first is a Clubhouse show on Thurs, August 26th at 6 PM ET with DeVaris Brown, CEO & Co-Founder of Meroxa, to talk about how he is easing the compleixty of data engineering. We will also chat about building an inclusive startup, the process of securing their $15M Series A, and lessons learned in product management. Click here to join us Thursday!
Next week on Sept 2nd at 12:30 AEST (Australia), come join me at HubSpot’s GROW ANZ event, where I'll talk about "Community-Led Growth" and how to build, scale & nurture communities that becomes a company growth engine. Register here for your free pass to join us!
Lastly, but definitlely now last, I am super excited to speak at the CMX Summit on Sept 2nd at 4 PM ET on the topic of building internal communities! A lot of focus is on communities of external audiences like customers, partners & industry peers, so I will chat about why internal community may be even more important. Follow the link to sign up free for the conference.
Thanks a lot as always for the support and even if you cannot make it, please do share with your colleagues and friends!
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