Mastering enterprise tech go-to-market: Alan Cohen, DCVC

12/01/22 • 48 min

We’re in the midst of volatile times right now. So who better to provide a true perspective on what really matters, and how to focus on building for long-term success, than one of tech go-to-market’s most experienced and accomplished leaders?
Alan Cohen has been at the forefront of game-changing tech GTM for over 30 years.
During his early days at IBM and Cisco, he was pivotal to commercialising the technology that was building the very backbone of the internet.
Following a series of VP-level product and marketing roles, helping disruptive innovators successfully upset some of the biggest tech incumbents, he rejoined Cisco, leading GTM for their $25bn Enterprise portfolio.
After 25 years in “big tech”, Alan became product leader and frontman for 4 iconic, industry-transforming start-ups, before turning investor as a partner at DCVC, where he currently works with entrepreneurs using AI and science to build breakthrough companies in parts of the economy not touched by the tech revolution.
Join Dave and Alan as they spend nearly an hour (our longest episode by a long way, but for good reason - it’s all gold!) chatting on a range of GTM-related subjects including:

Building the foundations of internet communication at IBM and Cisco
Why the psychology of why people buy and use technology is so important
The issues that CMOs are facing at the moment, and how to navigate them
Tips for challengers to dethrone the incumbents in their space
What makes a successful founder from a GTM perspective

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Building the foundations of internet communication at IBM and Cisco
Why the psychology of why people buy and use technology is so important
The issues that CMOs are facing at the moment, and how to navigate them
Tips for challengers to dethrone the incumbents in their space
What makes a successful founder from a GTM perspective

Send us a message if you enjoyed this episode

Previous Episode

How to build a thriving creative team: Jessica Rosenberg, Webflow

Jessica Rosenberg is one of the most inspiring creative leaders that you’ll find in tech.
Having cut her teeth as a creative in the ad agency world, she had a brief spell in startup-land before her career really took off through spells at Twitter, Cloudflare, Mural and now Webflow, where she leads the brand design team.
Leading teams like Jessica’s has multiple challenges. How do you structure the team for optimum results? How do you keep them motivated? How do you get great work done remotely? How do you collaborate with other teams? And how do you create an environment where these uber-talented, uber-creative individuals feel inspired to show up and do their best work every day?
Dave chats with Jessica to explore how she solves these challenges on a daily basis, using her vast experience and expertise to empower her team to deliver consistently outstanding work.
Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarosenb/
Enjoy!

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Next Episode

Cybersecurity special: Donna Estrin, Estrin Communications

In the first episode of our cybersecurity mini-series, Dave chats with Donna Estrin, a PR and communications expert with vast experience at cyber firms large and small.
After cutting her comms teeth in the PR agency world, Donna moved into tech, beginning her cybersecurity career handling analyst relations for McAfee. She then helped Neustar transform from a traditional telecommunications company to a high-tech security, data and marketing services company, before working on WhiteHat Security’s acquisition by NTT and VMware’s acquisition of Lastline.
Most recently, Donna led comms for ReliaQuest when they acquired Digital Shadows, before departing to launch her new consultancy firm, Estrin Communications.
From analyst, press and media relations to thought leadership, the role of communications is so vital in growing brand reputation and equity. Dave and Donna chat about:

how to achieve this in a market that’s as saturated as cybersecurity
what really matters to CISOs, and how to engage them by being helpful and adding value
what genuine and authentic thought leadership really means
why analysts are so important, and how to build successful relationships with them
the key cybersecurity trends that we need to be aware of going into 2023

Not only is Donna the perfect guest to get insight into all of the above and more - but she hails from Shaped By’s home city of Bristol! We’ve invited her for one of our famous local craft beers next time she’s over from her home in California.
Stay tuned for more cybersecurity specials coming very soon, as we dive deeper into this fascinating industry that’s so integral to protecting the way we all live and work.

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