This year’s GSX had different vibe from before. People aren’t out for party, budget controls…and I could see anxiety on people’s face.
What was your impression?
24 replies (most recent on top)
If you think you got what it takes, please join us.
Oh, and the 4.2 pass/fail mark includes all those people who vote you 1/5 because the room is too cold or the sound system in the neighbouring room is too loud. Or some nerd who gives you zero because he knows that Linux does it differently, and therefore your solution su-ks.
Who is Ms TikTok?
Would also love to hear a PM/Engineer’s sales pitch of the incredible product so that we can all relay it to Chuck and teach sales to sell better?
We've got incredible products...
Would really love to hear which products you think are "incredible".
The market decides what product is great and what is not. PM and Engg can go on and on for days about how great are products are and how wide our portfolio is, if the market doesn’t need it, it’s worthless. You can call the sales team names all you want, the truth won’t change. Decline in sales, doesn’t reflect a failed sales team, it simply means, the market prefers something else and the responsibility is on the WHOLE company. Sales as well as Product.
Its a combo of both dawgs. Product teams creating "amazing features" that few customers think are so great. And Sales teams needing to boil down the message to make it strong and important to a Customer's use cases. Both sides have work to do here. Police yourself first.
Worst sales force in tech including Chuck who can't explain what our products do
While also being courteous, respectful to the attendees, answering 100s of questions across days and months once people follow-up and just being social enough to keep people interested in the technology without being too technical. Cisco mandates a training in communication worth 1500 USD for each speaker to present at Cisco Live.
Oh yeah, the customers who attend your session decide how much you score, and if it is less than 4.2, you may not get to present again. If you think you got what it takes, please join us.
us poor slob engineers building great products, that they barely can sell, don’t get to go to either event
First job is to learn a product or technology well enough so that you can give a 90 min highly technical session including unscripted Q&A.
You need to build a very slick slide deck/demo over several months while getting your day job done.
Oh, and have good enough presentation skills that you score over 4.2/5.0.
You can have my slot.
Yes. That is true. And that is why you have so many sales teams and specialists and events across the year to enable people to learn more. No single product manager or engineer knows most of our products either. Their focus is only on their specialized products, so quit sh-----g on other teams. And btw, anyone is Cisco can submit sessions to go to Cisco Live. If you think you are good enough, and not a “goober”, submit a technical/leadership session and come teach us something about your great work.
You’re noticing the money spent in parties and such, but there is also a huge chunk of work in enablement all day before those parties.
"The modern engineer does not give two cents about our legacy and the so-called-great products anymore."
Speaking of LOL.
our "sellers" know di-k all about a good chunk of our offerings.
I'd wager my next paycheck that most of our sales people couldn't explain what the grand majority of our products do. They learned one or two products and just keep leaning in on that.
We've got incredible products that never get pitched because sellers don't understand them.
“ Same sales goobers go to both events while us poor slob engineers building great products”
LOL. No offense, but the reason we’re not high in sales is because the product is not as “great” as you think. The competitors are eating our breakfast, lunch and dinner and you need sales to sell it to customers. Cisco products are great, but only for the old school folks who love CLI. The modern engineer does not give two cents about our legacy and the so-called-great products anymore.
Why Cisco Live! & GSX?
Same sales goobers go to both events while us poor slob engineers building great products, that they barely can sell, don’t get to go to either event.
Ah man, was the "vibe" a little off as Cisco spent millions of dollars on entertainment, booze, and accommodations for some people, while the rest of us kept trying to find a way to work our regular a-s jobs, hoping not to be let go in two and a half weeks?
Was the sparkle not quite there, as you hung out at an all expenses paid party?
Man, my heart REALLY breaks for you. That's so sad for you guys.
I guess you can mop up your tears with the confetti they shot out over the crowd or something.
We had parties, but less party compare to last year.
Sorry you weren't invited to the parties I guess, but there was plenty of it going on, as per usual.
Combination of family reunion and I don't give a sh!t. Have to keep the 93% encouraged and moving forward in FY25. More positive messaging and opportunity than last year I felt. TAC definitely got a boost from Liz. Elephant in the room must have stepped on her foot.
Felt like Chuck's last GSX, doesn't seem like he'll be back. This last year aged the h*ll out of him.
I cannot see Gary staying after the way Chuck disrespected him
Everyone I spoke to agreed that Chuck and the ELT came off as fake used car sales people
I thought that partner guy in the closing was good
For the first time, the overall vibe felt like Cisco speakers were trying to convince or beg folks to buy what will be selling. It felt like the speakers were all struggling to present ideas with little or no actual solutions. If I were an investor, I'd consider this a sign to be concerned about.
Except for Ms. TikTok who was living it up on Cisco’s dime. Downright giddy
Not surprising