My Career in Tech and Why Gratitude is So Important

I recently read a blog from a former colleague who left the Tech world and wanted to share some of his traumas from his +20 years in the business. It was a brutally honest post, spiced with jabs at former employers and colleagues. Terms like “I know where the bodies are buried” and “bordering alcoholism” were part of a very negative and bitter tone as this person slammed the door, walked across a big bridge and then proceeded to light said bridge on fire.

That got me thinking about my +20 years in Tech and what could I share with somebody considering a career inside “Vendor World.” Is there more to this business than just stress and burnout? Particularly now, as Linkedin is full of posts of talented people losing their jobs, it might be a good time to reflect on just how good I had it across a long career in Tech.

Of course there were indeed stories of workplace bullying, heart palpitations (beta blockers anyone?), stress and poor sleep. At any time, I could have put my big boy pants on and changed companies or even careers so you will never hear me assigning blame for my many moments of distress.

So….what did a Sales career in Technology look like from my perspective?

Here’s my top 10 list of Great Things I Learned from Vendor World, in no particular order.

1. It’s Gladiator School where I learned about so many aspects of business in general (Product Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Logistics, Support, Operations, etc).?
2. I know hundreds of Nordic companies through +1,000 meetings I suspect I’ve held over the years.. I know companies, but also industries. At any dinner party I can usually start a conversation just based on where the other person works.?
3. In the early days, I really didn’t understand office politics. It slowly dawned on me that it was all about somebody promoting their own agenda. I hated it. Eventually however, I learned a lot about myself through such politics,? and not succumbing to politics is also a form of stealth politics. My focus was instead Leadership, in my own peculiar way.
4. Being mentored and eventually mentoring others. Understanding this from both sides of the equation has been a big part of my personal growth. Telling young superstars “it’s just a job, focus on your health, family and relationships” is something I wish I had heard more in my early years.
5. Economic freedom to enjoy the good (material) things in life, provide a wonderful home and environment for my family and afford to invest in amazing personal experiences. Having a home office, when I? was actually home, allowed for lots of quality time with the family.
6. As a bit of an extension to #5, I have learned the importance of “paying it forward,” experiencing the joy of giving things/time/money away in order to improve other people’s lives. As humans we tend to look up when we compare our lives with others. I have discovered the joy of looking down to truly appreciate how blessed and fortunate I am. As Teddy Roosevelt once said “comparison is the thief of joy” and I couldn’t agree more.
7. Work relationships that turned into friendships. I am proud to call individuals from resellers, competitors, customers and colleagues, all over the world, for dear friends. How lucky is that?
8. Winning. Winning is …. awesome. Winning means somebody believed you and your company were the best choice. It is the definition of success and truly boosts the ego. Your wins (and losses) are visible to yourself, family, colleagues, partners and even competitors. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, but also, the best ride in the world.
9. Fun. My God, so much fun through collaboration, travel, dinners, SKO’s, awards/recognition, President’s Club, QBR’s, etc. Even though I might have been known as a diehard “individual contributor” I really enjoyed meeting up with colleagues, sharing war stories and sometimes, even dancing.
10. Embracing “the suck” and recognizing that failures, defeat, mistakes etc are really learning opportunities. It took me a few years to figure this one out, but once I did, I was able to appreciate the good times even more.

Let's be honest. Was timing important here? Was I lucky??

Probably.

For me the golden years of Vendor World were between 2000-2020. Money was practically free, growth at any cost was the play, and liquidity events were the end goal. I really thrived in such an environment. I got to learn and grow, but most importantly, I got to be myself at work. The pranks, costumes and laughs....

Will the next twenty years be similar for the next generation? Probably not, I am afraid. Things changed after Corona. Money is tight, there is more focus on profitability (probably a good thing…) and remote work has become a norm.?

If I had to point out one massive change that I witnessed in the last couple of years it is the fact that employees tend to spend more and more time talking with each other, rather than customers. Enablement, training, certifications, “fill in blank” History Month and “fill in the blank” Appreciation Day have gotten out of hand in my opinion.?

Certain departments treat employees as “their customers,” which is fine but at the end of the day, the? real customers are those that buy your product and services. Spend as much time talking to and understanding them and their needs. Technology sales is a people’s game. People buy from people they (usually) like and that means that facetime, lunches/dinners and touch point meetings with prospects and customers truly add value (and revenue). Duh.

As I look back, there are still many bridges standing. Who knows, maybe I’ll cross one of them again.

Do any of the Top 10 list material resonate with you??

If so, feel free to share some guidance for the next generation and even a personal story about gratitude.