So, I recently hopped on board with Aembit as chief marketing officer (CMO). Instead of giving you the run-of-the-mill “Why I Joined Aembit” spiel, I thought we could dive into something I was thinking about as I transitioned back to Startup Land from Big Company World: What if your product isn’t really the main attraction?
I believe most of us in the tech space are doing what we do to make society better in some way. Whether it’s beefing up security, crunching data for smarter decisions, AI-ing everything, or making information more accessible, we’re all taking different paths toward the same goal – a better world.
But here’s the twist. Alongside all this innovation, we’re also crafting something potentially transformative, something that isn’t a tangible product at all: the culture of our companies. What if, despite all the attention we put on the success of our products, counting our revenue and our net-dollar retention, the highest value we are contributing to society is embedded in the way our companies work?
Trust: The Solid Ground
Let’s talk about trust, the secret sauce of any successful venture. If there’s one reason why I’m stoked to work with Kevin Sapp and David Goldschlag, the co-founders of Aembit, it’s because I trust them. I’ve spent the last year advising them on go-to-market strategies, and I’ve appreciated how thoughtful they are about each aspect of the business. I’ve seen firsthand how they approach problem solving, respect differing viewpoints, and keep it real with transparency and humility. It doesn’t hurt that the two of them have had 17 years together building and selling successful companies, either.
But here’s the kicker: That trust isn’t just about handshakes and smiles. It’s woven into the very product we’re creating. Aembit’s vision? We foresee a world where every business can safely build its next generation of applications by inherently trusting how it connects to partners, customers, and foundational services. Central to this vision is a new type of product called workload identity and access management, which is fundamentally about making sure your app – and all the other apps it talks to – can trust each other. And the best part? Your team won’t need to jump through hoops and perform miracles to make it all run smoothly..
You Don’t Just Join a Culture, You Shape It
At Aembit, we’ve realized that trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s not just a byproduct; it’s the star of the show. A culture of trust? That’s the product we’re cooking up.
Joining Aembit isn’t just about a cool product; it’s about joining a tribe that knows, as a group, we can do so much more. As we work toward building our product (there will be ups and downs) and a better society (we’ll do our part), we know that the way we do things matters as much as what we do.
I’m not here because I think Kevin and David “did it right.” Instead I think they started something with potential that I’d love to shape with them. In the end I want to be proud of the company we’ve built, along with the customers we’ve helped. I want to walk away with deep relationships with people who want to work with me again because they know I’ve got their backs. Oh, and fun. Because I can’t be so sappy and sincere all the time. I want to have fun.
Ready? Let’s go.
