# 🚀 SQE MEETING BATTLE PLAN ## 🎯 CORE POSITIONING **Your Mantra:** "I don't need a job - I need a revolution to believe in" **Your Value:** "I've built the networks you're trying to secure, and I know exactly where the bodies are buried" --- ## 💡 OPENING GAMBIT ### First 60 Seconds: *"When I first saw your technology, I realized this is the answer to problems I've been fighting my entire career. At AWS, Verizon, Charter - I've seen how broken our security foundations are. Your approach to the 'harvest now' problem isn't just innovative - it's necessary."* --- ## 🛠️ YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION ### **Channel Development** - **TBX Experience**: "I built channel strategies for Meraki and Fortinet from ground zero" - **Proven Playbook**: "I know how to take disruptive tech to market through partners" - **Immediate Activation**: "I can have 3 qualified VAR conversations within 30 days" ### **Technical Credibility** - **Scale Experience**: "At AWS, I saw what breaks at cloud scale - your solution addresses fundamental limits" - **Enterprise Migration**: "I've moved Fortune 500 companies from Cisco to next-gen solutions" - **Automation Mindset**: "I don't just understand networks - I understand how to automate them at scale" ### **Security Depth** - **Compliance Experience**: "PCI-DSS, NIST frameworks are in my DNA" - **Real-World Hardening**: "I've secured everything from financial trading floors to healthcare data" - **Vendor-Neutral Perspective**: "I've worked with every major vendor - I know their weaknesses" --- ## 🎙️ CONVERSATION TRIGGERS ### When They Mention... **"Channel Strategy"** - *"At TBX, I learned channel success comes down to three things: partner enablement, clear margins, and technical support. Which of these is your biggest focus?"* **"Technical Complexity"** - *"Having implemented ACI and VXLAN, I appreciate elegant complexity. How does your synchronization handle real-world network jitter?"* **"Competition (Cisco, etc)"** - *"Having migrated Avis from Cisco to Versa, I know exactly how to displace incumbents. The key is addressing pain they can't solve."* **"Enterprise Adoption"** - *"At Verizon, I saw that enterprises buy solutions to three problems: compliance, cost, or capability. Which are you leading with?"* --- ## 💼 PROBLEM → SOLUTION MAPPING | Their Problem | Your Experience Solution | |---------------|--------------------------| | Channel Development | TBX: Built Meraki/Fortinet channel programs from scratch | | Technical Credibility | AWS/Verizon: Enterprise-scale deployment credibility | | Product-Market Fit | Charter/Kaiser: Knows where security breaks in real networks | | Scalability Concerns | AWS: Designed for cloud-scale automation | | Funding Proof Points | All roles: Can deliver immediate customer validation | --- ## 🎯 STRATEGIC QUESTIONS TO ASK ### Business Questions: 1. "What's your ideal partner profile - are you looking for technical integrators or sales-focused VARs?" 2. "How are you balancing direct sales motion with channel development?" 3. "What's the funding timeline and how does partner traction influence it?" ### Technical Questions: 1. "How does the entanglement process handle multi-site latency differences?" 2. "What's your disaster recovery story without traditional key escrow?" 3. "How are you addressing the performance overhead concerns?" ### Partnership Questions: 1. "What does success look like for your channel partners in the first 90 days?" 2. "How are you structuring partner incentives - margin, enablement, co-sell?" 3. "Where do you see the biggest gap in your current partner strategy?" --- ## 🚀 YOUR "WOW" MOMENTS ### Drop These Strategic Insights: - *"The incumbents are vulnerable because they're trying to bolt quantum resistance onto architectures that were never designed for it"* - *"Channel partners will follow the money - we need to show them this solves a CISO-level problem with budget attached"* - *"Having implemented F5 OSPF and mainframe routing, I understand how legacy infrastructure creates your opportunity"* ### Reference Specific Experiences: - **"At Kaiser, I found buffer tail drops on Data Domain replication - exactly the kind of encrypted data that's being harvested today"** - **"Migrating Avis from Cisco taught me how to overcome vendor lock-in - your solution breaks that model entirely"** - **"AWS showed me that scale breaks everything - your approach seems built for cloud-native from day one"** --- ## 💰 PARTNERSHIP FRAMING ### Your Opening Position: *"Through my LLC, I'm structured to deliver immediate value while we figure out the long-term fit. I'm thinking: 90-day engagement focused on activating my top 3 channel relationships, with success-based compensation."* ### Your Walk-Away Position: *"I'm looking for a passion project, not a paycheck. The right structure balances my need for meaningful work with your need for measurable results."* --- ## 🛡️ DEFLECTING OBJECTIONS **"We're not hiring yet"** → *"Perfect - my LLC lets me deliver results without you carrying overhead. Let me prove the value first."* **"Funding is next year"** → *"My network can help make that round oversubscribed by showing real pipeline today."* **"We have Denis for channels"** → *"Great - my experience complements his. I focus on technical enablement and enterprise adoption."* --- ## 🎖️ YOUR CLOSING ARGUMENT *"Look, I've built networks for Amazon, Verizon, and Fortune 500 companies. I know what secure infrastructure looks like, and I know what broken looks like. Your technology addresses the fundamental break. I don't need a job - I need something worth believing in. This feels like that."* --- ## 📝 PRE-MEETING CHECKLIST - [ ] Have LLC details ready (EIN, structure) - [ ] Review your top 3 channel contacts for immediate warm intros - [ ] Prepare 2-3 specific accounts you can approach within 30 days - [ ] Have your SOW draft ready to reference - [ ] Test your video/audio setup - [ ] Have notepad ready for their specific pain points --- ## 🧠 MINDSET REMINDER **You're Not:** A job seeker **You Are:** A seasoned expert choosing where to deploy your talents **They Need:** Your network, your credibility, your channel experience **You Need:** A worthy challenge for your skills **Remember:** The same gut that spotted this opportunity from a YouTube video is the same gut that built your career. Trust it. --- You've got this. You're not walking into an interview - you're walking into a strategy session between equals. Now go show them what 15 years of battlefield experience looks like. 💥 **Your signature confidence:** *"Cool solution no matter what"* - and you're about to show them exactly why. ### Professional Experience **Consulting Systems Engineer** | TBX | May 2022 - Present - Serve as SME for service provider networks (Meraki SD-WAN/Fortinet Security Fabric) - Develop technical go-to-market strategies and conduct POC deployments - Implement network automation using Python/Ansible for configuration management - Deliver technical enablement through workshops and training sessions **Network Development Engineer** | Amazon Web Services GovCloud TS/SCI position | Sept 2021 - May 2022 - Troubleshoot complex cloud networking issues (BGP, OSPF, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway) - Develop network automation tools for monitoring/management (Python) - Create technical documentation including network diagrams and SOPs - Serve as Tier 3 escalation point for critical network incidents **Principal Network Architect** | Verizon | Jan 2020 - Sept 2021 - Design enterprise-scale networks (LAN/WAN, SD-WAN, data center solutions) - Lead RFP responses and technical solution design for Fortune 500 clients - Developed pre/post diff Bash scripts for config validation - Mentored teams in YANG, NetConf, and Meraki API Python automation - Led Avis migration from Cisco to Versa SD-WAN/Aruba solutions - Spearheaded Walgreens nationwide WAN optimization project **Cloud Network Engineer** | Entrust | Jan 2020 - Present - Implement AWS network infrastructure with PCI-DSS compliance - Manage F5 BIG-IP load balancers and Palo Alto NGFW deployments - Automate network provisioning using IaC tools (Terraform, Ansible) - Built staging environment despite organizational challenges - Created Ansible playbooks (cisco.ios) for ACL whitelist management - Assisted Illinois CU VPN deployment for overwhelmed customer team **Senior Network Consultant** | Zivaro | Oct 2018 - Present - Design/implement Cisco ACI fabric and DNA Center solutions - Developed network migration strategies for cloud adoption - Resolved Simmons Foods VOIP QoS issues; proposed Ansible over DNA Center - Designed VXLAN data center fabric for Denver Health - Implemented Layer 3 to edge for CDPHE despite team opposition - Played key role in Cisco Gold Partner recertification **Data Center Network Engineer** | Charter Communications | Sept 2018 - July 2019 - Managed F5 LTM/GTM and A10 Thunder load balancing infrastructure - Implemented EVPN/VXLAN overlay networks - Automated TACACS with Bash scripts - Implemented RANCID for config backups - Identified buffer tail drops on Data Domain SSL replication (port 29000) - Used PRTG to pinpoint saturated links - Coordinated cross-team Video VPN deployment **Network Infrastructure Engineer** | American Residential Services | Jan 2018 - Jan 2019 - Migrated 100+ sites to Cisco Viptela SD-WAN - Standardized firewall configurations (Cisco ASA/Juniper SRX) - Deployed Cisco Umbrella DNS filtering - Implemented RANCID for config management - Designed cost-effective OOB/UPS solution using eBay gear ($15K+ savings) **Senior Data Center Engineer** | Kaiser Permanente | June 2016 - May 2018 - Deployed Cisco ACI across multiple data centers - Migrated Nexus switching infrastructure (7K/5K to 9K) - Fixed Exadata OSPF issues to meet vendor deadlines - Resolved Data Domain buffer drops affecting encrypted replication - Rectified wrong SFP orders delaying DR buildout - Enhanced HPNA functionality for operational efficiencies **Senior Technical Architect** | AT&T (TIAA-CREF) | July 2010 - May 2016 - Led $100M network refresh (Nexus/ASR/F5) - Migrated load balancing from Brocade to F5 BIG-IP - Optimized mainframe OSPF (Area 51 routing) - Standardized blackhole routing configurations - Overcame challenges in DC buildout - Identified NetApp LACP RFC non-compliance via Tcl scripts - Implemented OSPF on F5 devices ### Technical Skills **Networking:** - Routing: BGP, OSPF (including F5/mainframe implementations), EIGRP, MPLS - Switching: VLAN/VXLAN, EVPN, ACI, Nexus - SD-WAN: Cisco Viptela, Meraki, Fortinet, Versa - Load Balancing: F5 LTM/GTM, A10 - Protocols: LACP (RFC compliance analysis), STP **Cloud & Automation:** - AWS: VPC, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway - IaC: Terraform, Ansible, Python - Scripting: Bash (config diffs/TACACS), Tcl (NetApp analysis) - Monitoring: PRTG, RANCID, Splunk **Security:** - Firewalls: Palo Alto, Cisco ASA, FortiGate - Compliance: PCI-DSS, NIST - VPN: Site-to-site, client (including troubleshooting) **Management & Collaboration:** - Technical documentation (SOPs, network diagrams) - Cross-functional team leadership - Vendor management (Exadata, NetApp) - Cost optimization strategies --- ATT - Backup -- spanning-tree bridge - F5 -- OSPF - Pre/Post diff bash script - DC build out -- many roadblocks - mainframe OSPF - assist team optimize OSPF area 51 - NetApp -- LACP TcL script -- identified NetApp didn't follow RFC - Blackhole project -- standardized config and validated functionality Kaiser - HPNA -- added to functionality -- improved efficiencies - DR data center build-out -- order wrong SFPs - data domain -- identified buffer tail drops -- port 29000 SSL encrypted replication - Exadata -- help vendor with OSPF issues to meet his deadline -- learned ES switch OSPF config Charter - RANCID - DNS helped Linux team ran network topology refresh SME - PRTG -- identified links being saturated - TACACS -- automated with BASH - Video vpn -- over-all project -- drive different teams Zivaro - Simmons QOS -- difficult customer -- lowered VOIP call quality issues - Simmons automation -- SoW for Ansible -- Steered away from DNA AE didn't agree $$$ - CDPHE layer 3 to edge -- team didn't agree - Denver Health -- vxlan DC build out - Cisco gold partner -- took over high profile role ARS (Consulting Systems Engineer III, Zivaro (Oct 2018 - Jan 2020)) - RANCID -- setup - Data center design -- team didn't agree with approach -- simplified design - OOB/UPS project -- prior to roll out manager had to come in to reboot for us -- save $$$ using ebay to obtain gear - Umbrella -- Entrust (Consulting Systems Engineer III, Zivaro (Oct 2018 - Jan 2020)) - Staging build out -- VP difficult - Il CU VPN assistance -- customer in over his head - Whitelist -- ACL Ansible playbook using cisco.ios Verizon - Avis -- Cisco shop -- SA went Versa and Aruba - Walgreens -- over-all above and beyond - DRs-in calls -- mentor SAs to learn automation -- YANG, Netconf, API, Meraki Python package