Shows
The Wandering Tech PodcastEP2S2 - "The Complex, the Complicated and the Controversial" with Amanda Bertucci In this episode two-part episode, Lidia Vasileva and Amanda Bertucci explore the nuances of pre-sales in the infrastructure sector, the importance of technical knowledge, and the shift from being an expert to becoming a customer advocate. They share personal experiences, insights on collaboration with technical experts, and strategies for managing proof of concepts (POCs) effectively. The discussion emphasizes the need for a balance between technical expertise and understanding customer needs, highlighting the evolving role of pre-sales professionals in today's dynamic environment. They discuss the nuances of pre-sales, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs, building...2025-03-191h 06
The Wandering Tech PodcastEP1S2 - "Engagement and Evolution" with Rew DickinsonWE ARE BACK.And starting off with a bang, with an interview with the amazing Rew Dickinson. In this conversation, Paul and Rew discuss the nuances of engaging presentations, the transition from sales engineering to sales, and the importance of leadership in sales roles. Rew shares insights from his experience at DemoFestX, emphasizing the need to create networking opportunities and memorable experiences for attendees. They also explore the differences between sales engineering and sales, highlighting the skills required for each role and the motivations behind career transitions. ...2025-03-0649 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 24 - "Presales as Buyers" with Brian Lewis In this episode of the podcast, Paul interviews Brian Lewis, Co-Founder and CRO of Homerun Presales, about the evolution of pre-sales and the emerging technology landscape supporting the function. Brian shares insights from his nearly two decades of experience building and leading pre-sales teams, and now developing purpose-built tools for the pre-sales community.Also, Lidia is feeling guilty about making numbers up on the episode itself, so here are some of the metrics that Homerun Presales share on their website: Revenue: 15% increase in deal win ratesVelocity: 16% decrease in sales cycle durationsProductivity: 8 hours saved per SE/SC...2024-12-111h 04
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 23 - "Masters of the Mid-Funnel" With Rob Dean In this episode of The Wandering Tech Podcast, Lidia interviews Rob Dean, Head of Presales at the Access Group, about the changing landscape of pre-sales and technical sales roles. Rob shares valuable insights from his extensive experience leading world-class solution consultant teams.Key discussion points:The shift from "masters of the mid-funnel" to a more central role in the sales circleHow the consumerization of B2B behaviour is changing buyer expectationsCreating inclusive environments for neurodivergent professionals in pre-salesThe importance of authentic leadership and building genuine professional networksCareer development inflection points at 12 and 24 monthsAdapting to evolving buyer...2024-11-2644 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 23 - "Masters of the Mid-Funnel" with Rob Dean In this episode of The Wandering Tech Podcast, Lidia interviews Rob Dean, Head of Presales at the Access Group, about the changing landscape of pre-sales and technical sales roles. Rob shares valuable insights from his extensive experience leading world-class solution consultant teams.Key discussion points:The shift from "masters of the mid-funnel" to a more central role in the sales circleHow the consumerization of B2B behaviour is changing buyer expectationsCreating inclusive environments for neurodivergent professionals in pre-salesThe importance of authentic leadership and building genuine professional networksCareer development inflection points at 12 and 24 monthsAdapting to evolving buyer...2024-11-2644 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 22 - "A Nice to Have or a Must Have?" - The Chief Solutions Officer Role In this episode of The Wandering Tech Podcast, Lidia and Paul dive deep into the ongoing debate about the Chief Solutions Officer (CSO) role and its place in modern organizations. Drawing from their experiences at companies like VMware and various SaaS organizations, they explore whether this emerging C-suite position is truly necessary or just a 'nice to have'.Key discussion points:The challenges of measuring trust and other proposed CSO metricsHow organizational structure influences pre-sales priorities and valuesThe evolution from traditional pre-sales to broader solution rolesWhy infrastructure companies might approach technical sales differentlyThe balance between revenue...2024-11-0541 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 21 - DEMOFESTxLondon 2024 RundownIn this episode of the Wandering Tech Podcast, Lidia and Paul chat about DEMOFESTxLondon 2024 with Lidia going through the event in rapid-fire action. She shares highlights from the event, including the keynote by Consensus' new CEO, insights on demo automation, and strategies for scaling pre-sales impact.They discuss the evolving role of pre-sales, the growing importance of asynchronous buyer journeys, and key takeaways from presenters like Nikhil, Natasja, and Max. Lidia also covers the Women in Tech session and Rew's energetic closing talk.Please connect with us and leave us a...2024-10-2243 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 20 - DEMOFESTxLondon 2023 RecapIn this special 20th episode of The Wandering Tech Podcast, Lidia and Paul chat about DEMOFESTxLondon 2023, followed by the usual AI Therapy conversation and accompanied by a very quiet Danish cat.The duo dives into their memories from last year’s DEMOFEST in London. From Garen Hess’s keynote on guided tours to Lidia’s jam-packed session, they highlight the energy and insights that made the event unforgettable. Adam Freeman’s talk on extreme ownership also gets a shout-out, along with the evolution of AI in pre-sales from last year’s whispers to this year’s hot topic.2024-10-0748 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 19 - There is balance between the hosts - one is necking cough syrup, the other doesn't sleepThe episode kicks off with one of life’s most important questions: How much cough syrup can one drink before you cannot legally drive a car anymore?Lidia and Paul dive into a usually serious topic around tech giants' and CEOs' stances on responsibility and the power we may or may not have to content moderation. Plus Lidia finally has the chance to crack open the can of Tech Obfuscation.Then they discuss the very timely topic of Consensus acquiring ReachSuite and what their opinions are on where POC fits in the Solution Consulting track. (Sp...2024-09-2447 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 18 - "You say AT&T is suing Broadcom, and I just think Alien vs Predator— whoever wins, we lose."In this new, refreshed and totally revamped (ok.. it’s still a work in progress) edition of The Wandering Tech Podcast… Lidia and Paul dive into a couple of different topics. Is the era of public cloud infrastructure over? It depends. If you ask the CEO of Broadcom you’ll get one answer, but Paul and Lidia discuss why it may not be quite so simple. And why when two big companies fight - we all lose…Then the question of whether or not there is yet ANOTHER hat that Presales a...2024-09-1048 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 17 - “Hello Presales bot… in this case I’ve not even going to speak to a real person”In this episode… recorded IN PERSON in Paul’s studio* (*dining room with a mic balanced on some books) Lidia and Paul discuss the differences of being in person to remote when it comes to getting stuff done… and what we’d do if sleep wasn’t necessary.Paul shares how his desire to be more intentional with technology led him to adopt something he had previously shirked, they wonder if they’ve quit social media or are just getting old and revisit the topic of a shrinking internet.There is also a DEEP dive in...2024-08-271h 04
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 16 - "My takes would be a lot hotter if I listened to heavy music before we recorded"We’re back! After an unscheduled break… which will from now on be scheduled. Paul & Lidia catch-up on how they’re feeling after taking a break from recording, why it’s a wholly good thing and what we’ve been up to in the meantime.We then dive into recording and meeting prep - what is (and what’s not so good) a playlist to listen to before starting a demo and the pros and cons of speaker notes. As well as the when, why and how.There’s some good stories in here about how...2024-08-141h 18
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 15 - Why breaking into tech just isn't the thingCan you "break into" tech? Paul doesn't think so, and Lidia agrees. The good news is that there is more to say than just, well that. Which is good when it's the chosen topic for a podcast episode. As well as discussing our journeys into careers in tech, what the right adjective should be to describe how we found our way into technology, sales and the moments of doubt when we realised that maybe we had made a mistake.Before all of that, there's a reminiscence about playing "vintage" games, whether or not watching other people...2024-07-191h 06
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 14 - "Business on top... pool party on the bottom"In the hottest (literally) episode yet... Paul & Lidia talk about working in the heat, and whether or the British will ever understand the concept of actual summertime and Paul fails to remember Tommy Cooper's name. They then get into the best (and worst) gym workouts and the challenges of building habits around a busy lifestyle. Especially when travelling. There is the inevitable reference to Atomic Habits and when a priority isn't actually a priority. Lidia revisits her yearly theme (more on that way back in Episode 2)They then dive into the main topic...2024-07-021h 33
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 13 - "1.5 billion requests, of which 1.49 billion are people setting timers"Apple did it. They finally did it. They’ve also been doing it for sometime but only know is anyone paying attention because they used the acronym. Lidia and Paul react to the Apple World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). What they’re excited about, what they’re perhaps somewhat skeptical of (spoiler: it’s all the creative stuff).It’s then Paul’s turn to indulge in a pet topic of “why do we get what we think technology will be” or is there too much influence taken from science fiction in technology advances?There’s anothe...2024-06-181h 04
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 12 - "I would sell my soul for better Siri"The episode in which we sort of react to and review Demofest with a promise to come back with a deeper dive once they’ve both actually had an opportunity to review the content(!). They share stories of attempting to bend the will of hotel room technology. Whether or not it’s overkill to bring your own router when travelling and how to be a nightmare customer for a streaming service.What is the future of Presales? What should it be called (and what’s wrong with some of the current favourites), the dangers...2024-06-041h 11
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 11 - "I could just sit in the server room for an hour... listening to the hum and the beep"In an unashamedly nerdy outset to episode 11, Paul & Lidia discuss why QWERTY is not the way and how having “adult money” makes present buying difficult. They then reminisce about past roles and server rooms in summertime, rose-tinted glasses on previous roles, the ups and downs of working in IT and networking, why we are in Presales (spoiler: money!), productivity and neurodivergence and whether Paul has found an actual good use of AI??Then, Demofest! If you’re listening on release day then Demofest 2024 starts TODAY - we share our own experiences of presenting, the first time Paul m...2024-05-211h 09
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 10 - NOT Brought to you by AIOK, fine. We will talk about AI. A surprising tech-positive conversation between Lidia and Paul on a still very hot topic of AI and machine learning. From the day-to-day use, through the ethics, through to the future and where they see it fitting in the tech landscape. Paul led the conversation with a couple of hot takes fresh out of the oven. Lidia is bursting at the seams to talk about private AI and the role networking and infrastructure has to play in all of this. Also, some really serious talk was had about the future of...2024-05-071h 17
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 9 - The Differences between Little, Medium, and Big InternetWhat exactly is the difference between small, medium and big internet? And which one is the right place to use to book flights? Lidia and Paul also share their views on the seeming decline of LinkedIn (and a push towards AI generated content), the best way to read the internet and why YouTube shorts have been the downfall of them both. They then share experiences of reading, why physical books are better (at least according to Paul) and how the approach to reading for pleasure vs reading for information differs in more ways than you might think. Finally, they...2024-04-2355 min
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 8 - Email: I hate it with a passion of a thousand sunsIn episode 8, Lidia and Paul tackle wiggling cursors, both share their most dreadful Presales horror stories/customer calls and then spend the majority of the episode trying to find the positive to E-mail. At the end, there is a brief, but important update on where business and careers are going. Chapters: 00:00-14:22 - Stop moving the cursor 14:22-27:08 - The Horror Stories of Presales of both 27:08-51:20 - The conversation about E-mail and almost 20 minutes of Lidia trying not to rant 51:20-57:10 - Paul's final final thing...2024-04-091h 12
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 7 - In which we finally talk about PresalesAfter 6 episodes Lidia and Paul finally get into the topic of what it is they actually do for work. Presales / Solutions Consulting / Sales Engineering, one or all of the above. There is a discussion on how the more we learn the less we know (yes, really), the importance of understanding that we have inherant biases and why the perception of "being in sales" is pretty outdated. Connect on LinkedIn!Lidia Paul Check out Packetmage (Lidia's company)Subscribe to our Newsletters:Paul...2024-03-261h 17
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 6 - The End of the Internet is Nigh! Or maybe it isn't?Is Generative AI going to be the end of the internet as we know it? Maybe. Or maybe it's just the next phase in the inevitable amount of content that has been continually pumped out onto the internet forever. This episode sees Paul and Lidia share their feelings on the good, bad and downright scam-ugly of AI. Early memories of the internet, why "going-online" is no longer a thing and why building up a massive social media following doesn't mean much when platforms inevitably die. It also features two references to very specific moments in pop-culture....2024-03-121h 30
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 5 - The One About ProductivityLet's talk about P.RO.D.U.C.T.I.V.I.T.Y! And why the culture of productivity is just a "cult" that probably wants to sell you something. To do lists? Getting Things Done? KanBan? What do all these words mean? This episode of the podcast is where Paul and Lidia get into the ins, outs (and shaking it all abouts) of their own productivity methodologies, systems and why sometimes getting back to pen and paper could really be the best thing to do after all.As well as sharing notes on their...2024-02-271h 12
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 4 - "Life is an adventure... and some people are NPCs"In this, the fourth episode of the Wandering Tech Podcast Lidia and Paul discuss life being an adventure, Paul’s failure to be a nerd and not complete Dark Souls, and Lidia’s ambition to have a game of Presales DnD.They then get into Lidia’s new adventure, how “life happens”, her decision to go self employed and the factors that led to that decision and Paul’s decision framework for career decisions. There is a robust conversation around the relationship between employer and employee, why they find working well in panic mode to be beneficial f...2024-02-131h 16
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 3 - Staying productive in a sea of changing tidesIn this episode, Lidia and Paul dive into the uses for (and surprising history of) checklists, productivity tools and the need for a good system. As well as the perils of having Smart Home technology from competitive vendors and how to not activate voice-controlled devices in an audio medium.It is also the first time that they get into Apple vs Android and why the Apple ecosystem whilst limited - is just so convenient.After over two hours the first time that there is a mention of AI and ChatGPT. Which seems like...2024-01-291h 08
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 2 - Should you make New Years Resolutions even though time is a construct?New year! New me! Should you set goals? Or is a yearly theme the key to success? Is time just an arbitrary construct? All of these are questions Lidia and Paul attempt to tackle in this, the second episode of TWTP. They also share anecdotes on New Years Eve plans gone awry, making the most of less-than-ideal situation and how to approach your journey through each year.They then dive into the topic of ‘content creation’, whether you should have a plan and the hot potato of whether or not consistency matters. Paul shares more on his...2024-01-291h 35
The Wandering Tech PodcastEpisode 1 - "How does the sun affect your product?"In this augural episode of The Wandering Tech Podcast; Lidia and Paul talk about serendipity, getting started on a project, and why growing up in the 90s and early 2000s was the perfect foundation for getting into a career that requires you to be constantly curious.There’s also a fair bit of discussion about accents, body language and the reasons for starting this podcast in the first place. As is likely to be the nature of the show the conversation takes many different turns (hence the “wandering”). Paul also touches on his typically squiggly path to whe...2024-01-291h 25