Hey Everyone,
Welcome back! This week on Crossing the Valley we’ve got a guest from across the Atlantic.
But first, a quick offer:
Storytelling is the most vital tool in sales.
And most companies in Aerospace and Defense do it horribly!
So I’m teaming up with retired Airmen, former Raytheon exec, and expert communicator Mike Nachshen to give DefTech startups and small businesses the tools they need to punch above their weight when it comes to telling Stories that Sell.
Check it out here and you can sign up with code “CTV” for 15% off!
About David Brown
David Brown is an experienced executive and sales leader. He didn’t begin with CounterCraft; instead, he was brought in by investors, one of whom he had worked with before at a company called SecurityMatters (focused on OT cybersecurity). After successfully scaling and selling the company to ForeScout, David’s former board member brought him on for another ride on the rocketship.
About CounterCraft
CounterCraft is a digital security company that provides real-time intel that organizations use to spot and address adversarial behavior, even before they are attacked. The company's flagship product, The Platform, enables users to build deception environments on their network or in the cloud, protecting valuable assets and deflecting adversaries.
CounterCraft participated in a competitive Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) program, emerging as the vendor of choice among 40 competitors. This experience provided the company with credibility and artifacts that helped them establish partnerships and gain access to various procurement vehicles.
CounterCraft serves both commercial and government customers, with a focus on financial services, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. They have customers across multiple nations, and pursued partnerships with companies like Booz Allen and AWS to scale their offerings.
Takeaways and Lessons
Customers have preferences on product and deliver: One of the biggest questions defense tech companies face is whether to go direct, or to sell through partners (“channel” sales). CounterCraft learned early on that customers preferred to consume their product through trusted partners rather than working directly with the diverse, international, less directly-experienced team of CounterCraft employees. This realization yielded the company’s partner-centric approach.
Ease is Everything: CounterCraft emphasizes making their product easy to consume and scale, especially for nation-state customers who require deployment across numerous sites. The company has invested in automation, AI, and integrations to simplify the process of setting up and maintaining deception environments.
Hack Credibility Early to Grow: Coming through the DIU process was in part about landing a contract, but even more about establishing credibility in the space. Collaborating with well-known partners like Booz Allen and AWS also helped CounterCraft gain credibility and access to new customers and procurement vehicles. This credibility was crucial for the company’s growth.
Focus on the Core: CounterCraft knows that product development and training are keys to the company’s success. So it keeps those functions in-house. This ensures that the company can continuously improve their offering and effectively educate partners and customers on how to use the platform. Every other element of delivery could be given to a partner.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate: David emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing customer needs. By actively listening to feedback and adapting their approach, CounterCraft has been able to scale successfully and provide value to their clients in both the commercial and government sectors.
For more on CounterCraft, check out: https://www.countercraftsec.com/
To follow along with David, check out his LinkedIn page here.
Season 2 Ep 9: CounterCraft is Making Deception Easy (and that's a good thing)