Audience 1st

What happens when you meet a cybersecurity founder over dinner and 12 hours later, they’re on your podcast?

You get one of the most brutally honest conversations about mobile security.

In this episode, Rocky Cole, co-founder of iVerify, lays out why mobile security is dangerously behind—and why businesses are in denial about the scale of the threat.

We dive into:

• The biggest myth in mobile security—why MDM (Mobile Device Management) is not a security tool and never was.


• Why enterprise security leaders are still ignoring mobile security (even when businesses are now prime targets).


• How attackers have outpaced traditional mobile security measures—and what needs to change.


• The operational bottlenecks holding CISOs back from fixing the problem—and how to work around them.

Rocky shares raw insights from the frontlines of mobile security, including how his team uncovered new Pegasus infections, why BYOD security is broken, and what companies should be doing NOW.

If you're still treating mobile devices differently than desktops, this episode will change your perspective—fast.

Welcome to the first episode of The Confident Cyber Marketer, a monthly series hosted by CyberSynapse.io!

In this special in-person episode from New York City, I'm joined by Ben Siegel to break down how cybersecurity marketers and sales teams can accelerate speed to buyer insights to gain a competitive edge.

In this tactical, no-BS conversation, we reveal why traditional analyst models fail, why most cybersecurity vendors get it wrong, and how real-time insights from buyers—not just customers—can drive better messaging, faster sales cycles, and higher conversion rates.

Key Takeaways and Topics Covered:

• Why cybersecurity marketing is broken—and how to fix it


• The myth of proprietary data in cybersecurity marketing


• Why most data doesn’t tell you the full buyer story


• The Rapid Buyer Insight Loop (RBIL) framework for gathering and applying insights in less than two weeks


• The difference between customer research vs. buyer research—and why both matter


• How traditional analyst models hold cybersecurity vendors back


• Real-world stories from Dani & Ben on how shifting to direct buyer insights changed everything


• How to operationalize fast, actionable insights across marketing, sales, and product


• Metrics that matter: Time to Insight, Time to Decision, Time to Value


• The high cost of getting your target audience wrong—and how to avoid it.

🔗 CyberSynapse – Ready to ditch the traditional analyst model and get real insights from real key decision-makers? Visit CyberSynapse.io to schedule a quick call.
🔗 Connect with Dani & Ben – Let’s keep the conversation going! Find us on LinkedIn:

• Dani Woolf


• Ben Siegel

Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you found this episode valuable.

More deep dives into cybersecurity marketing that actually works coming soon!

In this episode of Audience 1st, I'm joined by Rob Shavell, co-founder of DeleteMe, to explore the data privacy space and the growing importance of human-centric security.

Rob will share his journey from Silicon Valley venture capitalist to privacy entrepreneur and how being a contrarian led him to build one of the leading services in the data removal space.

We'll dive into:

• Why privacy is no longer just a noun but an active set of actions.


• How AI and automation have transformed cybercrime into a “creative industry” and what it means for security teams.


• Why it’s difficult to quantify the impact of continuous data removal and how security leaders can build a better ROI story.


• How to overcome employee skepticism and drive adoption of security tools through simplicity and clear communication.

We will also discusses the future of privacy, emerging threats like AI-generated deepfakes, and what security practitioners need to do to protect their people in an increasingly hostile digital world.

Early in my career as a tech marketer, I was told that securing a top-right position in an analyst report was the way to gain credibility.

It didn’t take long before I started questioning the whole system.

In this episode of Audience 1st, I sat down with Chase Cunningham, VP of Security Market Research at G2 and Co-Founder of Demo-Force, to dig into a hot topic:

The flaws in the legacy analyst model and what a modern, buyer-centric approach to market intelligence looks like.

We explored how the legacy analyst firms operate, the influence of vendor dollars on rankings, and why many CMOs are quietly walking away from the old system.

Chase shared eye-opening insights into how buyers actually evaluate security solutions—hint: they’re relying more on peer reviews and real-world data than on Magic Quadrants.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Why vendors are overpaying for analyst influence instead of listening to buyers.


• How data-driven insights from G2 are reshaping go-to-market strategies.


• The most overlooked buyer signals that vendors should start paying attention to.


• The shift from C-suite-targeted sales to winning over the “lieutenants” who make buying decisions.


• The real truth about security software pricing, discounts, and contract lengths.

If you're in cybersecurity marketing, product, or sales and looking for smarter ways to understand and reach your buyers, this episode is a must-listen.

Get free access to more than 100 million people researching, comparing, and buying software on G2 every year: https://sell.g2.com/

The way cybersecurity and IT software is sold today is fundamentally broken.

In this episode of Audience 1st, Chase Cunningham pulls no punches as we dive into why the traditional software demo and sales model is riddled with friction, killing deals, and frustrating buyers.

We unpack the biggest flaws in go-to-market strategies, including:

• Why buyers expect seamless, self-service access to software—and how vendors are failing them.


• How manual, high-friction demos slow down sales cycles and lose deals.


• Why vendor fear of transparency is outdated—and actually hurting revenue.


• How behavioral data and automation can transform demo-to-close rates.

Chase shares eye-opening stats on demo conversion rates, real-world examples of deals lost due to friction, and practical strategies for automating and optimizing the buyer experience.

If you're in marketing, sales, or product and tired of watching your pipeline stall due to outdated sales motions, this episode is a must-listen.

Learn how to ditch the friction, close more deals, and give buyers what they actually want here: https://www.demo-force.com/

The challenge is clear:

BISOs must bridge the widening gap between security priorities and business demands, often dealing with a space that is fraught with competing interests and high stakes.

But how do BISOs balance the demands of risk mitigation with the realities of operational goals?

How can they make meaningful connections with vendors who often fail to understand the nuances of their role?

These are the questions that Rob Dalzell, a Business Information Security Officer (BISO) at a major financial institution, grapples with regularly.

In this episode of Audience 1st, I had a candid conversation with Rob, where we unearthed invaluable insights into what drives buying decisions and operational realities for BISOs.

The art of successful startups isn't just in building the right product—it's in listening, pivoting, and solving real problems.

In this episode of Audience 1st Podcast, I sat down with James Farrow, co-founder of Cyft, to explore the intricate dance of startup growth, MSP market demands, and the mindset shifts required for success.

We covered everything from Cyft’s pivot from the MDR market to MSPs, to how a single user interview transformed the company’s trajectory.

James opened up about the emotional and operational challenges of building a startup, including how personal relationships fuel professional growth.

He also shared his mental models for approaching complex decisions, including first-principles thinking and inversion, and gave a glimpse into what’s next for Cyft as they scale their offerings.

This conversation is one of the more raw episodes I've had with a special guest, insightful, and packed with actionable advice for anyone building a business, especially in B2B tech.

Whether you’re pivoting, scaling, or just trying to stay true to your mission, James’ journey is a blueprint for thoughtful growth.

The biggest threats in cybersecurity don’t come from outside attackers—they come from within.

From toxic personal agendas to a lack of cross-functional collaboration, the real risk lies in how people operate, not just the systems they use.

It’s a hard truth for many leaders, but one that can transform organizations if embraced.

In this episode of Audience 1st Podcast, I had a real, raw conversation with Amy Chaney about what’s truly broken in cybersecurity leadership—and how to fix it.

We dove into the pervasive issue of personal agendas, the saturation of cybersecurity communities that often fail to deliver, and what separates good vendors from bad ones.

Amy also shared her insights on what it really takes to thrive as a Chief Risk Officer, her approach to balancing technical and human risks, and why collaboration—not ego—is the key to solving the industry’s toughest challenges.

We love to glamorize the adversary-chasing, midnight-oil-burning cybersecurity lifestyle.

I’ll admit, even I do it sometimes.

But the reality of malware research—the intense mental fortitude, the relentless strategic thinking—is often far less romantic and far more essential than we give it credit for.

Malware researchers aren’t just fighting sophisticated adversaries.

They’re engaged in a high-stakes, invisible chess game where each move reveals a little more of a hidden enemy.

The most significant challenge, however, isn’t the malware itself.

It’s likely the disconnect between the critical work of these researchers and the perception—and support—they receive from leadership.

That gap isn’t just unfortunate; it’s a vulnerability that leaves companies exposed in ways many don’t even realize.

Despite its impact, malware research remains one of the most misunderstood and demanding roles in cybersecurity.

In this episode, Dani Woolf, host of Audience 1st Podcast spoke with Michael Gorelik, CTO of Morphisec, and his insights offered a rare glimpse into a job that’s less about reacting to the latest threats and more about building a proactive defense—a foundation that keeps companies several steps ahead.

From firefighting immediate threats to pioneering innovative defense strategies, Michael’s work underscores the essential, often-overlooked nature of malware research.

He emphasizes the critical need for passion and motivation among malware researchers, details the daily responsibilities of malware analysts and incident responders, and explores the ethical challenges faced in the field. 

Michael also outlines how Morphisec innovates in the ransomware protection space by leveraging Moving Target Defense and proactive visibility, as well as his philosophy on breaking routines to manage stress and maintain team morale. 

The episode also highlights the importance of effective communication between different organizational levels and offers advice to both researchers and executives for enhancing mutual understanding and appreciation.

When was the last time you took a hard look at how disconnected your “customer insights” really are from the people you’re aiming to serve?

For years, companies have banked on traditional research firms and analyst reports, hoping these broad-stroke insights will guide their GTM strategies.

These methods serve a general narrative – not the nuanced truths that drive real connection and real value.

I fell into the same trap myself once.

I’d rely on this filtered, “aggregate” data and call it good.

But the more I engage directly with the people who matter – the end users, the practitioners – the more I realize:

The traditional analyst model is fundamentally broken.

And no one’s ready to admit it.

In the SEASON 3 kickoff of Audience 1st Podcast, I'm sitting down with Ben Siegel, GTM expert, former Gartner exec, CEO and Founder of The CyberNest, and partner in crime, to dive into a major shift in how cybersecurity companies connect with their buyers.

We’re challenging the old-school analyst model, pushing past generic reports and stale data to champion DIRECT relationships with the people who matter—security practitioners.

We’ll explore why hands-on research like interviews, focus groups, and community-led conversations are game-changers for your GTM strategies.

This conversation might very well be the wake-up call we ALL need.

Are you ready to break out of the echo chamber?