The Cyber PMM Podcast

I founded Cyber PMM as a brand back in the fall of 2023. It has been an amazing journey, full of learning and meeting others like yourself but the time has come for change.

Moving forward, please tune into Dane's Narratives at www.newsletter.danedisimino.com.

Product marketers are messengers. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that.

Full video here: https://youtu.be/c1_iQOL4-OQIn this talk, I walk through Narrative to Audience (NTA) — a narrative-first system for bringing products to market with clarity instead of chaos. After 13+ years in cybersecurity and tech, across startups and global platforms like Dell, VMware, Splunk, and Cisco, I’ve seen messaging break down the same way every time: bloated briefs, endless feedback loops, and stories that don’t land.This presentation covers: • Why product marketing became fragmented and exhausting • Why messaging collapses at scale • How narrative (not frameworks) reconnects products to real audiences • A one-page storytelling model to replace 16-page messaging briefs • Where AI helps — and where it absolutely doesn’tIf you work in product marketing, product management, or GTM leadership, this is a practical reframing of what the role is actually meant to do: bring a clear message to an audience that needs to hear it.⸻🧭 Try the Narrative to Audience platform (free):www.narrly.aiNarrly is where this system is being built into software. Tear it apart and send feedback — I’m using the same process I describe here.⸻📌 Chapters (optional):⁠00:00⁠ Introduction to Narrative to Audience (NTA)⁠01:01⁠ The Messy State of Product Marketing⁠01:16⁠ Challenges Faced by Product Marketers⁠02:33⁠ Personal Anecdotes and Lessons Learned⁠05:26⁠ The Importance of Messaging⁠07:33⁠ Building Effective Narratives⁠11:04⁠ The Reality of Messaging Briefs⁠23:56⁠ Introducing the NTA Framework⁠28:25⁠ Steps to Create a Compelling Narrative⁠31:08⁠ Implementing the NTA Framework⁠37:40⁠ Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode, I interview Jessvin Thomas, a technologist and pioneer in the cyber with Nokia roots to Blackstone, Optiv, & Adlumin and now using AI to solve the data problem at Auguria. 

This was a fun interview. I worked with Jessvin when I was at Optiv a decade ago, so we relived some good memories of bringing their MSS practice to market and launching a “NextGen SecOps” solution based on Phantom Cyber (SOAR was new at the time).

Watch the Interview on YouTube

Jessvin shares his journey from Cornell to working in IT support during the dot-com boom to manually inspecting firewall logs. He has a very cool vantage point, having worked IT at Nokia, in Cyber at Blackstone, running Optiv’s MSS business, and other leadership roles at Barracuda and Adlumin.

And of course we cover where he is today as a pioneer in using AI for data management as an advisor to Auguria. I’ve always respected Jessvin’s ability to explain complex technologies in an inspirational way.
Of course, I asked Jessvin, “What advice do you have for product marketers in cyber?” And Jessvin offered valuable advice summed up as - “become obsessed with the customer’s problem.” He also shared a fun story on winning the 2025 Houston SEC Con Launchpad event.

Here is a recap;
01:00 Early Career and Education at Cornell
07:20 First Steps in Cybersecurity from Nokia to Blackstone
13:57 Consulting and Career Growth
19:59 Building and Leading MSSP at Optiv
28:55 Current Ventures in AI and Data Analytics
39:50 Winning the Houston SEC Con
42:47 Advice for Product Marketers and Founders
48:44 Conclusion and Farewell

Brought to you by Cyber PMM

www.cyberpmm.com

Thanks for listening to the Cyber Markets Brief #43.

Here's what's covered this week:

• Palo Alto Networks buys Chronosphere, boosting their observability game.

• Microsoft launches Autonomous Security at Ignite, aiming for self-sufficient solutions.

• IDC releases the 2025 XDR MarketScape for vendor evaluations.

• SAFE acquires Balbix, enhancing proactive security strategies.

• Aspen Cyber Summit dialogues led by the White House.

• Revolutionizing truth in cybersecurity sales—ditch the flashy pitches.

• Rethinking PMM success metrics for better GTM strategies.

• Cole Grolmus innovates AI agent identity strategies with observability.

• Evan Goldberg on LastPass's move to passwordless solutions.

• Cyber startups rake in a record $360M funding in a week.

• Key questions for CISOs evaluating AI SOC startups.

• Evolution Equity Partners lists top 50 cybersecurity innovators.

• Nudge Security focuses on workforce in their $7M Series A.

• Tier4 AI disrupts security operations with AI MDR.

• Mate Security emerges with wisdom-led AI SOC agent.

• Perplexity AI enhances efficiency with smart AI solutions.

• Dragos seeks a Technical Marketing Manager for ICS defense.

• Palo Alto Networks hiring for Cortex Cloud marketing.

• Strange Ventures offers AI fellowship for innovative minds.

To get this brief sent to your inbox every week, subscribe at www.cyberpmm.substack.com.

This brief is brought to you by Cyber PMM — learn more at www.cyberpmm.com.

Thanks for listening to the Cyber Markets Brief. Here’s what’s covered this week:

• Google launches Unified Security “Recommended”

• Deepwatch restructures around AI investment

• Identity market shifts as AI native platforms develop

• Forrester defines proactive security platforms

• Gartner initiates Exposure Assessment Platforms

• Pete Shoard on preparing for Autonomous SOCs

• CSA publishes new AI SOC benchmark

• Guardian covers the human toll of SolarWinds

• McKinsey’s State of AI 2025

• Spotlight’s 2025 analyst survey

• Gartner outlines the biggest PMM challenges

• Maze launches AI for VM

• AI security absorption analysis

• OpenAI introduces GPT 5.1

• PMM roles at Huntress, iboss, and SpecterOps

To get this brief sent to your inbox every week, subscribe at www.cyberpmm.substack.com.

This brief is brought to you by Cyber PMM — learn more at www.cyberpmm.com.

🚀 Cyber Markets Brief #41 is out.

🧠 Zscaler acquires SPLX — securing the AI lifecycle

📊 Gartner flags AI risk #2 for enterprise leaders

⚙️ Gartner SecOps Workflow — convergence across detection, response, and exposure

🤖 CrowdStrike launches Charlotte Agentic SOAR

🌍 CrowdStrike EMEA Threat Report — ransomware and extortion spike across Europe

🛰️ Ansa maps the Agentic Security landscape

💰 Armis raises $435M — IPO prep underway

📈 ConductorOne lands $79M to fight identity sprawl

🔎 SecurityWeek tracks 45 cyber M&A deals this month

💬 Torq’s AI Manifesto breaks the B2B messaging mold

🎨 AI + Jobs thread visualizes creative destruction

🎤 Nvidia GTC: Jensen drops AI infra insights for SecOps

🧭 Gartner PMM Study shows PM reporting trends 6%→15%

💼 PMM gigs: Cyera • Forescout • Lookout

😅 Meme of the week: Windows = patient on life support

🔭 Next up: AWS re:Invent + CyberMarketingCon 2025.

👉 Read the full breakdown and subscribe to get it sent to your inbox: https://open.substack.com/pub/cyberpmm/p/cyber-markets-brief-41-zsccaler-x

This episode was brought to you by Cyber PMM.

Learn more about Cyber PMM at www.cyberpmm.com

This week on the Cyber Markets Brief:

• Dataminr x ThreatConnect acquisition

• Panther doubles down on data

• Gartner’s AI SOC Agent spotlight

• $94.6B cyber market (Omdia)

• The AI gap widens (Gartner)

• Fluvio PMM AI Trends report

• Snyk’s Evo demo

• Sapphire Ventures’ Cyber Map

• OpenAI “Company Knowledge”

• Top PMM jobs + meme of the week

Subscribe to the Brief to receive this in your inbox at www.substack.cyberpmm.com

Brought to you by Cyber PMM - www.cyberpmm.com.

This week on the Cyber Markets Brief 🎧

• Gartner’s SIEM MQ drops (and the memes follow), IDC names the XDR leaders, and Gartner updates its AI TRiSM model for the agentic era.
• We cover Accenture’s $10 B FY milestone, Cyberstarts’ $380 M Fund IV, Pentera’s $30 M acquisition, and Sitehop’s quantum funding round.
• Plus, OpenAI launches AgentKit — the start of true PMM automation.

💼 New Cyber PMM roles → VMRay, Tenable, Arctic Wolf

🔭 Ahead → Forrester Security & Risk Forum (Austin) + AWS re:Invent (Vegas)

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Substack.

Subscribe to get this in your inbox: www.substack.cyberpmm.com

Cyber Markets Brief #38 covers the week’s biggest moves in cybersecurity markets and product marketing: CrowdStrike x Pangea, Frost CWPP Radar, Vega + revel8 funding, AI-sim message testing, top gigs, and fall events.

This audio brief keeps PMMs, founders, and cyber pros ahead of the curve. Subscribe to fight digital chaos, turn noise into narrative, and do more with less.

👉 Subscribe to get weekly Cyber PMM insights, industry news, content plugs, tools, gigs, and tips direct to your inbox. www.cyberpmm.substack.com

Cyber Markets Brief #37 is live 🐳

👉 Subscribe on Substack: https://cyberpmm.substack.com

🧭 What’s Inside:

• Netskope files for IPO (~$6.5B)
• F5 to acquire CalypsoAI
• Koi raises $48M; Adaptive Security $43M
• Tenex AI raises $27M
• Tego Cyber launches VigilAigent MSS
• Kikimora Agent release for SMEs
• Anthropic + Arctic Wolf drop new insights
• Hack Space Con Content
• Splunk .conf25 wrap-up (Boston highlights!)
• Top Cyber PMM roles on LinkedIn