Coffee with Sales Engineers How does bartending and playing piano at a bar lead to a Sales Engineering career? Hear from Danny Smith
In this episode of 'Coffee with Sales Engineers,' we sit down with Danny Smith from Stripe's Partner Solution Engineering team. Danny shares his unique journey from a computer science master's degree to becoming a bartender and musician in New Orleans, and how these experiences shaped his transition into sales engineering. He discusses the importance of having a technical background, the role of customer engagement, and the critical lessons he learned in high-pressure environments like American Airlines. Danny also highlights the intriguing dynamics of the partner ecosystem and the value of thorough discovery in sales. Tune in for a deep dive into the multifaceted world of sales engineering and partner solutions.
00:27 Danny Smith's Background and Journey
00:58 Transition to Sales Engineering
01:41 Lessons from Early Career Experiences
05:49 Discovering Pre-Sales
11:53 Moving to Startups and Cloud Architecture
16:47 Role of Sales Engineering in Partner Ecosystems
24:18 Value Selling and Discovery
27:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts