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?