My challenges with communicating a business vision

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In my latest post, I discussed a potential pricing strategy and related services. Links are provided at the end of the post. Now, it’s time to communicate this. Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s not as straightforward as it seems.

Before we make any assumptions, what I’m about to discuss may be particularly useful for associations of fewer than five people, but it can also serve as a reference for larger companies.

Everyone has ideas, and I also have countless ones. However, we don’t get paid for ideas but for solutions. But how do I get there? I’ve asked myself this question many times, even now, as I attempt to envision multiple websites. How can I communicate my vision?

Vision

Currently, my goal is to convey the (cyber)security first business model to as many people as possible. This won’t be an easy task. Why? You might ask. Because we’ve formed an association with security.

  • Security=Expense. And we don’t like spending on things that jeopardize our safety. Feel the irony?
  • Therefore, the new model I want to introduce is: Security=Grows. Without some understanding of security philosophies and techniques, we cannot grow.
  • And we all know Grows=Money.

I’m almost sure I need a better name or at least a better visualization for this, but I’m still on the drawing board.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work in IT. Thinking about it, I’m pretty fortunate. Or perhaps it’s the fire within me that prevents failures from stopping me. In any case, I’ve had the opportunity to play key roles in the development of security software. I’ve seen many client problems firsthand and often helped them personally. Perhaps that’s where my dedication comes from.

Unfortunately, there’s no solution that suits everyone. I know this all too well. But still, I want to help as many people as possible. And maybe what I pass on, you will also pass on. And eventually, we will be enough to make an impact.

This is where my slogan comes from. “Let’s make the internet a safer place together!" But this is easier said than done.

What is GoSecNinja

“Let’s make the internet a safer place together!" The idea of GoSecNinja was formed during the embodiment of my aspirations. Initially, I created some content on this topic. There were a few YouTube videos that are still available on my channel. The result was quite a few failed job interviews. Thanks for the slaps.

One of my favorites was when a headhunter called me a few days after the first contact to say that the company I applied to found my channel and thought I didn’t fit their image. There’s no need to say how devastating that was. I want to make the world a better place, but I also want to eat at the same time. This is partly why I gave up on the channel. Or rather, I paused. That’s why I mentioned the comment above. My experience can be helpful for smaller associations.

Yes, this is discrimination. But what can we do? We are all biased, but that should be the topic of another article in the #MentalInCyber thread.

The end goal would be an SPaaS with the company. (Yes, now it’s an established company: GoSecNinja OÜ) That is, a Security Platform as a Service. Since it is not possible to create a service that suits everyone, I would like to simplify how potential customers can get a protection service that suits their needs. Also, how security experts can get a stable income, thereby making the internet safer together.

The point is to share information. What is the point of withholding information that is not absolutely critical for me but may mean the security of livelihood for others?

The first (at least that I know of) to lead on this idea was BitNinja. For now, I find CrowdSec closer to this idea, especially with their Hub service. But the two companies cannot be compared, as their target audience is different. By the way, that’s where the name comes from: GoSecNinja, although there is something else behind it.

I see another fascinating idea emerging at HackGate. How can I connect ethical hackers with potential clients and help them work together? Of course, you might think HackerOne is there for that. Or some other bug-hunting platform. What I miss about these services is that they don’t facilitate collaboration. The bug report is only the beginning of the process. What do we do next?

(As I mentioned, information sharing is the point.)

However, I had a serious problem. If I write or advertise something, it makes me discredited for many. Because what I say is for different target audiences. At different stations of the (cyber)security first business model. And I want to talk:

  • To private people and small companies, to whom I can transfer knowledge for free or reasonably cheaply. This is what the Curious Minds Collective project is for.
  • For small companies, less than 20 people. Where communication can be a problem.
  • Medium-sized companies with less than 50-100 employees. Where scalability is a challenge.

Visions of the site(s)

Here comes a little confusion in the force. How do I present the services simply and effectively? Of course, I would like to expand the options with many other functions over time, but I still want to start with something simple. I’m not a frontend developer, so there are challenges. (This was not an invitation to have someone else make the page.)

Let’s start with GoSecNinja since this company is basically the foundation of my “Game”. And Curious Minds Collective is more related to #TheMetaGame. (I also wrote about this earlier.)

My first thought was to present the basic site like a mind map, similar to this:

I’ve looked around at available templates. The next closest is the interactive graph by Obsidian Publish, but it’s still not exactly what I had in mind.

Source: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/Fork+My+Brain

After a while, it becomes difficult to navigate. This can be daunting for many.

Second thought. What if I created it like C4Model? It needs an SVG image; then, by clicking on the different topics, the reader would get a better view of the given part. All you need for this is PlantUML and links to the content…

Source: https://c4model.com

Content navigable by PlantUML diagrams sounds good…, but the images have to be pre-generated. And if the URL changes, the images must also change. So, it would be good for visualization, but it’s a bit difficult to create in this format. It’s not an idea to dismiss as it relates to RiskStorming. But to quickly turn this into content or availability?

So, I had to simplify what I wanted even more. Can just one plain page be enough for now? Maybe, with contact information, perhaps a short blog for communication?

Yes, that’s enough for now. So far, this template is what I have selected:

Source: https://hugoplate.netlify.app

I don’t like a few things about it and will need to change them. Or should I simply use Notion? But that would again lock me to a provider.

The Curious Minds Collective is a bit simpler. Here, a documentation page format might be sufficient. Like the Docsy, for example.

Source: https://example.docsy.dev

Of course, I’ll need to customize it in some way. But its primary purpose is to group the contents a little. Currently, content is being produced in several places here, but the target audience is slightly different. Here, I would rather discuss issues concerning individuals or smaller teams.

Some thoughts are already available in video form on YouTube, but it took me some time to gather my thoughts. I used a mental trick for this. I’m trying to write a book. I’m trying to write a book. Not because so many people love to read but because it helps me focus. The topic of the book is Mental in Cyber. I didn’t want to be more specific than that. But it’s enough for my subconscious to throw up ideas and topics.

Why am I not developing the site?

If I know so much about what I want and how, why am I not developing the site? Well, that’s a very good question.

One of my answers is that in DevOps, we try to postpone critical architectural decisions to later stages of development.

And the other is a little story. I used to talk a lot with the founder of a company. I wanted to convince him to spend more money and resources on development. Because that lame marketing takes away the budget from us. If you are reading these lines, I hope you are smiling. Because he was right. At the moment, I prefer to spend my resources on marketing. That’s why I build my vision openly. That’s why I use guerilla marketing strategies. And that’s why I’m looking for new contacts to get new assignments based on referrals.

Developing and publishing a site is just one of the many marketing strategies I would like to employ. It can be a useful tool for communicating value and keeping in touch, but there are also faster and simpler forms. Like this article.

But anyway, even at this moment, my mind is on the design of the site. Creative work does not necessarily have a visible result. We often forget that.

Does it count as creative work when:

  • an idea about the current project pops into your head while watching TV?
  • a design comes to mind while sipping your first coffee in the morning?
  • while talking to the seller in the store, you came up with a meme that you can use to attract visitors?

The answer is yes. And we could go on all day. So, let’s not be too hard on ourselves. (#MentalInCyber :) We live in an information-based society. And information isn’t produced in factories.)

Conclusion

Coming up with a vision is not such a big task. One thought, one feeling is enough. But it takes a lot of effort to actually make something out of this vision. We encounter many pitfalls during the implementation, which, unfortunately, can frustrate our efforts.

The vision speaks to us. It drives us forward. However, if we want to be successful, we have to find a way to communicate this. This is much easier said than done. I hope that what I have just described will be helpful to you. (I’ve been collecting these bits of knowledge for a couple of years.)

If you found it useful, you know what to do. :) I’m happy for feedback. If you have any questions or I can help you with anything, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Book a one-on-one call on Calendly: https://calendly.com/zoltantoma87/one-on-one You can also connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toma-zoltan/

The new landing page will be available on gosecninja.com, but it’s under development(2024-04-20). If you want, you can support my work and follow me on Patreon: Curious Minds Collective

References

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Mentioned Companies: