Biting My Tongue

Biting My Tongue

So I’m working with a prospect in the fashion and luxury goods area. We’ve been doing a Proof of Value for the last few weeks, and we’re now at the point of presenting the results. 

So I built this slide deck as if it were a fashion collaboration, “Moogsoft X $PROSPECT_NAME”, “Spring-Summer 2017”, and so on. I’m super proud of it - not just the conceit, but also the results we have been able to provide for very little effort - but I’m also kind of bummed that I can never show it to anyone outside the company. 

This prospect does not want its name used anywhere, so even if - I mean, when we close the deal, they will only ever appear anywhere as “fashion & luxury goods house”. 

This is not the first time this has happened to me. At a previous startup, we sold to, umm, let’s call them a certain automotive manufacturer and motorsports team based near Modena. While negotiating the price, the customer asked for “a last effort” in terms of discounting. In exchange, we asked for them to provide us with an official reference. After consulting with their brand marketing people, it turned out that the fee for use of their trademark would have been nearly twice the total value of the software deal… We respectfully declined their kind offer. 

After all, the main thing is to do the deal and provide value; even if we can’t get the logo on our site, it’s still a win. 

My only remaining problem (beyond actually getting the deal over the line) is that my wife wants me to be paid for this current opportunity in handbags, while the Moogsoft colleague who helped me out wants her share in eau de toilette…