Make sales not features (Interview)

The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

Kendall Miller is a bubbly extrovert who sticks his fingers in a lot of pies. He advises tech companies like FusionAuth, positions tech products like Civo & Tensorlake, organizes tech networks like CTO Lunches, and even sells whiskey & gin to tech people like us via his Friday Deployment Spirits brand. Kendall has learned a lot since he first entered the industry and he’s eager to share what he knows, and who he knows, with the world.

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Sponsors:

• Depot – Build faster. Waste less time. Accelerate Docker image builds, and GitHub Actions workflows. Easily integrate with your existing CI provider and dev workflows to save hours of build time.
• Notion – Notion is a place where any team can write, plan, organize, and rediscover the joy of play. It’s a workspace designed not just for making progress, but getting inspired. Notion is for everyone — whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or freelance designer, starting a new startup or a student juggling classes and clubs.

Featuring:

• Kendall Miller – LinkedIn
• Jerod Santo – GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

• Friday Deployment Spirits
• CTO Lunches

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!

Kapitler

1. This week on The Changelog (00:00:00)

2. Sponsor: Depot (00:01:10)

https://depot.dev

3. Start the show! (00:03:24)

4. From tech product to tech business (00:04:57)

5. How Kendall helps (00:09:19)

6. Charge a lot, build a little (00:14:06)

7. Kendall's background (00:18:23)

8. What kind of guy? (00:26:39)

9. Sponsor: Notion (00:31:01)

http://notion.com/changelog

10. Why the spirits pie? (00:32:44)

11. Sales tactics (00:38:09)

12. Hanging in the cloud (00:43:25)

13. Why AI security is different (00:48:51)

14. Personal AI use (00:54:52)

15. WIP product names (00:59:34)

16. Jerod sells Kendall (01:02:13)

17. Jerod closes the sale (01:03:06)

18. Wrapping up (01:05:24)

19. Closing thoughts (01:06:16)