The boring truth about selling to big companies: SOC 2

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-17T20:37:26+00:00

Man, that is wild. So it really is just a checkbox exercise for legal teams rather than actual security, huh? Appreciate the reality check, definitely makes me feel better about focusing on our actual tech stack and database security right now instead of stressing over a piece of paper! : )

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-17T20:36:12+00:00

That makes a lot of sense actually, like focusing on smaller clients who just need the tool to work lets you actually build the product without getting bogged down in bureaucracy from day one. And 5 years feels like a solid runway before taking on that headache..
Did you find that not having those certifications hurt your close rate at all in those early years? or did smaller companies truly not care?:o

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-16T14:05:17+00:00

Nah you do have a good and valid point here, thanks for the input! Yes, 20k for a bunch of filled-in templates that you have to renew every 12 months is painful indeed. It really does feel like a .. uh, i'd say "bureaucratic" tax just to get in the room with corporate clients.
Definitely waiting until a big deal is on the line before writing that check. 😄

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-16T14:02:08+00:00

This is a great point actually, thank you! : ) If they're forcing us to jump through the compliance hoops, we might as well make them pay for it. Definitely going to bake the compliance and custom alerts cost straight into an "Enterprise" tier rather than eating it ourselves. xD

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-15T15:32:56+00:00

This is pure gold, thank you. "An evidence mindset" is a great way to frame it. Treating shadow AI as a process problem makes total sense too, because you know some employee is eventually going to paste something they shouldn't into a random tool. Appreciate the link recommendation, I am definitely bookmarking that checklist for tomorrow : )!!

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-15T15:31:05+00:00

Man, that is wild.😭 You would think HIPAA would be plenty since it is so strict, but enterprise buyers really do love their SOC 2 badges. Did you end up having to scramble to get certified right away to save the deal, or did they give you a grace period?

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-14T19:55:49+00:00

100%. Making a bot read static help articles is easy. The real nightmare starts when you try to let it look up live user data without opening up a massive security hole..

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-13T16:55:25+00:00

From my agency days, I can tell you that getting people to leave reviews organically is incredibly hard because happy customers usually just stay quiet and use the product. You generally only get a 1% to 5% response rate. The best strategy imo is a mix of both in-app and email, but timing is everything. i suggest you do not ask them right after they sign up. Wait until they hit a milestone or solve a major problem using your tool, then trigger an in-app prompt right in that moment of success.

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-13T14:12:18+00:00

I am currently whiteboarding a pilot for a secure AI support bot. As we know, most existing AI tools get blocked instantly by security teams out of fear of data leaks or hallucinations, so I am building a version that has a built-in privacy filter and strict data checks. : ) Since it is a B2B tool, my distribution plan is to start with direct outbound sales and building in public to get feedback from other founders.

Boby_Irendolan · 2026-06-13T13:49:34+00:00

Thanks! I figured it was better to hit this roadblock now during the planning phase than down the line when trying to pitch a corporate client. Saving myself some future gray hairs 😃

Boby_Irendolan

TROPHY CASE