Vector

Vector, backed by YC, is building the future of B2B Signal-Based Marketing Intent.

Co-Founder & COO

Pavilion

Executive Member

Sales Engineers of Boston

Sales Engineers of Boston is a Greater Boston based networking community created to support and unite technical sales professionals. The SEBOS community harnesses the momentum of the ever growing Boston tech industry, standing as the premier platform for like-minded individuals to grow their professional network, source top local talent, and educate themselves on a wide range of careers in technology.

https://www.senation.org/boston

Founder

Drift

Director, Global Sales Engineering

Manager, Sales Engineering

• Responsible for hiring, retaining and developing the East Enterprise Sales Engineering team, the top performing region at Box.    
 
• Driving a technical sales strategy using solution-based approach, security evaluation and scoping implementation services with Box Consulting.

• Influencer to strategic customer information security teams around broader cloud security strategy, often providing insight into Box's integration with leading Mobility, DLP, eDiscovery, Identity Management and Encryption Key Management vendors

• Partner closely with the AVP & Sales Directors to strategize on accounts, brainstorm creative solutions and help architect a long-term vision for our customers. 

• Critical liaison between our customers, partners and Product teams - providing critical feedback and working on internal projects to deepen our competitive advantage.

• Present Box's GTM strategy around Platform, industry solutions and strategic partnerships with IBM/Microsoft

Manager, Enterprise Sales Engineering

• Top Performing technical sales leader dedicated to driving better outcomes inside large enterprise businesses, using a solutions oriented approach.  Focused on driving revenue and acting as a critical liaison to all customers' lines of business across multiple verticals.   

• Owner of the technical strategy as part of the customer account team, responsible for achieving the technical win & aiding in driving a deal to closure.

• Expert in leading complex demonstrations utilizing multiple softwares, API / Platform development and product integrations, that are customized for each client's need.

Sales Engineer, Enterprise

• Drive world-class Retention and Adoption in a portfolio of Box’s Strategic large enterprise customers.  A portfolio of over $10M in Box revenue.  

• Partner with customers in their digital transformation to become an expert in their business initiatives.  Educate clients on the benefits of Box, detailing our business model and articulating our value proposition.

• Alongside the customer, work strategically to develop a plan that maps customers’ objectives and results into an actionable success roadmap. 

• Partner with internal strategic programs teams such as Product Advisory Board and Executive Sponsor Program to cultivate and leverage strong stakeholder relationships at multiple levels of contacts.

• Maintain a deep understanding of the product and SaaS industry to guide customers through the most relevant features, functionality and software integrations.  

• Use analytical skills and leverage qualitative & quantitative tools to identify and map customer health metrics - such as product adoption and sophistication, relationship strength, customer satisfaction to better understand our clients’ changing business and technology issues.

• Function as the voice of the customer and provide internal feedback on how Box can better serve our business and these enterprise customers

Senior Customer Success Manager, Strategic Accounts

GE Aviation

• Responsible for the P&L of several GE Engine Services contracts, a portfolio worth over $600M.  Directed all activities providing the necessary support on pre- and post - contractual administration, management, Terms & Conditions of the contract.  Led customer engagement, relationship growth, commercial and technical contract actions.  

• Defined management  and execution of risk modeling activities in support of the future outlook of each contract.  Assisted in sales strategy campaigns of new contracts and program modifications.

Senior Customer Program Manager

JOLP is a two year, rotational program, spread throughout GE.  It is a unique experience to lead three different business positions which utilize military leadership skills, while developing new requirements to succeed in the corporate environment. 


GE90 / GE9X Business Operations
•	GE90 Lease Pool Strategy Manager
•	Interim GE90 / GE9X Marketing Manager
•	GE90 / GE9X spare engine sales support

Customer Support Manager  /  Customer Program Manager 
•	Customer-facing, GE representative for two of the fastest growing regional operators in the U.S.
•	Leads the development of customer relations and management of commercial support negotiations in a cross-functional team environment.

GE Junior Officer Leadership Program (JOLP)

United States Air Force

Directed, instructed and administered a professional education course to 350 annual Combat Systems Officer students in the Air Force Chief of Staff’s $400 million program.

• Advised unit leadership on daily decisions impacting 38 instructors, 350 students and 22 aircraft worth $118 million. Acted as front-line supervisor responsible for morale, discipline, safety and proficiency. Recognized by a senior ranking Commander as “Top 5% of 177 Captains.” 

• Designed and standardized continuity criteria for compliance inspection. Achieved an Excellent rating on team inspection with no discrepancies, utilizing a new streamlined training process. 

• Identified Commander’s Review processing deficiencies and improved efficiency procedures. Reduced unit-processing time by 40% using redeveloped guidelines. 

• Led and redesigned Emergency Management plan for 38 personnel and 22 T-6A aircraft. Appointed as sole operator by unit leadership to develop and implement contingency operations necessary for immediate action.

• Attended a 5-month T-6A Pilot Instructor Training course with an overall “Commendable” Instructor rating.

Instructor Pilot (T-6A), Senior Program Manager

Deployed as a representative in charge of strengthening the United States’ military and political relationships among several Middle Eastern countries during highly stressful, wartime situations.

• Established an airspace de-confliction plan in support of a joint and multinational large force exercise. Ensured coalition assets were prepared to execute immediate combat operations. 

• Co-authored and implemented a 24/7 operations plan to protect Jordanian border airspace during civil tensions in Syria, named as a foundation for future defense.

Program Manager, Foreign Air Defense Liaison

Commanded worldwide operations within one of the United States’ most technologically advanced aircraft.  Responsible for mission efficiency and the safety of aircrew members, cargo, and $202 million C-17A aircraft.  

• Ensured safe and efficient execution of 5,700 squadron flying hours, managed $4 billion in aircraft assets, all of which supported various United States Department of Defense agencies.

• Served as unit commander’s key asset and focal point for coordinating all staff functions.  Edited and processed all unit documentation on a daily basis for over 160 personnel.  

• Directed a financial project to improve unit defense travel budget discipline.  Reduced late reports by 55% and oversaw $1.2 million over 16 accounts with 100% accuracy.

• Commanded a 3-week mission to mobilize 25 armored vehicles to Afghanistan with a new route from an austere location.  Transported $12.5 million in assets, and saved $4 million annually using the new process. 

• Ranked by supervisor as “#2 of 28 peers in year group.”  Commended by Operations Commander as “#7 of 94 Lieutenants.”

Executive Officer, C-17A Pilot Aircraft Commander

Student pilot in rigorous Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training course.  Completed 89 hours of T-6A flight, over 100 primary flying hours in the T-1 aircraft and over 69 hours in T-6 and T-1 simulators.

• Maintained a near perfect 99% academic average in 23 exams covering over 388 hours of classroom instruction in the following courses: instrument and navigation procedures, weather, aircraft systems, aerodynamics, mishap prevention, cockpit resource management, and aerospace physiology.  

• Selected by instructor leadership as the Senior Ranking Officer for the second phase of Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training.  Led a team of 13 pilot training students to 100% pass rate over a 6-month intensive program. 

• Earned the Distinguished Graduate Award for finishing in the top 10%, the Leadership Award, and Air Education Training Command Commander’s Trophy for best overall program performance (#1 of 20).

Student Pilot

Thousands of marketers from companies like Allstacks, Nooks, Vellum, Chameleon, and SecurityPal trust Vector.co to generate more MQLs via hyper-targeted campaigns and ad audiences. Get started for free Vector.co and feel free to DM me with questions (or if you’d like a personal demo). 

As the Co-Founder & COO of Vector (YC W23), I’m working to revolutionize how marketing leaders identify contacts who are in market. 

I bring 10+ years of experience leading and scaling successful SaaS teams through best-in-class technology: 

- Director of Solutions Consulting at Drift (acquired by Vista)
- Enterprise Sales Engineer and SE Manager at Box
- Owning $35M/yr in P&L at GE Aviation
- United States Air Force Instructor Pilot and Program Manager

If you’ve read this far into my profile, let’s connect! 

For more info on Vector, make a free account at Vector.co

We’ll also give you a killer demo and show you the best discovery call you’ll have all month at https://www.vector.co/book-a-demo. 

Finally, follow me on LinkedIn for more insights on Contact-Based Marketing, the latest AI sales tools, and “how to’s” for running hyper-targeted marketing campaigns.

Most people are bad at networking. 
3 tips to be memorable at Exit Five Drive, INBOUND, Dreamforce, Pavilion GTM

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

⛔ If two people are face-to-face, shoulders aligned, they’re locked in. Wait.
✅ If a group’s shoulders are angled with an opening, step in confidently and introduce yourself. They are there to meet new people too. 

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

⛔ Networking isn’t your chance to unload a sales pitch or explain your tech stack.
✅ Ask questions. Get curious. Make it your mission to learn one new thing from every person you meet.

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 + 𝐂𝐓𝐀.

📢 Nothing kills momentum faster than a four-minute ramble in a noisy room.
💬 Keep answers to “What do you do?” to 2–3 sentences. If they want more, they’ll ask. 

Bonus: Most people are nervous approaching strangers. That means you have the advantage; use it.

Nick Masters

Co-Founder & COO @ Vector | Y Combinator | US Air Force | Get started free at Vector.co | Follow me to learn about “Contact-Based Marketing."

Simple stories close deals. Our tech stack is pretty lean, and I can't think of one tool where we use over 50% of what they offer. But we keep them and happily pay because they solve a problem...


Take Qwilr as an example. 

It probably has hundreds of use cases. 

But I use it for exactly one thing.

I pay my bill happily and couldn't care less about the other features I'm "missing."

We’ve seen this same thing happen at Vector. Our sales conversations have dramatically changed since we narrowed our focus to one killer use case: contact-based advertising. 

When someone has a problem and you have ONE clear solution, buying becomes effortless.

✅ Before: "Our platform can optimize your entire ABM program with contact-level intent data...”

✅ After: "Instead of spending on ads for a broad audience, we let you put ads in front of known contacts showing buying signals."

The reaction from prospects?
"That's it? That seems incredible. That seems plausible."

They immediately start envisioning how they'll use it.

When you sell one solution to one person for one reason, the decision-making process becomes infinitely simpler.

No need to loop in half the company. No analysis paralysis.

One decision-maker. One use case. One clear ROI.

Stop trying to be everything. Become the obvious choice for one thing that truly matters.

_________________________________
If this resonates, drop a comment about your experience with focusing on a single solution.

Follow me for more insights on contact-based marketing and lead generation strategies.

The Time Marketing Helped a “Cute Startup Tool” Grow Up
Mailchimp was about to outgrow its brand, until marketing made weird cool again.


Mailchimp was everywhere in the early 2010s.

It was the quirky, bootstrapped email platform with the monkey mascot and a loyal following of indie startups and solo creators.

But as the market matured, that identity started to hold them back.

The brand was lovable, but felt small.

They weren’t just helping Etsy sellers send newsletters anymore.
They were powering full-scale marketing efforts for millions of businesses.

And they needed a brand that reflected that.

But instead of chasing the “mature tech” look and feel, Mailchimp’s marketing team doubled down on weirdness.

🖍 Hand-drawn illustrations:
Quirky, expressive line art replaced glossy graphics. It gave the brand a human touch. Every visual felt unique and fun.

💛 Bold mustard yellow:
Not a typical “tech company” color. Warm, playful, and instantly recognizable. You could scroll past a dozen SaaS ads, but the yellow always caught your attention.

🎥 Surreal video campaigns:
Three short films that deliberately mispronounced “Mailchimp.” Odd, but they made people laugh, and remember the name.
It was brand awareness through absurdity. 

↗️ A sharp positioning shift:
From “email marketing for small businesses” → to an all-in-one marketing platform.

🚀 The results?

60% of Mailchimp’s revenue now comes from beyond email

They went from newsletter tool to full-stack growth platform

In 2021, they were acquired by Intuit for $12 billion

And they built one of the most distinct, recognizable brands in SaaS, without ever “going corporate.”

Lesson:
Marketing doesn’t always mean looking more professional.

Sometimes it means staying weird, staying creative, and doubling down on what makes your brand feel real.

Mailchimp didn’t lose their soul as they grew.
Their marketing team helped them scale it.

Who has the craziest or most successful rebrand story?

-------------------------------------------
When Marketing Changed Everything #003

I’m telling real stories about when marketing made the difference.

👉 Follow along for more moments where strategy, psychology, and messaging turned everything around.

The hardest truth I learned as a founder: rules create growth, not chaos.
Here are the rules that keep us pushing forward:


1. Data-Driven Everything
I rarely make decisions based on gut feelings alone. Every move is backed by metrics and customer feedback. This keeps us honest and focused on real growth.

2. Weekly Goal Refinement
I operate with month-over-month goals. This means we need short, weekly sessions to quickly identify problems and make changes.   

3. Customer-First Innovation
I make sure every new feature or process improvement directly impacts our customers' success. If it doesn't, we cut it. 

4. Team Empowerment
You own your role and operate as your boss. I spend less time coaching and more time working as a colleague. The team was hired because they are experts, and I stay out of their way.  

5. Market Analysis
Each quarter, I dedicate time to understanding partners, competition, and the overall industry. We are always one step ahead. This shapes the north star vision. 

6. Resource Optimization
I regularly audit our tools and processes. Efficiency isn't just about cutting costs, it's about maximizing impact with available resources.

7. Celebration of Wins
I make it a point to recognize achievements, no matter how small. This creates a culture of continuous improvement and motivation.

These rules have transformed how we operate at Vector, leading to consistent growth quarter after quarter.

Success isn't about working harder; it's about working smarter and maintaining unwavering focus on what truly matters.


What'd I miss? 🚀

AI is becoming way too human 🤦‍♂️ 😂

Most GTM newsletters are just summaries of tech news. But 👾 Alex Virden's -- it will accelerate your marketing career! Here’s why you should subscribe (even if you’ll never be a customer):


1️⃣ Steal GTM plays from the hottest companies
2️⃣ Get the exact playbooks fueling their growth
3️⃣ Learn how the best PMM in tech executes!!!

This week’s feature → UserGems 💎

Think they’re just “tracking job changes”? Then you’re missing the real signal.

Signal-based GTM isn’t hype, it’s how the best teams win:
• Build contact lists from UserGems alerts
• Push them into your CRM
• Sync with Vector 👻 → run contact-level ads straight to the buyer

🤯 🤯 🤯

No wonder leaders like Trinity Nguyen 💎 are redefining the category.

We'll see you at INBOUND and at UserGems' hosted event Sept 4th in SF!

"You'll never meet a troll doing better than you!" - David Goggins. The ones with the loudest opinions are the most ignorant...every time. Imagine if these founders cared what people thought...


Coinbase  - "Scam"
Uber  - "Illegal"
Box  - "Insecure"
Airbnb  - "Temporary" 
Gong  - "Unnecessary" 
HubSpot  - "Small market"
Shopify  - "Too much competition"
Slack  - "Won't change legacy behavior"
Robinhood  - "Not a real finance solution"
GitHub  - "Risky"

The trolls are relentless. 

Without facts or asking questions, they stick to their opinion, share it proudly, and hide behind the keyboard. 

No one thinks of your career and your responsibilities more than you. Don't think twice about doubting your path!

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