I’ve been a Solution Engineer long enough to recognize a familiar sales-cycle pattern: Sales says, “We’re up against Vendor X.” The demo gets tailored. Everyone feels good. Two weeks later, the deal stalls. And then the realization hits. The real competitor was never Vendor X. It was the status quo. An internal build. A procurement requirement to evaluate three vendors. Or a cheaper tool that “does enough.” Most SEs can add a few more examples to that list from their own scar

Picking software should feel like a strategic business decision. Buyers imagine themselves being thoughtful and rational, weighing options with clarity and purpose. In practice, it often looks more like watching someone wander into a house of mirrors. Reflections everywhere. Opinions bouncing off walls. People are grabbing onto the first shiny thing that feels safe. As a software sales rep, you’ve seen this movie on repeat. Innovative teams make messy choices. Strong products