Marketing an Immature Cybersecurity Product 

It takes thick skin to market a cybersecurity product that’s still rough around the edges. Founders are laser-focused on landing their first customers, the loyal, early believers who might become champions. Ideas that lead to revenue friction will be quickly dismissed and deprioritized.  

Once you accept this reality, it becomes easier to market an immature product creatively—and gain the trust of product and sales teams who don’t want you meddling in technical details. 

Early in my career, I made the mistake of pushing for technical collateral that highlighted features. I thought customers needed to see how the product worked. Product teams disagreed. 

“I just need a few technical capabilities,” I’d argue. 

“No. Focus on the pain,” they’d respond. 

At first, I assumed this was a smokescreen for poor development—or, more generously, an effort to avoid revealing how clunky the product really was. Was it too complex? Buggy? Unusable without onboarding? Why not just admit it? 

I didn’t have time to dig for the truth. I needed a way to get campaigns off the ground. 

That’s when my thinking shifted. 

I used to believe that without marketing tangible features, I was selling a cybersecurity service—not a product. Marketing wouldn’t be respected without complete transparency and specificity. Launching dozens of go-to-market campaigns led me to realize that’s not always true.  

Sometimes, the company’s story and mission are the product—especially when the product is still in its embryonic stage. 

From Features to Stories 

Every startup has a few believers. Those early champions often stay loyal through ups and downs. They trust the mission, not just the tech. That mission might be ambitious—like solving cyber risk—or precise, like enabling seamless, cloud-native zero trust access to servers. 

But of course, you need to gain more trust, more champions. These are the buyers who don’t know you yet, or care about your track record or reputation. If they make it past sales qualification, they’ll want more than a promise. 

Instead of negotiating for screenshots or specs, focus completely on the customer narrative and their work life. 

Identify the real-world problems they help solve for your early adopters and champions. 

Create Emotional Connection Through Empathy 

Your marketing should paint a vivid picture of the customer’s world. Even if you can’t spell out exactly how you solve every issue, focus on the pains your product intends to solve. Use testimonials, industry insights, and relatable scenarios to connect emotionally. 

Think of it as a bridge—from their frustration to potential relief. Show them you understand their risks, realities, and aspirations. That positions your company as a credible partner—not just another vendor. 

Keep Building Visibility Early 

Cybersecurity brand building is nonstop. Don’t wait for your product to be perfect. The market won’t. 

Leverage thought leadership, anonymized case studies, trend reports, and webinars. Good storytelling, grounded in empathy, builds trust. By the time your product matures, you’ll already have an audience—curious, receptive, and ready to see those technical details your product team has been keeping close to their chest.