SKO 2022 - SA Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session Topics and Format

The following sessions were suggested to and have been confirmed with the SA Leadership. Additional detail on these topics will be available before the Kickoff with the speakers on December 15, 2021.

Each breakout session will be allotted a 60-minutes slot during SKO.

  1. Strategy: An introduction to Value Stream Assessments (Joint session with SALs)
  2. Competitive: Competitive Intel: Winning in CI/CD Against Emerging Competition
  3. Product: Deploying Applications To OpenShift with GitLab or Positioning the GitLab Kubernetes Operator (GKO) in your sales deal

The following sessions were selected and ideally should:

  • be designed to highlight the above themes
  • have an interactive element
  • have a DRI for content even if there are multiple presenters

@tbopape will work with each content owner to make sure they have weaved in the requirements and will give final approval on content

  1. An Introduction to Value Stream Assessments
  • Presenters: @brianwald @simon_mansfield @reshmikrishna @gronk
  • Format: Presentation/Panel
  • Pre-work: TBD
  • Interactive elements: TBD
  • Description: The goal of this training is to ensure that the audience is more aware of what a Value Stream Assessment entails, why it is useful for both GitLab and the prospect/customer to perform one and when/how it should be positioned.
  • Takeaway: (Ensure that the audience is more aware of what a Value Stream Assessment entails, why it is useful for both GitLab and the prospect/customer to perform one and when/how it should be positioned.)
  • Issue:
  1. Winning in CI/CD Against Emerging Competition
  • Presenter: @kencjohnston @francis Potter
  • Format: Presentation/Discussion
  • Pre-work: TBD
  • Interactive elements: TBD
  • Description: GitLab's industry-leading CI/CD capabilities is facing new threats from incumbent platform players like GitHub. Learn how to effectively position GitLab as the winner in any CI/CD bakeoff through upfront defining of success criteria.
  • Takeaway:(Ensure team members know how to effectively position GitLab's robust CI/CD capabilities against emerging competitors like GitHub, Harness and CircleCI.)
  • Issue:
  1. Positioning the GitLab Agent for Kubernetes (GA4K) in your Sales Deals
  • Presenter: @nagyv-gitlab
  • Format: Presentation/ Hands-on Lab
  • Pre-work: TBD
  • Interactive elements: TBD
  • Description: This session will enable you to position, present, and demo the GitLab Kubernetes Agent to help you secure your sales deal.
  • Takeaway: TBD
  • Issue

SKO Content Submissions to Repurpose Post-SKO

  1. Reinforcement: Using Gainsight in your Account Planning - Feedback: SAs generally would like to utilize Gainsight more in their Account Planning and Technical Win Plans (TBD)
  2. Proof of Value (PoV) Strategies - Feedback: Need for a refresher course on executing PoVs
  3. Positioning Services- Feedback: would like to highlight this for SAs to learn how to sell with PS and Partners
  4. Sharpening our objection handling skills - Feedback: would like to do a joint workshop for SAs and SALs to learn and sharpen their skills on how to handle objections.

Key Dates & Documents

Date Activity
12/3/2021 Speaker page is live (with info for speakers re: guides and due dates)
12/6/2021 Speaker acceptances begin as soon as we have them
12/10/2021 Due date for speakers to accept/ decline speaking invite
12/15/2021 Speaker kick-off calls w/ Events team
1/10/2022 Week of practice session 1
1/17/2022 Week of practice session 2
1/21/2022 Session titles and descriptions final
1/24/2022 Agenda published
1/25/2022 Recommended: slides are final for Legal review
1/27/2022 Calendar invites go out w/ direct links
2/7/2022 Event opens

cc @jfullam @brianwald @reshmikrishna @disastor @adriansmolski @jkrooswyk @cdmaurer13 @simon_mansfield @gronk @pbopardikar @poffey21

Edited by Thabo Bopape