The Art of Blunt Criticism

Recently, I openly criticized a video from Lavender, the AI-assisted email tool, for a video clip they posted.

The video was part of a content series where two team members are trying to guess which other team members wrote drafts for cold outreach emails.

For this round, the emails were cold outreach emails written for 1Password.

Watch the video here:

Note: If you watch the entire video on their content platform, you'll see that this email was a "joke" & presented alongside others emails from other Lavender team members - those other emails being perfectly legitimate, decent cold outreach emails.

Note that it never indicates that this email was never sent. We'll come back to that.

Here's the Problem:

By trade, I'm a marketing leader in the cybersecurity industry.

And when it comes to cybersecurity, there's absolutely no room for compromise on professionalism and ethical standards. Cybersecurity marketers don't take the relationship between buyer and vendor lightly.

Was this email actually sent? No.

Did anybody know it wasn't sent based on that clip? No

Does that matter? Yes.

Here's why:

Lavender's audience is huge.

It's full of marketers and salespeople, the majority of which aren't experienced in the nuance that comes along with cybersecurity marketing and sales.

What they don't understand is that we're playing on hard mode in cybersecurity.

The relationship between buyer and vendor has been uniquely strained for years, and it's only through the hard work of organizations like the Cybersecurity Marketing Society that we've made tremendous strides in bridging that gap.

There is nothing that any experienced cybersecurity marketer or salesperson would do to compromise that—ever.

That said, more and more people get into the cybersecurity industry every day. Folks that lack the experience and insight to know that these kinds of tactics in outreach are a death sentence if you want to stay in this industry.

There's where the problem lies.

One of the main problems I called out:

If they see something like what you posted, you run the risk of them actually using it.

You run the risk of misleading less experienced marketers and salespeople in (and out) the cybersecurity field.

There are also thousands of non-cybersecurity related companies that are trying to market and sell into tech buyers at cybersecurity companies, like Lavender. They think, "Yeah, this is a spicy one. I bet nobody's doing that. I'll be the clever one to stand out."

They adopt these strategies without understanding the potential risks or the importance of a more nuanced, professional approach necessary when trying to market or sell in the cybersecurity industry.

Let me make this very clear:

Do not, under any circumstances, send a sales email to anybody that:

• Claims you have breached a company in some way

• Indicates you intend to target a different internal employee

• Jokes about breaches or hacks in any way

Why?

• You're going to get fired

• Your company will never sell in to that account... ever

• You will never work in the cybersecurity industry

• Employees (top to bottom) usually go through extensive security awareness training and are trained to report everything suspicious.

• Potential criminal charges

• You give cybersecurity marketers and salespeople a bad name

• You cause massive setbacks to a relationship we've spend years trying to improve

Our Duty: No Bullshit Allowed

And that's putting it nicely.

Trust and credibility are vital in all things cybersecurity. Each communication in this field should be tailored and carefully considered, respecting the unique challenges and threats inherent in cybersecurity.

Any communication that seems frivolous or insincere can damage the trust that professionals in this field work hard to build with their clients. It's crucial that all outreach reflects the gravity and professionalism of the industry.

The stakes are sky-high. Our communications need to reflect the gravity and professionalism of our industry.

We need to hold ourselves and our industry to a standard that reflects the importance of our work.

If that means calling out the Lavenders of the world, then so be it.

The Art of Blunt Criticism

This situation underscores the importance of open, thoughtful, and respectful criticism.

In our field, where the stakes are high, and the impact of our work is far-reaching, it's vital to voice concerns and critique approaches that may undermine the seriousness of our mission.

It's equally important to do so in a way that fosters dialogue, encourages improvement, and upholds the professionalism we champion.

That was exactly the mindset I took when I made the following video:

Yes, I made an almost 10 minute long video calling them out.

No, it wasn't scripted.

Yes, I rambled.

No, I don't remotely care.

What else did I do besides call out the issue?

• I authentically talked about admiring the strides they're making in B2B, and openly said that I'm a huge fan of Lavender.

• I gave them a raving review.

• I openly praised their commitment to innovation in content & marketing.

• I use my platform to inform and educate in a mindful, respectful way.

Nobody was named.

Nobody was insulted.

My tone wasn't angry, snide, or patronizing.

I wasn't doing it for the engagement.

I did it because I give a shit.

Let me be clear: I had absolutely nothing negative to say about Lavender.

To my surprise, I soon got a notification that Lavender had commented.

I was relieved. My internal monologue took over...

"Ah, good. Here will be the well-thought out response. They're good folks, at least enough to acknowledge the faux pas, and I'm sure we'll be opening a constructive dialogue in no time."

—Holy shit, was I wrong.

Lavender's Clueless Comeback

Instead, we got a response that was as disappointing as their video.

Yikes.

Side Note: Prior to Lavender's official account leaving that comment, one of their own left a comment and then deleted it later:

This response serves as a reminder that not all players in the tech space have little more than a tenuous grasp on ethical responsibility, much less the ability to respond well to public criticism.

What they're not understanding is that their reaction was a missed opportunity to learn and adapt, which speaks volumes.

It was also an opportunity to make good with a community of marketers and salespeople whose attention Lavender very much wants.

"It's Just a Prank, Bro!"

Meanwhile, back at the Lavender ranch, the original post was getting some more attention from several people in the cybersecurity community—practitioners, salespeople, and marketers alike.

Let's see how this goes...

Yikes 2.0

I don't remotely care if this was a joke or not.

The way it's presented is completely ambiguous, which is the first of a myriad of issues here.

This response is the LinkedIn version of the "It's just a prank, bro!" videos on YouTube where people ended up getting beaten up and thrown in jail for doing heinous shit to people, recording it, then running up and claiming it was "just a prank."

• Zero accountability.

• Zero ethical responsibility.

• Zero respect for your audience.

• Complete inability to accept feedback or criticism, much less internalize it.

So, What Now?

Look, this whole saga isn't just a spat—it's a lesson in the power of unfiltered criticism.

And yes, that criticism should be as direct and honest as possible. Wrapping hard truths in cotton wool helps no one. Standing your ground isn't just about being stubborn; it's about not letting anyone compromise the integrity and gravity of what you do or what you believe in.

If using your voice to respectfully educate people and stand up for something you believe in pisses a few SaaS bros off, then get them some cheese with their whine.

Let them make snarky comments.

Let them make an ass out of themselves.

Ego is the death of us all, and those that absolutely crumble in the face of the slightest, most delicate criticism will have it the worst.

Glimmers of Hope?

Ever been tagged by somebody on LinkedIn?

Did you know this was an option?

They did—and they used it.

Removed the tags from my post with the video.

• Self awareness?

• Shame?

• Damage control?

Who knows—and who cares?

The comment they made is still there, however.

Final Words

Integrity is not something to ever compromise on.

Stand up for yourself and your tribe, always. Find your voice, and use it relentlessly. Call out the bullshit, and do it unapologetically. That's the only way any of us are going to get any better at this.

Love you all, madly.

CB

(What a shitshow, right? Sheesh...)

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