Santiago Stroman

Why this persona fits the audience

As a founding AE on an 18-person cybersecurity startup in London, manages a small outbound motion with one SDR, updates sequences in Outreach, and sends targeted follow-ups to CISOs and IT managers after webinars and event scans.

• Age: 34
• Location: London, UK
• Occupation: Founding Account Executive
• Income: £95k base + bonus
• Education: Master's degree
• Company size: 18 employees (Series A)
• Years in role: 2 years

“If I can't explain why this matters to a CISO in thirty seconds without using buzzwords, it doesn't matter at all.”

Santiago Stroman is a 34-year-old Founding Account Executive based in London, currently driving revenue for an 18-person cybersecurity startup. Holding a Master's degree in Business Administration, he transitioned into the sector five years ago after realizing that traditional corporate sales lacked the agility he craved. Now, he navigates the chaotic waters of a Series A company, where he wears multiple hats beyond just selling. His role involves not only closing deals but also shaping the very voice of the company's outbound motion. He manages a lean team consisting of one Sales Development Representative, overseeing everything from lead qualification to contract negotiation. Santiago is known for his meticulous attention to detail; he personally audits every email sequence in Outreach to ensure they don't sound like AI-generated spam. This skepticism toward automated 'slop' stems from his belief that credibility is the most valuable currency in the cybersecurity space. Despite the high-pressure environment, he maintains a disciplined routine, balancing his intense work schedule with a passion for specialty coffee and football. He is financially savvy, investing heavily in his future while remaining grounded in the reality of startup volatility. Recently, he made the strategic decision to pause broad outreach campaigns in favor of highly targeted engagement with CISOs attending specific industry webinars, a move that has already yielded higher conversion rates. Santiago is driven by a desire to build something lasting, viewing his current role as a crucial chapter in his journey toward becoming a sales leader. He values autonomy above all else, finding fulfillment in the ability to shape his own processes and strategies without bureaucratic interference. As the team prepares for potential scaling, he is focused on documenting his playbook, ensuring that the culture of consistency and quality he has established can survive growth.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Santiago wakes at 6:00 AM, starts with coffee and a quick scan of the news, then heads to the office by 8:15 AM. His morning is dedicated to deep work: auditing his Outreach sequences, cleaning lead lists, and drafting hyper-personalized emails for CISOs he met at a recent conference. By 10:30 AM, he joins the daily stand-up with his SDR to prioritize the day's outreach targets. Lunch is usually a quick bowl of salad at his desk while reviewing CRM notes. The afternoon is filled with back-to-back Zoom calls, often pivoting between demo presentations and negotiation discussions. He finishes by 6:30 PM, occasionally staying late if a critical deal is closing, before heading home to cook dinner and unwind with his partner or catch up on a podcast.

Lifestyle

Santiago lives in a renovated Victorian conversion in Shoreditch, sharing the space with his partner. His mornings are ritualistic: he wakes at 6:00 AM to brew pour-over coffee using a V60, carefully measuring the beans before checking his calendar. He commutes via bike when weather permits, otherwise takes the Overground, listening to SaaS strategy podcasts to stay sharp. Weekends are split between physical activity—cycling around Regent's Park or hiking in the countryside—and socializing at local pubs with work friends. He is financially prudent, maximizing his pension contributions while saving aggressively for a future property deposit in East London. He avoids unnecessary debt and prefers experiences over material goods, viewing money as a tool for security and freedom rather than status signaling.

Work life

At his Series A cybersecurity startup, Santiago operates as the primary revenue engine alongside a single SDR. His day is a mix of high-stakes prospecting and administrative rigor. He spends mornings refining outreach sequences in Outreach, ensuring every message feels human and context-aware, not generic. Afternoons are dominated by calls with CISOs and IT Managers, often following up on webinar leads or event scans from the previous week. The pressure is constant; with only 18 people, every missed quota impacts the runway. He collaborates closely with product and marketing to ensure their messaging aligns with market realities, often acting as the bridge between what the engineers build and what buyers actually need. He values precision in his tools and data, hating inefficiency.

Relationships

Santiago maintains a tight-knit circle of five close friends from university and early career days, mostly meeting for Friday drinks. His relationship with his partner is supportive but currently strained by the unpredictable hours of startup life. He has a mentor, a former VP of Sales, whom he consults monthly on strategy. In his professional sphere, he relies heavily on his SDR for execution but maintains deep respect for the marketing team's content output. He is active in a local running club, which provides a necessary counterbalance to his sedentary office work.

How they decide

Santiago is a deliberate researcher who prioritizes evidence over hype. He rarely makes impulsive decisions, preferring to gather data points, consult trusted peers, and run small-scale tests before committing resources. He is skeptical of marketing claims and looks for concrete proof of value, such as case studies or transparent ROI metrics. While he values peer recommendations, he ultimately trusts his own analysis of how a solution fits his specific operational constraints. He tends to move slowly on adoption but moves quickly once convinced, preferring stability and reliability over novelty.

How they sound

Santiago speaks with a clipped, efficient British accent, avoiding filler words like 'um' or 'like'. He uses industry-specific terminology naturally but explains complex concepts simply when speaking to non-technical stakeholders. He is direct and honest, often cutting through fluff immediately. He avoids overly enthusiastic sales jargon, preferring terms like 'value proposition' and 'operational friction'. When stressed, his cadence speeds up slightly, but he generally maintains a calm, measured tone even during difficult conversations.