Building Datadog's Enterprise Security Growth Engine
Code-to-Cloud security, sold the enterprise way—specialist overlay that co-sells, lands, and expands.
Strategic Focus
Overlay leadership that elevates Enterprise AEs with clear frameworks
Team Building
15+ years building high-performing teams with 8+ AE promotions
Proven Results
107% attainment, #1 revenue teams, Presidents Club recognition
Agenda
A comprehensive overview of my approach to building Datadog's enterprise security growth engine
About Me
Professional expertise meets personal passion
Strategic security & platform sales leader with 15+ years building high-performing teams at Okta and Cisco Meraki.
Led top-ranked teams (#1 revenue FY22; top-5 in FY23/FY24) through structured coaching using Challenger/Radical Candor methodologies. Built repeatable GTM programs and multi-team initiatives that drove pipeline and closed-won revenue.
Oakland resident with my wife and two sons (5 and 2.5).
Bringing the same discipline and teamwork from athletics to building world-class sales organizations.
Why Me for Datadog Security
I build specialist overlay teams that enterprise AEs trust—clear swimlanes, crisp inspection, and product-credible coaching.
The Datadog role is explicitly a specialist co-sell motion, partnering with Enterprise AEs and SEs. That's exactly how I've operated—driving strategy, coaching, and alignment while elevating sellers with clear frameworks and inspection rhythms.
I've run executive-caliber programs (quarterly customer events, blitzes, manager councils) that generated measurable pipeline and revenue—repeatable, low-lift, high-yield.
Multiple AE promotions and sustained top-quartile performance come from simple, transparent scorecards and weekly 1:1s/Gong reviews.
My operating system drops neatly into Datadog's sales training foundation with proven frameworks and inspection rhythms.
At Okta, my teams consistently finished top-5 in revenue and produced multiple promotions by running simple, repeatable cadences. At Cisco Meraki, I ran the #1 global Select team and a $75M book while helping build the mid-market motion from the ground up.
GTM Framework
People / Business / Revenue management approach
- Build credibility fast: share relevant wins, be vulnerable, and respect existing process
- Team profile: process-oriented, gritty, coachable specialists who can sell to CISOs and Dev/Platform leaders
- Overlay ratio: 1 Security Specialist : 4–6 Enterprise AEs, paired with Security SE pool for depth
Hire for curiosity and growth mindset; retain with recognition and clear advancement paths
- Brand the team as "Code-to-Cloud Security Specialists" with published playbook and internal office hours
- Cross-functional cadence with Partner/Alliances, Marketing, SDR, SE leadership
- Partner-first mindset: register/co-sell plays with DPN partners
Make Marketplace (AWS first) a default procurement path
- Bow-Tie growth model: land with one pillar (e.g., Threat) → expand to Code & Cloud → anchor with Labs thought leadership
- Repeatable plays: quarterly field events; executive CECs; vertical/partner campaigns
- Monthly pipeline deep dives to unblock cycles
#1 revenue team, multi-year top-5 finishes; $75M book at Meraki while scaling teams
Three-pillar approach to team performance evaluation
Numbers
- Quota
- YoY Growth
- Pipeline Generation
Behavior
- Punctuality
- Attitude
- Respect
- External Engagement
- Expenses
- PTO
- Harassment/Bullying
Activities
- Calls/Emails
- Demos
- Trials
- Channel
- Customer Meetings
- Promotions
- SFDC Cleanliness and Forecasting
New pipeline to source: ~$400k/month (~2 qualified opps at $200k)
These become the inspection rails on weekly 1:1 tracker and monthly deep dive
Security Product Plays
Four pillars of Datadog's code-to-cloud security strategy
Positioning
Fix what matters, faster—connect code flaws to runtime evidence to prioritize what's exploitable and prove remediation progress.
Who Cares
Proof Points
SAST/SCA with runtime-based prioritization; IAST for code-level findings; end-to-end from repo to prod.
Datadog-Native Trigger
Tie findings to services already monitored in Datadog—no swivel chair.
Positioning
Agentless posture + agent depth for real-time risk reduction across identities, vulns, misconfig, and compliance.
Who Cares
Proof Points
Unified posture, identity risk, and active threat context to detect, prioritize, and fix faster.
Datadog-Native Trigger
Single pane of glass across your entire cloud infrastructure.
Positioning
Cloud SIEM + detections mapped to MITRE ATT&CK; full-stack telemetry (logs, metrics, traces) for faster triage.
Who Cares
Proof Points
Real-time monitoring with out-of-the-box rules and a single pane of glass across modern stacks.
Datadog-Native Trigger
Leverage existing observability data for security insights.
Positioning
Datadog's public research arm—credible fuel for CIO/CISO councils, roadshows, and enablement.
Who Cares
Proof Points
Brief execs on emerging threats; run "Labs Live" talks at customer on-sites; turn research into pipeline via enablement.
Datadog-Native Trigger
Thought leadership that positions Datadog as security innovation leader.
Partner Motion
Explicit alignment to the Datadog Partner Network and transacting/co-sell via AWS Marketplace for frictionless enterprise procurement.
AWS Marketplace IntegrationEnterprise Strategic Initiatives
The differentiators that drive enterprise pipeline and revenue
Curated CISOs/VPs from top accounts; topics sourced from Security Labs + customer benchmarks; outputs = action plans & follow-ups tied to opportunities.
Outcome: Labs links in invites drive credibility and pipeline generation
AM: discovery + platform overview; PM: live working session (Code vulns prioritized by runtime, Cloud posture fixes, Threat detections mapped to their MITRE gaps).
Outcome: Ends with mutual close plan (MEDDIC)
Make AWS Marketplace a default path (private offers, faster cycle time), with partner co-sell where relevant.
Outcome: Reduced friction in enterprise procurement cycles
Build a named list of DPN solution providers & SIs per region; monthly co-marketing webinar + 2× in-person micro-events/quarter.
Outcome: Attach partner services for faster time-to-value
Bring Labs researchers to 3-city swings; align content to current threat roundups and customer stack patterns.
Outcome: Seed pipeline via executive invites and thought leadership
Bundle product storyline + compliance angle + ref architecture + Marketplace route for fintech, healthcare, AI-native verticals.
Outcome: Industry-specific value propositions and accelerated sales cycles
Operating Rhythm & KPIs
Overlay-friendly cadences that drive consistent performance
- 1:1s with specialists (activity review, deal strategy, next best actions)
- Gong review rotation
- Security SE office hours
- Partner/SDR sync
- Pipeline board hygiene
- Pipeline Deep Dive (vs. red/green)—1 hour, every opp inspected to next-step clarity
- Partner-sourced pipeline review
- Event calendar & ROI scorecard
- QBRs with leadership
- Customer Executive Council session
- "Labs Live" roadshow
- Quarter Kickoff with product enablement
Weekly 1:1 Focus
Activity review, deal strategy, and next best actions using proven tracker template
Monthly Deep Dive
Every opportunity inspected to next-step clarity—no red/green, just actionable insights
"These become the non-negotiables we inspect weekly and celebrate when exceeded."
30/60/90 Day Plan
Enterprise & security-specific roadmap for immediate impact
- 1:1s with all team members
- Establish clear expectations and scorecard
- Start weekly Gong review rotation
- Map AEs/SEs/Partner managers relationships
- Set recurring cross-functional cadence
- Stand up Marketplace co-sell path
- Identify top-25 accounts by security signal
- Launch fast-start plays for easiest cross-sell
- Queue larger whale opportunities
- MEDDIC/Command of the Message refresh
- Align to each pillar talk track
- Product-specific coaching sessions
- Host first Customer Executive Council
- Run Code→Cloud On-Site sprint weeks
- Launch first partner roadshow
- Publish "Top 10 security plays" board
- Set attach-rate targets by pillar
- Establish pipeline inspection rhythm
- Institutionalize quarterly QBRs
- Establish Pipeline Deep Dive process
- Launch promotion paths and recognition
- Analyze conversion and cycle time
- Review partner-sourced mix
- Tune resourcing (overlay ratio, SE hours)
- Publish first Labs-powered research briefing
- Connect research to customer opportunities
- Establish thought leadership pipeline
Success Metrics
Team aligned, processes established, quick wins identified
Field motion launched, pipeline building, enablement complete
Scalable systems, optimized performance, thought leadership active
Proof & Recognition
Credible track record of building high-performing teams and driving enterprise revenue
Key Achievements
Program Leadership
Key Achievements
Program Leadership
Consistent Excellence: Multiple years of top-quartile performance, team leadership recognition, and measurable impact on organizational growth through repeatable programs and structured coaching methodologies.
Let's Build Together
Ready to discuss how I can help build Datadog's enterprise security growth engine?
cody.snay@gmail.com
Phone
805.268.5142
Location
Oakland, CA
"I'm excited to bring my proven track record of building enterprise security teams to help Datadog capture the massive market opportunity ahead."
- Cody Snay