Most businesses focus on improving their products.
The real opportunity is often somewhere else.
The conversation began with a simple challenge: if you had a database of thousands of CTOs and CIOs, how would you get them to engage with you?
The answer wasn’t to create a better workshop.
It was to become indispensable.
Start With Their Problems, Not Your Product
Every industry has its own pressures.
For CTOs and CIOs, the challenges are rarely technical.
Many are overwhelmed by:
- AI tool sprawl across the organisation
- Constant firefighting and project demands
- Pressure from boards and executives
- Managing large teams and offshore resources
- Aligning technology with business outcomes
- Retaining and developing talent
- Keeping up with relentless change
The mistake most providers make is leading with what they sell.
The better approach is to ask:
“What keeps my customer awake at night?”
Once you understand that, you can start creating value long before you ever make a sale.
Give People What They Want
A powerful philosophy emerged during the discussion:
“Give people what they want, and you’ll get what you want.”
If your audience wants insights, connections, career advice, leadership development, industry benchmarks, or solutions to common frustrations, provide those first.
Don’t focus on selling.
Focus on serving.
When you consistently provide value, trust follows.
And trust creates opportunity.
Become the College of Knowledge
The real opportunity is not to become known for a single workshop.
The opportunity is to become the trusted hub for an entire community.
A “College of Knowledge.”
Imagine being the organisation that CTOs turn to when they need:
- AI education
- Leadership development
- Career guidance
- Recruitment insights
- Industry networking
- Technology strategy
- Professional development
You don’t need to be the expert in every topic.
You simply need to facilitate access to the experts.
Your role becomes that of the connector, curator, and community builder.
The Schwarzkopf Lesson
A story was shared about the growth of shampoo giant Schwarzkopf shared by John Lees who was the Marketing Director who conceived the idea of the “value gap”
Most people assumed their customer was anyone with hair.
The marketing director saw things differently.
He realised his true customer was the hairdresser.
so he asked
What are hairdressers good at? Cutting hair and relationships and listening
What are they not good at ? Money, finance, numbers, business , planning
Rather than simply selling shampoo, the company helped hairdressers run successful businesses.
They supported them with business plans, financial assistance, operational support, and resources.
In return, the hairdressers promoted their product and Schwarzkopf became a worldwide brand name and best selling shampoo within 3 years - exclusively sold through hairdressers!
The lesson?
Success came from solving the customer’s broader problems—not from selling a better shampoo.
The same principle applies in every industry.
Distribution Is More Valuable Than Product
One of the most important insights was this:
The money is rarely in the product.
The money is in the relationship.
The money is in the distribution.
The money is in becoming the trusted centre of influence.
There are thousands of trainers, consultants, coaches, recruiters, and AI experts.
Most struggle because they have expertise but lack access to audiences.
If you become the organisation that owns the relationship with thousands of CTOs, CIOs, HR leaders, or business owners, you become the hub everyone wants access to.
That’s where the real value is created.
Building a Community Ecosystem
The proposed model was simple:
Create ongoing events, forums, breakfasts, webinars, and networking opportunities.
Bring together:
- CTOs
- CIOs
- HR Directors
- Recruiters
- Leadership specialists
- AI experts
- Trainers
- Consultants
Each participant contributes value to the community.
The organiser becomes the trusted platform connecting everyone together.
Instead of selling one workshop, you’re creating an ecosystem.
Trust Takes Time
One of the key observations was that trust is no longer built quickly.
In today’s AI-driven world, people are sceptical.
They need repeated exposure.
The discussion suggested that meaningful trust may require more than twenty touchpoints.
People need to:
- See you repeatedly
- Hear your message consistently
- Attend events
- Engage in conversations
- Experience value over time
Only then do they become comfortable doing business.
The goal is not a single interaction.
The goal is an ongoing relationship.
The Bigger Opportunity
The future belongs to organisations that help people learn continuously.
Technology changes too quickly for static knowledge.
Today’s skills become obsolete rapidly.
The winning organisations will be those that make lifelong learning simple, accessible, and engaging.
For CTOs, CIOs, and business leaders, the challenge isn’t finding information.
It’s finding trusted sources, relevant insights, and meaningful communities.
The organisation that becomes that trusted source becomes incredibly valuable.
Final Thought
Products can be copied.
Workshops can be replicated.
Technology evolves.
Relationships endure.
The organisations that win are not necessarily those with the best product.
They are the ones that become the trusted centre of influence for their community.
Become the College of Knowledge.
Serve first.
Build trust.
Create community.
The opportunities will follow.
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