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Riley Reist
Cisco IoT - Industry 4.0 - Cybersecurity - IT/OT Convergence
Riley Reist is a professional with a diverse background in technology, sales, and entrepreneurship. While he previously worked at Cisco, he is no longer with the company. His career has evolved since then, and he is now focused on helping early-stage startups and founders.
Current Role and Focus
Riley is currently the founder of founderled.io, a venture aimed at assisting early-stage founders in accelerating their journey through founder-led sales.34 He describes himself as someone who builds growth engines for early-stage startups.6
Professional Background
- Previously worked at Cisco, with his last day being in January 2023.1
- Experienced in IT/Telecom consulting, specializing in Sales Management, Account Relations, and Business Development techniques.1
- Has expertise in secure connectivity solutions for challenging environments.
Entrepreneurial Ventures
Riley is actively involved in the startup ecosystem. He works with founders and has insights into what makes successful entrepreneurs. He believes that the best founders balance delusion with paranoia, being optimistic enough to pursue ambitious goals while remaining vigilant about potential challenges.5
Additional Interests
- Co-host of the outPerform podcast, where he interviews notable figures like Craig Masback, a world-class runner.2
- Former tennis player at Ohio State University.6
- Continues to be involved in running.6
Riley Reist's LinkedIn profile showcases his professional journey and current focus on helping startups grow through effective sales strategies and founder support.
Highlights
“Yes, talent matters. I’m not going to stand here and tell you that it doesn’t. But talent has a broad definition. Most of the time it’s not about having a gift. It’s about having grit.”
Roger Federer’s commencement speech at Dartmouth over the weekend is a must watch.
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An observation after working with early stage SaaS founders the past 2 years.
Obsessing over details is table stakes. What separates the good vs great is intense focus on the details that move the needle.
Over-indexing on the wrong things is a silent killer & time waster in a game where speed is everything.
A tricky tight-rope to walk...
