Eps 31: 2025 Wrapped
Hosts Samir and Ryan reflect on their podcast's growth in 2025 (recording 17 episodes vs. 14 the previous year) and discuss how AI has transformed sales engineering workflows while emphasizing that human connection remains more critical than ever in B2B sales.
Summary
In this year-end recap episode, the hosts celebrate their podcast's growth from 14 episodes in the previous year to 17 episodes in 2025, setting a goal of 20 episodes for 2026. They extensively discuss the evolution of AI in sales engineering, noting that while AI tools have made them more efficient at tasks like generating demo data, reviewing code, and building documentation, buyers are increasingly craving authentic human interaction in contrast to the AI-generated content flooding their inboxes. Ryan emphasizes that sales engineers should use AI tools to become more effective but warns against over-relying on them or using them to build custom solutions that aren't part of the core product offering. Both hosts stress the critical importance of in-person relationship building, with Ryan sharing a successful initiative where he and his AE delivered donuts to prospects' offices, which resulted in booked meetings and strengthened team dynamics. They argue that as products become increasingly commoditized, the differentiating factor will be the quality of human relationships and the sales team's ability to connect authentically with buyers. The hosts announce plans for an in-person meetup in Chicago and make several predictions for 2026, including the emergence of hybrid sales/sales engineering roles, increased SC involvement in product marketing, the return of in-person events and prospect roundtables, and their advocacy goal of ensuring sales engineers receive equal spiffs to account executives.
About this episode
2025 didn’t redefine presales overnight, but it made the direction impossible to ignore. In this episode, we look back on what we accomplished this year and unpack the real ways the presales role evolved over the last 12 months. The fundamentals are still there, but expectations, scope, and impact are moving faster than many teams realize. We share where we believe presales is heading, what strong teams are already leaning into, and the skills that are becoming harder to ignore as we move into 2026. We also take on the growing conversation around Forward Deployed Engineers. What the role actually means, why it keeps surfacing in presales conversations, and why the industry needs a clearer, more honest discussion about how it fits into modern GTM teams. We close by thanking everyone who listened, watched, shared, and challenged us throughout 2025. This community continues to shape the conversations we care about most. Presales didn’t flip overnight in 2025, but the direction became impossible to ignore. This episode breaks down what shifted and why it matters.
Key Insights
- The hosts argue that while AI tools make sales engineers more efficient, buyers are increasingly seeking authentic human interaction as a counterbalance to AI-generated content
- Ryan warns that AI can lead sales engineers to over-engineer solutions by building custom workflows that aren't part of the core product, potentially creating problems during implementation
- The hosts claim that successful deal closure now depends more on human connection and relationship quality than on technical product differentiation
- Ryan demonstrates that creative in-person outreach like delivering donuts to prospects can successfully generate meetings and differentiate from digital-only approaches
- The hosts assert that sales engineers should focus on developing soft skills over technical skills, as technical capabilities can be supplemented with AI while human connection cannot be automated
- They argue that in-person collaboration between sales engineers and account executives creates superior team dynamics that buyers notice and value
- The hosts predict that sales engineering roles will expand to include more product marketing responsibilities and potentially merge with traditional sales roles
- They advocate that sales engineers should receive equal compensation incentives (spiffs) as account executives, making this a key advocacy goal for their platform
Topics
Transcript
What is up everyone? It is your boy Samir Sahai-Kosler with his favorite co-host. Ryan Krueger. Today I'm growing a beard apparently. I haven't shaved in a few days. Call it the holiday blues. I don't know. We'll see. But today we are going to be discussing a sort of year-end recap for the Diary of a Sales Engineer, what we've accomplished on the podcast. Overall, honestly, just a large thank you to the audience for listening and joining us throughout this journey. The previous year, we made it through episode 14. This year, we recorded 16. This is actually 17 different episodes within the year. So we are continuing to grow, continuing to put out more content. We've had…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from Diary of a Sales Engineer
RIP Traditional Presales
Ryan Krueger and Samir Saher discuss how the sales engineering role is fundamentally transforming due to AI, consumption-based pricing models, and market consolidation, requiring SEs to evolve from pre-sales-only positions into "account engineers" or "forward deploy solution engineers" who manage customers across the entire lifecycle while developing technical skills like coding and maintaining deep domain expertise.
How Sales Engineers Handle Difficult Prospects Without Losing the Deal
Ryan Krueger and Samir Sahai Gosser discuss strategies for handling 'prickly' prospects and internal colleagues in sales engineering. They categorize difficult people into distinct buckets and offer tactical advice for disarming skeptics, managing difficult calls, and building cross-functional relationships. The episode also covers best practices for following up on unknown questions and documenting commitments around unbuilt product features.
From Sales Engineer to CEO | Jeff Wang, CEO of Windsurf
Jeff Wang discusses his transition from sales engineer to CEO of Windsurf, emphasizing how SE skills like versatility and problem-solving translate well to leadership roles. He advocates for SEs to actively identify and solve organizational problems beyond their technical duties to gain broader influence.
If Your SE Never Says No, You Don't Have a Partner
Sales engineers discuss the importance of saying 'no' to account executives as strategic partners rather than order-takers. They emphasize that pushback protects deals, prevents wasted time on bad opportunities, and requires building trust through partnership rather than just being a technical resource.
Eps 32: GTMshift with James Kaikis
James Kaikis, co-founder of Pre-Sales Collective, discusses his entrepreneurial journey after leaving PSC, including his current ventures GTM Shift, AI Revenue Studio, and Solution Exec. He shares insights on the evolution of sales engineering roles and predicts significant changes in go-to-market motions driven by AI.