Technology Company SSO Migration: 5,000 Employees

A fast-growing SaaS company had outgrown their legacy SSO solution. Engineers were frustrated with login issues impacting productivity, IT was overwhelmed with password reset tickets, and the security team was concerned about the lack of MFA enforcement. The company was also preparing for SOC 2 certification and needed stronger authentication controls to pass the audit. Their current vendor's pricing had increased 40% at renewal, creating budget pressure. Developer experience was a top priority for the company culture, and any solution needed to minimize friction.

I led with technical credibility, engaging directly with the VP of Engineering and DevOps team to understand their workflow requirements and frustrations with the current solution. I arranged a hands-on POC where their engineers could test our API, CLI tools, and developer experience features. This created internal champions who advocated for the switch. I quantified the cost of password reset tickets and lost productivity, building a business case that resonated with the CFO. We demonstrated 40% cost savings compared to their current vendor's renewal quote. I also connected them with reference customers - similar-stage startups who had made the same migration.

The POC ran for two weeks with their engineering team, who documented their experience and shared positive feedback internally via Slack. I facilitated reference calls with three similar tech companies, including one where the CTO had previously been skeptical but became a strong advocate. For the contract negotiation, I structured a growth-friendly pricing model that reduced per-seat costs as they scaled, aligning with their rapid hiring plans. I coordinated migration support with our professional services team, offering a dedicated migration engineer for the first month.

Technical credibility with engineering teams drives tech company deals - investing in hands-on POCs pays dividends in champion development. Quantifying IT cost savings resonates with CFOs and creates budget for migration investments. Growth-friendly pricing models reduce friction for fast-growing companies and build long-term relationships.