Testimonials for Full Stack Presales
Matthew Young James
Senior Presales Consultant & co-host of The Presales Collective podcast
Lots of people seek out coaching when things are going wrong.
Matthew sought it out when most everything was going right.
Matthew Young James came into Full Stack Presales already successful by almost every measure.
He's a Senior Presales Consultant, co-host of the Presales Collective Podcast, and one of the most recognizable voices in the Presales community.
Before joining Full Stack Presales Coaching, he’d recently moved from a scale-up into a 6,000-person enterprise, and was focused on building trust with AEs, learning the platform, and establishing his reputation in a completely new environment.
At the same time, he was also focused on presales podcasting, speaking at community events, advising startups, diving deeper into AI … and still thinking about what to get involved in next!
None of those things were a problem, per se. But the problem was they all felt like top priority.
It’s a common wall many high-performers experience - when success creates more worthwhile opportunities than anyone could realistically pursue at once.
Eventually, he found himself asking a question many ambitious SEs run into:
"What is all this for? Where is it taking me? Am I actually spending my time on the right things?"
Matthew sought out coaching to step back from the day-to-day, reconnect with what he wanted his Presales career to become, and bring more intention to everything he was saying yes to.
We started by looking at his career as a whole: his fintech background, his new role, his podcast, community involvement, and the work that consistently gave him energy.
The thread running through everything that fueled Matthew wasn't simply Presales.
It was helping people make sense of complex ideas, whether that meant hosting a podcast, moderating a panel, or representing his company.
That insight shaped our focus in the coaching program. Instead of asking, "What should I do or not do?" we started asking,
"What kind of professional do I want to become?"
We were able to define what Matthew wanted to be known for, the impact he wanted to have, and the career he wanted to build over the next one, three, and five years.
That long-term direction became his North Star.
Once we had that, prioritization became much easier. Instead of treating every opportunity as equally important, we could ask a better question:
Does this move Matthew closer to his North Star?
Together, we had honest conversations about energy, focus, and the difference between being busy and making meaningful progress. Projects were parked, not abandoned. Timelines moved.
New ideas stopped automatically becoming new commitments.
From there, we built a quarterly roadmap—but more importantly, a repeatable decision-making framework. Every new opportunity could be filtered through the same questions:
Does this align with my North Star?
Is this the right time?
If I say yes to this, then what am I saying no to?
The roadmap wasn't just a plan for the next quarter, but a system Matthew could return to whenever a new idea, project, or opportunity came his way.
But narrowing his focus didn't mean slowing his career down.
By the end of H1, Matthew had:
Raised his profile internally
Earned recognition from leadership, and
Felt on top of everything he'd committed to.
Three months earlier, Matthew had been asking:
"What is all this for? Where is it taking me?"
By the end of the program, he had his answer.
He didn't leave with fewer ambitions, but with the confidence that he was investing his time in the right ones.
More Testimonials
“Alice was an amazing career coach who helped me realize my value and gave me more confidence to go after what I want.”
I found Alice through one of her LinkedIn webinars and it became clear from the jump that she was incredibly knowledgeable about SaaS and the solutions consulting world as a whole. As someone who was seeking to level-up my technical skills and advance my career, I knew working with Alice would be extremely valuable.
I've been floating on as an SE without any true enablement from my past or current companies. Working with Alice allowed me to sharpen my demo skills, storytelling, and SaaS knowledge so I'll be better prepared for future opportunities. She truly wants you to succeed and knows what it takes to get you there.
Alice was an amazing career coach who helped me realize my value and gave me more confidence to go after what I want. Working with Alice allowed me to sharpen my demo skills, storytelling, and SaaS knowledge so I can show up as the best SE I can be. She truly wants you to succeed and knows what it takes to get you there. I would highly recommend anyone to work with Alice!
I've struggled with imposter syndrome since pivoting into a more technical role, but she has helped me immensely with my confidence and realizing that I do have a lot to offer as an SE/SC. I have a different outlook on what I bring to the table and a renewed optimism about my career trajectory.
— Mandie Botinelly, Senior SE
“The results have been immediate. “
Before working with Alice, my demos were structured around features. I was walking attorneys through how the cake gets made instead of just showing them the cake. I was using technical jargon with rooms full of lawyers who don't think in technical jargon and not fully leveraging personas to tell compelling stories.
Alice introduced me to her Three-Act Demo framework and completely reoriented how I think about storytelling. I now use Tell Show Tell to build a narrative and I weave the features into their story so the value lands naturally. She also pushed me to develop one-line elevator pitches for every capability I demo so I never lose the thread. Or the room.
The results have been immediate. After our first session, I ran a demo that the consultant called "maybe the best structured demo I've ever sat on." The client was sold before the follow-up even happened.
— Kathya Pineda, PubSec SC at NetDocuments
“Working with Alice helped me secure a role in a field I actually want to be in.”
Honestly, I couldn't recommend working with Alice enough. She's clearly got a unique outlook on writing a CV. She didn't just rewrite it with keywords - she sees the CV as foundational to the career narrative. Not only did she condense it down to one page, it now really hits on the impact I've made in each one of my roles - I couldn't have done it without her!
It has helped me secure a job in the field I want to be in (I started three days ago). Massive thank you to Alice and I recommend working with Alice for absolutely anything - I look forward to continuing to work with her.
— Adam Liddle, Senior Account Executive at Blum
"Alice guided me through the process with patience and expertise."
Alice has been incredible in helping me update and upgrade my professional brand. After spending over 14 years with my previous employer, I knew I needed a refresh, and Alice guided me through the process with patience and expertise. She provided thoughtful advice and practical suggestions that made a real difference. Thanks to her support, I feel more confident and prepared to present myself in today’s market.
Alice is an outstanding resource for anyone looking to elevate their LinkedIn presence and professional brand. Her guidance on profile optimization, resume positioning, and content strategy is both practical and impactful.
Her live workshops—especially around LinkedIn, visibility, and AI-related topics—are engaging, insightful, and immediately actionable. Alice has a unique ability to simplify complex ideas and turn them into clear next steps.
I highly recommend working with Alice if you want to stand out and communicate your value more effectively.
— Jay Maikowski, Principal SC at Infios
The Full Stack Fluency Course
"I've learnt a lot just in the first three modules and it's all been highly relevant."
I'm so glad to have found SaaS Savvy and connected with Alice! This Full Stack Fluency course is exactly what I needed to build the foundational knowledge and confidence to take a more prominent position in technical discussions with customers.
After transitioning to support a more technically complex platform as a CSM, I knew I'd be able to contribute more meaningfully during discovery and implementation calls if I better understood customers' technical requirements and challenges in the context of their unique tech stacks, and how the product I'm selling relates to and drives value in that wider picture.
I've learnt a lot just in the first three modules and it's all been highly relevant.
Alice is a fantastic teacher who cares deeply about the quality and accessibility of her course. So much thought and time has clearly been poured into the content and its delivery. I love that there's a mix of well-paced videos with explainer visuals, quizzes, additional resources like podcasts and articles and fictional company scenarios created by Alice to apply the teachings to which helps with understanding the real-life application.
Having a small and friendly community of other learners too is a great bonus! I've had fun sharing thoughts and asking questions in our group sessions.
I couldn't ask for more! It's been a great investment in my personal development and I highly recommend it! 10/10
— Bianca Blades-Mee, Customer Success Manager at Panintelligence
“ I find myself actively participating at company All Hands and product launches as thanks to SaaS Savvy I have the tech knowledge to ask insightful questions and start conversations."
Full Stack Fluency was the perfect course to take as I was transitioning from the legal field into tech sales. The big picture tech history it focused on not only made the industry make more sense, but it also gave context to the terms and jargon that came up throughout the interview process.
The modules on cloud computing and SaaS architecture were particularly valuable—they helped me understand how document storage works in the cloud versus on-prem systems, which is crucial knowledge for technical discovery calls with prospects. When customers ask about multi-tenancy, data security, or API integrations with their existing legal tech stack, I know what they're talking about and can confidently provide the right answers.
I successfully landed a role in Presales for a cloud-based document management solution, and the course and live cohort have been an incredible reference and sounding board as I've onboarded. While my legal background meant I had domain expertise, the SaaS course bridged the technical gap, allowing me to translate between legal requirements and technical capabilities.
Thanks to SaaS Savvy, I'm a more confident and knowledgeable first-time SC. What's more, I find myself actively participating at company All Hands and product launches as I have the tech knowledge to ask insightful questions and start conversations.
— Kathya Pineda, PubSec SC at NetDocuments
“The Full Stack Fluency course was outstanding.”
The format was clear and engaging, and I loved the way the flow and history were presented. It not only reinforced what I already knew but also taught me so much more, helping me connect the dots and put everything together. I now feel far more comfortable having technical discussions, which is a huge confidence boost. I would highly recommend every component of the training — from the courseware to the group discussions and the one‑on‑one sessions. Each piece added real value and made the experience complete."
— Jay Maikowski, Principal SC at Infios
"It's especially valuable for those having conversations with seasoned veterans where it's easy to get out of depth and lose credibility and trust."
I wish I could have taken this Full Stack Fluency course a long time ago! I've been lucky to have exposure to much of the history of computing having started my career in the 90's, but I've never had an opportunity to step back and learn the background to the current world of SaaS that we are all living in.
This course has value for almost anyone working in technology at almost any stage of their career. It's especially valuable for those starting out in Sales and Solution Consulting who are having conversations with seasoned veterans where it is very easy to get out of depth and lose credibility and trust.
— Lorna Spicer, Senior Presales Manager, ServiceNow
"The SaaS Savvy program has been a true game-changer for me as a Solutions Consultant."
Full Stack Fluency bridged the gap between sales and technical fluency—giving me more confidence around discussing APIs, cloud architecture, and AI than ever. It's equipped me with knowledge to close bigger, more strategic deals and elevate my credibility in every customer conversation."
— Jessica Cousins, Senior SC at Motive
"Alice is great at making the content relatable."
I enrolled in the Full Stack Fluency course to bolster my own understanding of various concepts and to join a community of learners with the same goal. Alice is great at making the content relatable. She also reinforces concepts by finding and sharing relevant podcast episodes and articles, and spurring discussion.
— Melanie Flores, Senior SC at SAP (Manufacturing)
“If you need help navigating the world of tech, go to Alice.”
“I got to work directly with Alice for almost 5 years at Zendesk. She excelled at translating complex technical solutions to a simple language that all could understand. It is no surprise to me that she has started her own business doing all of this. If you need help learning how to navigate the world of tech, go to Alice. She will get you there.”
— Jakub Glodek, Head of Presales at BrightData
“Alice's take was the best I'd ever seen.”
Alice created a high value internal training that demystifies the complexities of Zendesk's messaging products. When the engineering team saw it we added it to our own onboarding path. Acquisitions normally produce a period of complexity in the product, & when Zendesk acquired Smooch this was no exception, but Alice's take on it was the best explanation I had ever seen.
— Andrew Lavers, Co-Founder of Smooch.io (now Zendesk)