The Convergence of Presales and Post-Sales: A New Career Path with Shamil Turner
Presales Podcast by Presales CollectiveShow Notes
Presales teams are being asked more and more to do post-sales work. This isn't a fad or something we're doing in the short term. This is a significant change for the broader profession of presales and solutions consulting. What was once occasional support for implementations or customer renewals is now becoming formal job responsibilities for solutions consultants across the industry.
In this episode, Jack Cochran sits down with Shamil Turner, Global Technical Solutions Leader at Figma and Presales Collective advisory board member, to explore why this shift is happening and what it means for the future of presales.
Shamil brings a unique perspective to this conversation: he was the first SE hired at Figma, built their entire solutions engineering organization from the ground up, and has now transitioned into a post-sales technical leadership role. Together they discuss the strengths that SEs bring to the table that has a profound impact on a company-customer relationships AFTER the sale has happened, and how this plays out in a new role that has been emerging over the past year, the Forward Deployed Engineer. Whether you're a leader making organizational decisions or an IC just getting started, this conversation will help you understand how the world of solutions is evolving. Thank you to Saleo for sponsoring this episode! Follow Us Connect with Jack Cochran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackcochran/
Connect with Shamil Turner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamil-turner/
Links and Resources Mentioned Join Presales Collective Slack: https://www.presalescollective.com/slack
Sol/Con 2026 (Chicago, August 2026): https://www.presalescollective.com/solcon-2026
Presales Collective Podcast: https://www.presalescollective.com/podcast
Saleo: https://saleo.io
Key Topics Covered The Growing Trend of Presales Teams Doing Post-Sales Work
Historical Context: How SEs Have Always Supported Post-Sales
Forward Deployed Engineer Roles in Consumption-Based Models
Why Presales Skills Are Valuable for Customer Onboarding
Shamil's Journey from First SE at Figma to Global Technical Solutions Leader
The Convergence of Pre and Post-Sales Functions
Career Implications for Presales Professionals at All Levels
What This Means for the Future of Solutions Organizations
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