Crono

Category: Crono Talks

Crono Talks is where we interview founders of cool projects in the SaaS/B2B environment. We’ll find out about the people behind projects that are changing the ecosystem.

  • Crono Talks with the D2 collective

    Crono Talks with the D2 collective

    Hey Croners! Welcome to our brand new column Crono Talks, a series of interviews with projects and people that have blown our minds. We aim to bring inspiration and give deserved credit to those working hard and with great ideas.

    In this episode, we’ll have a chat with Erica Isotta Surace, co-founder of the D2 collective.

    In the first half of this interview, we’ll get to know Erica and then her amazing community project, let’s get started!

    Crono Talks ep.2 – the D2 collective

    Hi Erica, we like to start with a warm-up: describe yourself in 10 words!

    Passionate connector, entrepreneur, and advocate for meaningful connections and community growth.

    Now, can you give us a little overview of your career and projects?

    When I was 24, I started my career in tech sales at LinkedIn, in their Dublin office. At the time I did not know much about the tech industry and how that experience would shape my life, personally and professionally.

    I grew as a sales professional in both scaleups and big tech, like Salesforce and Miro, until I went full-time on the D2 collective. I started the D2 collective together with my best friend, Nastie Schoenmakers, to spark meaningful and genuine connections in the tech industry. 

    The community is inspired by our time in Dublin, working for LinkedIn specifically. I am on a mission to make the [tech] world feel closer to the D2 collective, the fastest-growing community for professionals to make meaningful connections in the tech industry. My vision is to build bridges among people and opportunities, weaving a tapestry of connections that not only strengthen communities but also pave the way for collective growth and endless possibilities.

    What are the bits of advice you’d give to young minds with lots of interests like you?

    Luck alone is just a tale; you need to take action. Value is built over compound interest over time. 

    I guess my advice is to jump into as many opportunities as you can as long as they align: I became the person who can do the things I do today because of what I did yesterday – my first failed business at 21 and the following one at 27, the life I built abroad every time I moved countries and uprooted myself only to leave again after a couple of years, and all the time I ventured outside my comfort zone.

    How does it feel to be Co-Founder of the D2 Collective?

    Co-founding the D2 collective is empowering and inspiring. It fuels a global community, creating avenues for meaningful connections and collective progress in the tech landscape. I do get goosebumps when I hear about the ripple effects of it: someone landing a new job, new-made friends going on a weekend away together and much more.

    Inside the D2 collective

    How would you describe the D2 Collective?

    the D2 collective is a global value-based membership community for those working in the tech industry. Our mission is to make the tech world feel closer through meaningful connections, experiences and learning.

    What’s the story behind the project?

    Nastie and I met in 2017 while starting our careers at LinkedIn in its Dublin HQ. At the time we didn’t know that this experience would entirely shape our lives both professionally and personally. 

    In Dublin, we had the chance to progress in some of the fastest-growing companies worldwide, meet extremely talented people, and form lifelong connections that still last to this day. All of this happened in D2.

    D2 is the neighbourhood in Dublin where most of the tech companies are located and was the starting point of our journey as professionals. Fast forward five years, and the tech industry has seen immense changes in the way we work and connect. 

    While the tech industry has always been at the forefront of innovation and embracing change, adapting to the new way of working, hybrid and remote, has created a disconnection among the tech community and its professionals. So, the question arose: how can we continue to form new and foster existing professional and personal connections? That’s how our journey began in 2022 we have created a space where over 3000+ people can come together online via our community platform and offline: through meet-ups and workshops in our main hubs.

    What are your favourite memories about the D2 and your future goals?

    I love this question. Surprisingly, my favourite memory is not about a big moment (even if we had many of those, like having Job van der Voort, CEO at Remote speak at one of our events for example or when Microsoft’s company page on LinkedIn tagged us in a post for their 22M followers to read). 

    It’s the grit behind building on what’s initially just an idea and committing to that vision at every turn. Most founders would know that pivoting is a natural part of it and I loved every pivot, every moment where we were like “oh, what if we did this differently” and those turns turned out incredibly well. It might be hard to believe but D2 today is different from the first idea we had of it in Spring 2022.

    Why should professionals join the D2 Collective?

    Professionals should join the D2 collective to enhance their lives in our socially disconnected society. Despite hyper-connectivity through technology, a loneliness pandemic persists. D2 fosters meaningful relationships, translating to a more fulfilling and connected life.

  • Crono Talks with SDRs of Italy

    Crono Talks with SDRs of Italy

    Hey Croners! Welcome to our brand new column Crono Talks, a series of interviews with projects and people that have blown our minds. We aim to bring inspiration and give deserved credit to those working hard and with great ideas.

    In our first episode, we’ll have a chat with @Alessandro Marotto, one of the founders of @SDRs of Italy, a community project born to bring together brilliant sales professionals from Italy. 

    In the first part of this interview, we’ll get to know Alessandro and then the idea, let’s get started!

    Crono Talks ep.1 – SDRS of Italy

    Hi Alessandro! First challenge: 10 words to describe yourself

    Enthusiastic, determined, creative, with an entrepreneurial spirit and a methodical approach.

    Can you give us a recap of your career?

    My sales journey started around 8 years ago with a London start-up doing cool things with mobile apps for artists and music events. Back then, all I knew was that I wanted to dive into sales. That was also the time I went back to Uni to get a degree in Business and at the time sales seemed like the perfect fit for me. 

    So one day, I came across a job post on Gumtree (is it still around?), and they were looking for a sales rep who could speak Italian and thrived on customer focus. Luckily, got the job within a week. It was also around this time that I discovered my love for tech, and London was buzzing with tech opportunities at the time.

    Fast forward three years, and I find myself working for SAP, one of the biggest in the software space. From sales rep to account manager and finally to account executive – the past 6/7 years have been a rollercoaster for me. The account executive role, I’ll admit, is crazy demanding but so rewarding. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, making you think on your feet and get super creative.

    What’s the advice you would give to a junior sales in the Italian market?

    Now, the Italian market – it’s also a challenge, no doubt. But it’s also a sweet spot with its own rewards.

    Based on my sales journey, If I were to give some advice to someone looking to start a sales career, I’d say go for it. Sales isn’t just about business; it shapes you personally, teaching you negotiation, communication, and above all, resilience. And the constant need to reinvent yourself – that’s the beauty of sales. On the flip side, flexibility is cool, but I’m afraid it can get lonely with remote work and hundreds of cold calls to make.

    Inside SDRs of Italy

    What’s the story behind SDRs of Italy?

    The idea behind SDRs of Italy was brewing for some time. As a Sales Rep, I wanted a space where salespeople could have a voice, learn, exchange ideas, and not be bored out of their minds.

    Sales can be a grind, especially when you’re making endless calls, all day, by yourself. More than anything, I wanted to shout out to sales reps in Italy – felt like we weren’t getting the recognition they deserved. I mean, come on, we are the oxygen for companies, opening doors left and right. 

    Content creation was something I also wanted to explore, and diving into the community seemed like a great way to integrate that. Didn’t plan on a community, though. It hit me after coming across similar setups elsewhere and realizing there was a gap in the Italian market. So, I took the initiative, created one, and after a few months, people started buzzing about how awesome the idea was.

    Sure, it started with manual invites and me juggling content creation, but a month in, fellow Reps were reaching out, excited to be part of this community. That was the push I needed to keep going and truly believe in this project.

    However, it wasn’t as smooth as it sounds…For 11 months, I tried to pitch the community to others in the hope someone would like the idea and help me with the project. People would dip their toes, interested but hesitating at the thought of working for free and for a non-profit cause. And then, Jacopo walked in.

    I met him through a professional project, and he’s the guy who jumped on this mission when everyone else I contacted was giving me the “not interested” answer. 

    Quick clarification – while it’s called SDRs of Italy, it’s not just about SDRs. We’re spreading the love to account executives, sales managers, senior sales folks and Marketing aiming to consume and helping us delivering value through relevant content.

    What are your 2024 goals?

    We have big plans for SDRs of Italy in 2024! Growing the community in terms of followers and kicking content quality are top priorities. We’re also ruling out website and currently sending out surveys to a chunk of the community to improve what we do and get the content right.

    Why professionals should join and follow SDRs of Italy?

    If you’re in Sales, targeting the Italian Market and reading this, joining SDRs of Italy is a must. Why? Because we’ve got some crazy plans, and there’s no better time to hop on board.

    We are going to introduce ambassadors figures –  folks representing the community delivering knowledge through webinars and classes.

    It’s super easy to reach out to us – hit up our LinkedIn page or send an email to info@sdrsofitaly.com. We’re all ears and ready to welcome you to the SDRs of Italy community.