How I Hacked the RSA Innovation Sandbox Application
Getting selected for the RSA Innovation Sandbox is the holy grail for early-stage cybersecurity startups - the exposure to customers, industry leaders, and VCs is unmatched. VCs literally treat a finalist selection as a massive validation signal.
But what do you do when you want to apply, but your company hasn't even officially launched yet? I decided to submit my company anyway - and we actually got accepted. It turns out, the "launched" requirement can be interpreted flexibly, and early startups shouldn't self-exclude over narrow technicalities. In this rapid-fire session, I am pulling back the curtain on the exact application strategy I used to sell our vision before we had a fully commercialized product.
I'll share how I structured a winning narrative that prioritized real impact over buzzwords, and how you can turn your next award submission into high-converting marketing collateral.
Session Agenda
- Nailing the 3-Minute Video: How I tackled the required elevator pitch video by strictly spending one minute on the problem and two minutes on our solution.
- Ditching the Hollywood Budget: Why I learned that high production value doesn't actually make a difference to the judges, and how we won by focusing on a purpose-built video and authentic founder passion instead.
- Acing the Written Submission: Structuring the answers to be points of validation that the judges wanted to see.
- The Ultimate Marketing ROI: How I immediately reused our pitch video as a teaser in prospecting emails and used the grueling application process to permanently sharpen our website, sales decks, and core messaging.
Speakers
Emily Rosenfield
Marketing Director
Fig
About this Session's Track
GTM, Strategy & Exec Leadership
Hear from seasoned executives on crafting go‑to‑market strategies, aligning cross‑functional teams, and leading transformative growth initiatives.