Appian was once a thriving company that had pega in a lawsuit, and enough Salesforce replacement in the pipeline to last forever. The last 2 years leadership has made the most ignorant decisions that’s left morale through the floor, its own partner base of ex employees looking to competitors, and a collapse of its grip in Fed.
Eliminating the SDR position was the last straw now there’s no pipeline generation wouldn’t be surprised if CEO is looking to sell his shares now and be done with it all
Matt, if your leadership team is struggling to make progress, you might need to face the hard truth that your Core Values don’t align.
Core Values are the non-negotiable principles that define the culture of your organization.
They should serve as a compass for identifying the right people—those who naturally align with your company’s beliefs and behaviors.
When you build your team around shared Core Values, you create consistency, trust, and long-term success. It’s not about finding people who can just do the job; it’s about ensuring they reflect the character and standards of your business, creating stronger alignment and a more cohesive team.
The stronger the culture, the better your hires fit that culture, the higher your retention rate, and the happier your clients will be.
Matt, I believe your core values need a pivot. Perhaps resign and let someone with vision come in and create a new culture that is not toxic and can grow the company versus destroying it.
Kind regards,
A friend
Sadly, this is very true.
From a veteran technology sales perspective, the senior sales staff at Appian is the worst I've ever seen. It was validation that there is, in fact, companies in the marketplace that have absolutely no idea how to sell. It won't surprise me if the CEO gets booted or they are bought.
I think appian is lucky that the job market is less than ideal. I predict an exodus of the tenured employees who are tired of the declining culture, egomaniacal executives, and hapless product strategy. I’ve been here a long time myself and I’ve never felt more disenchanted. After dedicating so much of my life here, I very much hope not to hit my 10 year mark here and that’s very sad.