← LibraryCase No. 18
Medium stakesYour own employer (travel inventory platform) · In-house SEO function defense

"You Haven't Shipped Anything New This Year"

Your VP perceives stagnation. Reality is you shipped 14 meaningful improvements they never noticed.

Based on real client experiences, but anonymized and dramatized to protect identities and confidential relationships.

The setup

In your 1:1, your new VP Marketing says: "Honestly, the SEO function feels the same as a year ago. I'm not sure we're getting more from it than we did when I joined."

The three data points
  1. 01More than a dozen technical and content shipments in the last year — your VP has seen none of them in product
  2. 02Several unused product features your work unlocked directly address goals the VP shared at their first 1:1
  3. 03Your monthly updates were sent but the VP never opens them
How you pitch

3 minutes to flip perception without being defensive. "You're wrong" loses. "Let me show you" wins. This 1:1 is the start of your headcount review.

What makes it exciting

Perception vs reality gap inside your own company. You have the data on your side, but data alone won't move a new VP. Story does.