Cynomi is a cybersecurity and compliance management platform built for MSPs, service providers delivering security services to small and medium-sized businesses.
When Cynomi entered the market, the term “vCISO” was gaining traction among MSPs. It was being used at conferences and in conversations, but it was not yet a defined category
There was no shared definition, no centralized community, no formal education, and no clear path for MSPs to deliver vCISO services. The term existed. The market did not.
For Cynomi to succeed, the category itself had to be defined, and then owned.
“People know about Cynomi. We’re in a leadership position, which is amazing. They now understand the power of it – because for sales, as well, it’s so much easier for them.”
Cynomi had early signals of demand. Their initial efforts showed that MSPs were eager to expand into vCISO services, but lacked clarity on what those services should include and how to successfully deliver them.
At this point, Cynomi partnered with Blue Seedling to move beyond validation and take a more deliberate approach: building and owning the vCISO category.
Together, we shifted the focus from capturing existing demand to shaping it.
Blue Seedling worked closely with Cynomi’s leadership team to design a category creation strategy built on three core pillars: community, education, and elevating leaders.
The objective was not just awareness, but long-term category ownership.
Looking at the emerging vCISO market revealed a critical gap – there was no central place to discover providers or define the ecosystem.
To close that gap, Cynomi launched the first-ever vCISO Directory, bringing together providers across the US, UK, and Canada.
Blue Seedling led the strategy, positioning, and launch of the vCISO Directory, transforming it from a simple listing into a category-defining asset.
Within months, more than 650 providers joined – each validating the category while also representing a potential customer.
The directory demonstrated momentum in the market and began cementing the association between “vCISO” and Cynomi in press and industry conversations.
To support MSPs entering the space, Cynomi launched the first vCISO Academy – a training hub designed to provide the skills, tools, and confidence needed to offer virtual CISO services.
Blue Seedling shaped the positioning, messaging, and launch – ensuring the Academy reinforced Cynomi’s authority while solving real practitioner needs.
The Academy generated more than 2,000 form submissions and continues to drive strong engagement through ongoing course and resource downloads.
Through coordinated press, content repurposing, and ongoing category messaging, Blue Seedling ensured that every Academy touchpoint strengthened Cynomi’s ownership of the vCISO space.
Rather than leading with product, Cynomi focused on educating the market into maturity – and as understanding deepened, demand followed.
Cynomi understood that building a category requires cultivating a community of advocates, so we got to work elevating Cynomi’s partners.
Blue Seedling developed and executed a content and recognition strategy to spotlight practitioners within the emerging vCISO ecosystem. This included an interview series featuring MSPs transitioning into vCISO recognition lists highlighting top leaders, and collaborative content creation with community members
Community members also contributed to Academy content, reinforcing credibility and ensuring the category was shaped by real practitioners.
This approach drove tangible business impact. In one case, public recognition of a vCISO strengthened their internal credibility and directly contributed to a larger contract with Cynomi.
By intentionally elevating others, Blue Seedling helped Cynomi build an ecosystem where customers became advocates and category momentum compounded over time.
Cynomi became the defining company in the vCISO category, bringing clarity to the market and making sales conversations faster and more effective.
The vCISO Directory generated a pipeline of more than 650 qualified prospects, while the Academy drove over 2,000 highly engaged leads.
The category infrastructure Blue Seedling helped build – directory, Academy, press, and community – made it easier to convert awareness into revenue.
As the category matured and Cynomi’s leadership solidified, the company raised $37M to accelerate growth.
Today, Cynomi is recognized as a leader in the vCISO space, not only because of its product, but because it helped define the market itself.
Cynomi did not wait for the category to mature.
With Blue Seedling as a strategic partner, they validated demand, built category infrastructure, educated the market before selling into it, and elevated practitioners to create credibility and momentum.
By defining the category and building the community around it, Cynomi established a leadership position designed for long-term growth.
And in the process, they turned a buzzword into a market.
