Hello Tech Nation Forum,
I’m in the process of applying for the Tech Nation Global Talent Visa (Exceptional Promise route) and would greatly appreciate your feedback on my evidence for the Mandatory Criteria. I want to ensure everything is clear and impactful, as I’m looking to demonstrate my leadership in the digital technology field. Below are the details of my evidence for each mandatory criterion, along with specific questions I’d love your expertise on:
MC1: Led the Growth of a Product-Led Company
Description:
I served at a Silicon Valley Cyber AI company that was recognized in Forbes’ Top 50 and CRN Top 10 Hottest AI Security Companies. The company was later acquired by one of the largest vulnerability management firms. In my role, I led the technical team, drove innovation in cloud security, threat research, and defense, and oversaw key initiatives in securing multi-cloud environments.
Questions:
- Does this clearly satisfy the Mandatory Criteria of “leading the growth of a product-led tech company”? (Looking for a simple yes/no with reasoning.)
- Are there any red flags or weak areas that assessors might question or misunderstand in this evidence?
MC2: Conferences
Description:
As the lead speaker at a virtual event on LLM jailbreaks and AI hacking, I presented alongside two CEOs of mid-sized cybersecurity companies. The event had around 21 participants, and I focused on critical areas of security innovation.
Questions:
- Is speaking at a virtual conference with ~21 participants considered strong enough to support the Mandatory Criteria for leadership in digital technology?
- Is it worth including this as a standalone evidence, or would it be better to combine with another talk, publication, or community leadership example to create a stronger, more complete evidence?
- Does the topic (LLM jailbreaks and AI hacking) help demonstrate thought leadership and relevance, even if the audience size was relatively small?
- Do Tech Nation assessors only accept well-known events like Black Hat or DEFCON, or is a smaller, specialized event acceptable?
MC3: Media Publication
Description:
My previous company was acquired, and due to the domain change, all my older blog posts are no longer accessible—only one article from that time is still available and it’s over a year old. Now, I’ve written 8 high-level technical articles that I’m planning to publish soon. Since these will be recently published, would they still count as valid evidence for the mandatory criteria?"
Questions:
- Does publishing 8 technical articles on cybersecurity (with 6 published and 2 upcoming) sufficiently meet the ‘Media Recognition’ requirement under the Mandatory Criteria?
I hope to get feedback from experts in the field and previous applicants who can share their insights or offer suggestions on strengthening my evidence. Any advice or tips will be greatly appreciated!
@Francisca_Chiedu @pahuja
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Thank you in advance for your time and guidance!
Best,
Mr. Miqi
In MC1, include one extra recommendation letter. The person writing it should proudly support whatever you are saying. Everything you mention should be proven by someone else who knows you.
@Irfan_Ahmed Thanks for your feedback, appreciated!
Sir, are you talking about a reference letter from the manager? Please confirm!
Additionally, what are your suggestions for MC2 and MC3?
In MC2, do I need more conferences?
@Francisca_Chiedu @pahuja
I request you to provide me with your feedback on this post
Anxiously waiting to see your responses!
Hey Miqi, your evidence for leading a product-led company (MC1) needs clearer links to your personal leadership impact. Tech Nation requires proof of how you drove growth, not just company achievements. Can you share specific metrics or third-party validation (e.g., client testimonials) showing how your work directly enabled commercial success?
The virtual conference (MC2) may not meet the “high-profile event” threshold as described in the criteria. Tech Nation typically expects events with 100+ attendees or sector-wide recognition. Could you clarify if this event is part of a recognized conference series or has published attendance figures from organizers?
For media publications (MC3), recently published articles may be acceptable if they appear in professional/major trade publications per guidelines. Are your new articles being published through established industry platforms or personal/company blogs? This distinction matters for meeting evidence standards.
Thank you for the feedback — I truly appreciate the opportunity to clarify and strengthen my application.
Answering for MC1. following are the contribution that I put in MC1:
-
Threat Detection & Response
As SOC Analyst Lead, I played a hands-on role in detecting and mitigating real-world cyber threats.
For this, I’ve included a screenshot of an actual attack I personally stopped at a major energy sector company.
-
SE Labs Certification
I actively contributed to achieving our SE Labs certification—an important benchmark for cybersecurity products.
I’ve attached a screenshot of our manager acknowledging my contribution to this success.
Also included is the SE Labs certificate we received after successfull testing
-
MITRE-Based EDR Testing
I led a project using the MITRE ATT&CK framework to evaluate and improve our Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities.
This initiative uncovered critical security gaps, directly influencing product enhancement.
Screenshots of these findings are attached, highlighting both initiative and technical leadership.
These contributions not only strengthened our product’s security posture but also played a role in building client trust and driving commercial growth.
Can you share specific metrics or third-party validation (e.g., client testimonials) showing how your work directly enabled commercial success?
To answer this part, I can ask my manager to provide a reference letter that provides validation for the above projects. I’ll also need a recommendation letter for the GTV requirement—would it be okay if I get both from him?
Please let me know if you’d like any additional details.
Best regards,
Very Important Questions regarding MC3, so, I know where should publish
I have authored eight well-researched, information-rich articles for various publications. I had a few quick questions regarding how Tech Nation (or its successor body) might evaluate these publications.
My main concerns are:
- Evaluation Metrics:
What are the minimum or expected metrics (e.g., website traffic, domain authority) that Tech Nation considers when evaluating the credibility and impact of published work?
- Platform Credibility:
How do they determine whether a website or publication is reputable? I have a few cybersecurity-focused platforms in mind with monthly traffic ranging from 1,000 to 80,000, and most have decent Domain Authority scores.
- Publishing Strategy:
Would it be more impactful to publish all articles on a single reputable blog/website (to build consistent presence), or should I aim to publish across multiple well-regarded platforms within the cybersecurity domain?
All the websites I’m considering are industry-relevant and focused on cybersecurity, but I want to ensure the strategy aligns with what Tech Nation would view favorably in an endorsement application.
@Akash_Joshi Please respond!
You have not listed the exact documents you will be providing for the mandatory criteria. What’s the evidence you led the technical team in MC1? What’s the evidence you have for NC2, was the virtual conference well attended, do you have pictures of you speaking, reference letter from the organiser, programme of event with your name on it? MC3, recent publications close to the timing of your apply won’t count.
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