Piets Blog

Burnout to Breakthrough: Resilience Strategies for IT Professionals

23. July 202512. July 2025Peter van ZeistGeneral / Solutions Consulting / The serious things in lifeLeave a comment

Resilience Strategies for IT Professionals is a practical, science-backed guide for knowledge workers facing chronic stress and emotional exhaustion. Written with a blend of personal insight and professional experience, the post explores how to recognize early warning signs of burnout—like fatigue, cynicism, and reduced effectiveness—before they take a lasting toll. Drawing on real-life examples from the tech industry, it offers proven strategies such as time-blocking for rest, setting boundaries, practicing mindfulness, and seeking mentorship or therapy.

The article is especially relevant for IT professionals navigating high-pressure environments, long hours, and demanding clients. The author shares personal reflections from a near-burnout experience during the LastPass security incident and underscores the value of taking intentional breaks—like a two-week unplugged holiday—as key to recovery.

This post is essential reading for developers, sysadmins, engineers, and anyone working in tech who wants to sustain performance without sacrificing well-being. With an encouraging tone and actionable advice, it helps readers shift from burnout toward a more balanced, motivated, and healthy professional life.

The AI-Augmented Solutions Consultant: 15 Ways LLMs Are Redefining Presales in 2025 (and Beyond)

17. July 202512. July 2025Peter van ZeistSolutions ConsultingLeave a comment

Discover how ChatGPT and Copilot are transforming the role of Solutions Consultants in SaaS presales. This in-depth 2025 guide explores 15+ real-world use cases—like AI-powered demo scripts, faster RFP responses, and smarter discovery prep—backed by the latest data on time savings, win rates, and deal acceleration. Whether you’re a Solutions Engineer or presales leader, learn how AI tools are boosting productivity, reducing burnout, and helping teams deliver more value in less time.

Impatience – An Illness of Modern Times

9. July 20259. July 2025Peter van ZeistSolutions ConsultingLeave a comment

In today’s fast-paced digital era, impatience has become an “illness of modern times” – especially impacting the SaaS sales cycle and B2B sales strategies. This summary delves into how the drive for instant results and quick wins creates challenges in B2B SaaS sales, from rushed sales cycles to strained client relationships. In a culture of instant gratification, sales teams and buyers often expect immediate ROI, yet enterprise SaaS deals typically involve multi-month sales cycles that demand a patient, trust-building approach. It highlights how modern impatience (like abandoning campaigns early when results aren’t instant) often clashes with the consultative presales strategies needed for complex B2B deals. Key themes include the role of solutions consulting and presales in addressing impatience by educating prospects and tailoring solutions, and the value of professional patience in SaaS sales. Readers will gain insights into balancing urgency with patience, adopting presales strategies that foster trust, and understanding why cultivating patience in the modern SaaS environment is crucial for sustainable success.

10 Travel Essentials for Solutions Consultants (from Someone Who’s Been There)

17. June 20257. June 2025Peter van ZeistSolutions ConsultingLeave a comment

Discover the top 10 travel essentials every Solutions Consultant should carry. From must-have tech gear like a MacBook presenter and privacy screen to practical items like a reusable water bottle and branded lanyard, this guide is packed with real-world tips to boost your productivity and professionalism on the road. Whether you’re headed to a client workshop, trade show, or coworking space, these expert-recommended tools will help you stay organized, secure, and ready for anything.

Taming the SaaS Sprawl: How IAM Can Rein in Shadow IT in 2025

30. May 20256. June 2025Peter van ZeistDigital / Internet / SoftwareLeave a comment

In 2025, SaaS sprawl and Shadow IT are creating critical blind spots for IT and security teams. This in-depth guide explores how modern Identity and Access Management (IAM), combined with SaaS Monitoring tools like those from LastPass, empowers organizations to regain visibility, enforce secure access, and support business agility. Learn how to move from reactive firefighting to strategic governance — and why visibility is the missing link in your cloud security strategy.

Climate Protection Doesn’t Save the Climate. It Saves Us!

23. May 202519. May 2025Peter van ZeistGeneralLeave a comment

Climate change isn’t about saving the planet—it’s about protecting ourselves. In this in-depth blog post, we challenge the widespread misconception that climate protection is an act of environmental charity. Backed by the latest science, we show how Europe is warming faster than any other continent, with dire consequences for human health, economic stability, food security, infrastructure, and energy systems. From power plant shutdowns in France and failing harvests to soaring insurance costs, collapsing supply chains, and rising climate-driven migration, the post explains why climate action is no longer optional—it’s a matter of survival. With a clear message for decision-makers and business leaders, the article calls for a fundamental shift in how we understand and prioritize climate protection.

Automating Your Pool Pump in Home Assistant Based on Daily Temperature

16. May 202524. June 2025Peter van ZeistDigital / Home Improvement / Internet / Nerd Stuff / Smart HomeLeave a comment

Smart Pool Pump Automation with Home Assistant Based on Daily Temperature
Learn how to automate your pool pump in Home Assistant using a simple rule: run it for one third of the daily maximum temperature (in hours). This guide walks you through creating dynamic template sensors and a Home Assistant automation that adjusts pump runtime based on weather conditions — saving energy and maintaining water quality. Ideal for smart home enthusiasts looking to optimize pool maintenance using Home Assistant, YAML templates, and weather-based logic.

Time Management for Solutions Consultants: Mastering Your Most Valuable Resource

9. May 202512. May 2025Peter van ZeistSolutions ConsultingLeave a comment

Discover a practical, impact-driven time management framework designed specifically for presales Solutions Consultants. Learn how to structure your day, prioritize with the Impact vs. Effort matrix, reduce stress, and deliver more value in every customer interaction. Includes deep work strategies, email control tips, demo prep efficiencies, and a powerful calendar clean-up exercise. Perfect for SCs looking to work smarter, not harder.

Chasing the Electric Dream: How Combustion Cars Have Spent 30 Years Trying to Be EVs (And Still Aren’t)

2. May 202529. April 2025Peter van ZeistElectric Mobility / The serious things in lifeLeave a comment

Why have combustion cars spent 30 years trying to feel like electric vehicles—without actually going electric? From turbos to dual-clutch gearboxes to complex exhaust systems, automakers have tried everything to mimic EV performance, silence, and smoothness. This witty blog post explores how electric cars naturally deliver the driving experience combustion engines have chased for decades.

Back to the Stone Age: My Visit to a Gas Station After Two Years of Driving Electric

29. April 202529. April 2025Peter van ZeistElectric Mobility / The serious things in lifeLeave a comment

After nearly two years of driving electric, I returned to a gas station—and it felt like stepping back into the Stone Age. From grimy pumps to noxious fumes and awkward payment lines, it made me appreciate the clean, quiet convenience of EV charging even more. In this humorous and insightful blog post, I compare the outdated experience of fueling up with the effortless world of electric mobility—and why, if we reinvented transportation today, gasoline wouldn’t stand a chance.