In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Glenn Manoff, CMO of Riverlane, a Cambridge University spin-out developing quantum error correction technology. Riverlane is positioning itself to become the "Nvidia of quantum computing" by solving one of the industry's most critical technical challenges - preventing quantum computers from becoming unreliable as they scale. With quantum computers potentially 3-10 years away from practical utility, Glenn shares how to market transformational technology that doesn't fully exist yet to audiences ranging from government ministers to post-doctoral physicists.

Topics Discussed:

• Building the Challenger Brand Mindset Across Career Transitions: Glenn's journey from international business journalist covering telecom deregulation to CMO demonstrates how challenger brand thinking transcends industries. Starting with Esprit Telecom's guerrilla marketing tactics against European telecom monopolies, then evolving to O2's sophisticated consumer lifestyle brand that opened venues and targeted previously untouchable communities - the core principle remains consistent: having courage of convictions and ruthless execution on a distinct point of view.
• Marketing Technology That Doesn't Exist to Customers Who Don't Exist: Quantum computers can theoretically solve problems that would be impossible even if every computer on Earth were connected together, but current devices can't yet outperform classical supercomputers. Riverlane's quantum error correction technology processes terabytes of data per second to infer errors on quantum bits in superposition without destroying the quantum state - a problem as complex as it sounds. The marketing challenge involves exciting investors, governments, and talent about technology that may not reach full maturity for another decade.
• Navigating Dual Customer Markets in Emerging Tech: Riverlane targets two primary markets: quantum computing companies who need error correction to scale their systems, and governments investing in quantum for sovereign defense interests and economic growth potential. The revenue split is expected to shift from government-dominated funding today to approximately 50/50 by 2030, becoming fully commercial in the 2030s as the first practical quantum applications emerge around 2028-2029.