In this episode of the DTC Podcast, Deepak Jeevankumar interviews Slavik Markovich, co-founder of Sentrigo, Demisto, and Descope. Slavik shares lessons learned from his previous startups and discusses the acquisition of Demisto by Palo Alto Networks. He also talks about his current venture, Descope, which focuses on authentication and authorization. Slavik emphasizes the importance of solving real problems for customers and offers advice to founders. He predicts that AI (of course) and consolidation across cybersecurity vendors will be key themes that follow the 2024 RSA Conference.TakeawaysSolve a problem that matters to you and your customers. Identify and build a team around you with complementary skill sets who have the same vision of solving the problem for your customers.Maintain transparency and open communication within your team.Focus on execution and customer satisfaction while maintaining a position of strength as the company grows. Acquisition opportunities will come.Consolidation and AI will be prominent themes following the RSA conference.Chapters00:00 Introduction and initial challenges in founding companies08:17 Lessons learned from building multiple startups10:34 The journey of scaling Demisto and the acquisition by Palo Alto Networks21:59 The importance of solving real problems for customers31:17 Maintaining a strong company culture and open communication33:30 Looking forward: challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity

Ankit Gordhandas, a staff engineer at Zapier, shares his journey from being a biomedical engineer to a startup founder and his current role at Zapier. He discusses how Zapier embraced AI and the impact it has had on the company. Ankit also talks about the pivot at his previous startup, Intersect Labs, and the decision to join Zapier. He explains the focus on AI at Zapier and the projects they are working on. Ankit discusses user demand for AI and how Zapier is meeting those demands. He shares his thoughts on measuring success in AI projects and how he continues to scratch his entrepreneurial itch at Zapier. Finally, Ankit offers lessons for founders based on his experiences.TakeawaysAnkit's journey from being a biomedical engineer to a startup founder and his transition to working at Zapier.The pivot at Intersect Labs and the decision to join Zapier.How Zapier embraced AI and encouraged every employee to use AI to make their workday lives easier and deliver a better experience to users.Zapier's focus on AI and the projects they are working on, including chatbots and workflow automation.Chapters00:00 Embracing AI at Zapier06:34 Ankit's Journey from Biomedical Engineer to Founder13:13 Joining Zapier and the Pivot at Intersect Labs18:26 Transitioning to Zapier and the Focus on AI21:13 Zapier's Code Red and the Adoption of AI24:30 User Demand for AI at Zapier26:20 Measuring Success in AI Projects27:44 Scratching the Entrepreneurial Itch 30:00 Lessons for Founders

Geeta Schmidt, co-founder and CEO of Humio, discusses the founding of the company and its evolution into a cybersecurity focus. She shares the importance of customer validation and the pride, as a Nordic-based startup, in acquiring Bloomberg as one of the company’s first major  customers. Geeta also talks about how the leadership team evaluated the opportunity to be acquired by CrowdStrike and the post-acquisition integration experience. She highlights the learnings from CrowdStrike and talks about her current role of advising and investing in early-stage startups.TakeawaysCustomer validation early on is crucial for the success of a startup, so paying attention to how what you’re building is being used in the wild is key. Choosing the right acquirer involves considering factors such as company cultures, alignment of product portfolios, and the ability to execute and scale.The importance of having diverse skill sets in a founding team cannot be underplayed. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background01:35 Founding of Humio and World Domination Plan08:29 Importance of Customer Validation10:22 Proud Moment with Bloomberg as a Customer11:49 Transition to a Cybersecurity Company15:04 Acquisition by CrowdStrike20:10 Announcing the Acquisition21:47 Post-Acquisition Experience23:23 Learning from CrowdStrike25:19 Next Steps for Geeta26:45 Investing in Early Stage Startups27:13 Key Qualities in Founding Teams

In this episode, DTC's Victoria Kinnealey talks with Rick Berends, a veteran BISO, about the importance of startups in driving innovation and growth within enterprise organizations. They discuss the traits that startups should have to establish partnerships at an early stage, including agility, the ability to reduce complexity, and a focus on smarter approaches to security. Rick emphasizes the importance of trust and building relationships when engaging with startups, and advises startups to be honest, avoid over-representation, and steer clear of jargon. He also highlights the value of EQ (emotional intelligence) in startup teams and the benefits of white labeling products for instant buy-in from enterprise clients.Chapters00:00 Introduction00:30 Introduction to Rick Berends01:13 Understanding the Role of a BISO03:03 Traits of a Startup for Partnership05:02 Startup's Role in Building Roadmap and Strategy08:22 Advantages of Startups in Meeting Customer Needs09:50 Importance of EQ in Startup Engagement11:19 Importance of Building Trust and Avoiding Jargon15:41 Understanding the Customer's Perspective19:06 Importance of Flexibility in Enterprise Partnerships20:31 Considering Long-Term Relationships and Value Adds22:58 The Notion of 'Good is Good Enough'28:45 Importance of Flexibility and Contract Length30:12 The Need for Startups in Innovation

Julie Crabill, a fractional CMO, discusses the benefits of the fractional C-suite model for early-stage startups and how it can help scale their marketing and go-to-market teams. She emphasizes the importance of understanding business priorities and having empathy for founders. Julie also shares insights on engaging with technical teams and determining readiness for a dedicated marketing hire. She highlights the need to build marketing into the DNA of a business and adapt to changes in the industry, such as the impact of generative AI on marketing roles.TakeawaysThe fractional C-suite model can be a cost-effective way for early-stage startups to access strategic marketing expertise without committing to a full-time hire.Understanding business priorities and having empathy for founders are crucial for a fractional CMO to effectively support the growth of a startup.Engaging with technical teams requires building mutual respect and helping them understand the value of marketing in achieving their business goals.Determining readiness for a dedicated marketing hire involves assessing the specific needs of the business and having a budget to support marketing efforts.Building marketing into the DNA of a business and adapting to changes in the industry, such as the impact of generative AI, are essential for long-term success.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:17 Background and Journey to Becoming a Fractional CMO02:38 Empathy for Founders and Understanding Business Priorities04:30 Scaling Skill Set to Become a CMO06:45 Benefits of Fractional CMO Model for Early Stage Startups07:43 Engaging as a Fractional CMO09:08 Determining Readiness for a Dedicated Marketing Hire13:21 Engaging with Technical Teams15:42 When Fractional CMO Model Works and Doesn't Work18:08 Tactical Considerations for Engaging with a Fractional CMO20:22 Hiring Plan and Time Horizon25:54 Impact of Generative AI on Marketing Roles27:46 Building Marketing into the DNA of the Business28:43 Conclusion

In this conversation, DTC Managing Director Deepak Jeevankumar interviews Varun Badhwar, co-founder and former CEO of RedLock and co-founder and current CEO of Endor Labs. They discuss topics such as creating a new category in cybersecurity, building a customer-centric company, and the challenges and successes of scaling a startup. Varun shares insights into the importance of starting with the simple problem, productizing simplicity, and nailing an efficient demo. He also discusses the acquisition by Palo Alto Networks and the key factors that contributed to the successful integration of RedLock into what became Prisma Cloud. Finally, Varun shares his thoughts on starting a third company with Endor Labs and the future of application security (AppSec) in the context of software supply chain security and AI.TakeawaysStart with a simple problem and focus on visibility gaps. What’s keeping your buyer up at night?Productize simplicity by ensuring that customers can set up and derive value from the product within a short timeframe.Building a customer-centric company involves understanding customer priorities, providing value in a short amount of time, and simplifying the customer experience.Choosing the right design partners and investors is crucial, and it's important to prioritize the human connection and alignment of values over the brand or firm.Embrace change in the software supply chain, particularly in the context of software assembly and the increasing use of open source components. AI can play a role in enhancing productivity and security in this area.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:26 Creating a New Category in Cybersecurity06:09 Starting with the Simple Problem07:37 Productizing Simplicity09:00 The Cloud Security Intelligence Team12:04 The Acquisition by Palo Alto Networks21:03 Starting a Third Company25:43 The Future of AppSec28:38 Building the Right Team and Culture30:32 Choosing the Right Design Partners and Investors33:29 Building in the Open and Embracing AI36:18 Embracing Change in the Software Supply Chain36:46 Closing Remarks

Introducing The DTC Podcast. These episodes feature Exit Interviews with enterprise founders who've gone from square one to major acquisition, conversations with the CTOs, CISOs, and CIOs interested in the latest enterprise innovations, and deep dives into strategies and tactics with the sales, marketing, and brand practitioners leading the go-to-market charge.