In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups this founder got to $7M ARR in under 2 years: here’s why Vanta is compliance theatre not real cybersecurity
14 snips
Sep 30, 2024 Bryan Onel, co-founder of Oneleet, shares his fascinating transition from hacker to cybersecurity entrepreneur. He reveals his bootstrapping journey that led to achieving $7 million ARR in just 20 months. Bryan emphasizes the importance of community-driven growth and authentic customer relationships. He critiques compliance-focused companies for prioritizing checklists over real security, advocating for a deeper understanding of cybersecurity beyond mere compliance. His insights on leveraging testimonials and engaging strategically in the industry are both innovative and inspiring.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Locksmith to Pen Tester
- Bryan got into hacking through his locksmith dad who taught him to break locks.
- He transitioned into pen testing, working for the Dutch government, often causing outages by accident.
Growth Hacking with LinkedIn Bots
- Bryan hacked LinkedIn by creating 50 accounts to visit company profiles, generating job offers.
- This growth hacking gave him a rush, similar to his excitement in penetration testing.
Founders Aren't Always Sure
- Bryan realized that many founders and investors act clueless in early stages, pretending they know the business.
- Genuine learning and talking to customers is crucial early on instead of pretending during investor meetings.