Ian Yip is the founder and CEO of Avertro, a venture backed startup that creates software to help teams manage and measure their cybersecurity performance. In this episode Cole Cornford spoke with Ian about how being a salesperson is a valuable skill for any security professional, the common fallacy in software of “if you build it, they will come”, the similarities between starting a company and having kids, and plenty more.

Secured by Galah Cyber website

• 4:00 - Ian works from different locations around the world.
• 5:20 - Ian’s professional background.
• 5:30 - Ian was in cybersecurity before it was called cybersecurity.
• 8:00 - Cole’s professional background.
• 9:30 - Common misconception: if you build it, they will come.
• 11:20 - Moving from consultant to starting a product company.
• 12:20 - Skills that were useful for Ian when he became a startup founder.
• 13:00 - Ian: I like to be comfortably uncomfortable.
• 14:30 - Cole: I am a naturally good salesperson.
• 16:00 - Selling is a valuable skill for all security people.
• 18:30 - Cole: What scenarios have you pushed yourself to be uncomfortable?
• 21:30 - Cole: I think starting a company is not as big a risk as people think.
• 22:40 - Cole: Public speaking anecdote.
• 25:15 - Cole: Shaving a yak parable.
• 27:00 - Ian: Similarities between starting a business and having kids.
• 31:40 - How Ian came to found his company.
• 35:00 - What drove core product changes for Ian’s company.
• 36:40 - Advice for aspiring SAAS founders.
• 39:10 - Ian: The graveyard of products that nobody uses.
• 40:20 - Approach to startups in the current challenging financial market.
• 44:10 - Quick fire questions.

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