Ed Bellis is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Kenna Security, a cybersecurity company that pioneered the risk-based vulnerability management space, and was acquired by Cisco last year. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Ed about his journey from skateboarder to cybersecurity expert, including his advice for first-time founders anxious about always getting it right the first time.

1. Turning Pain Points Into Passion Projects [09:38 - 11:00] - When Ed made the switch from Chief Security Officer to Founder, he was determined to fix the issues he ran into as a practitioner. Without this passion, Ed doesn’t think he would have been successful as a first-time founder. If you're looking to make the jump to founder, listen to hear why you have to be all in.
2. Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable [11:32 - 12:30] - As a first-time founder, the journey will be full of hurdles and questions so Ed advises all founders to come to terms with the fact that you won’t have the answers to everything. Listen to learn how to take advantage of your relationships and not be afraid to ask for help.
3. Partnerships Can Solve Big Pain Points [15:32 - 20:35] - Kenna had two incredible partnerships that changed the trajectory of the company. The first solved their product-market fit challenges, and the second unlocked their go to market. Listen to how quickly a startup's fortune can change through key partnerships.
4. Why Founder Doesn’t Always Equal CEO [26:07 - 28:48] - Ed always knew that he wouldn’t be the CEO of Kenna Security forever as he believed being a founder didn’t mean always being the boss. Prioritize bringing in a professional CEO that understands the needs of the company and fills the holes that the founders and organization may have. Listen to hear how giving up some control could be the best decision for your startup.

Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakoda

Follow Ed Bellis https://twitter.com/ebellis

Follow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC