Customer Success as the Key to Cybersecurity Growth | Rahul Kashyap | Be Fearless Podcast EP 26

Be Fearless Podcast by SquareX

“Remember, your best champion is your customer, and nothing else. It’s as simple as that.”
In this two-part series, Rahul Kashyap (President & CEO at Awake Security, VP/GM & CISO at Arista Networks), shares his thoughts with Vivek and Aleksandra from SquareX. Rahul shares his approach to building companies, the importance of a customer-focused mindset, and provides actionable insights into what it takes to grow a successful cybersecurity startup. Rahul also discusses the latest trends in cybersecurity, from browser security to the rise of AI, and emphasises the importance of staying positive in a rocky job market.
0:00 Part One with Vivek: Rahul’s cybersecurity and entrepreneurship journey
10:48 Advice is overrated; be decisive
13:12 Macro trends in cybersecurity startups
16:13 Standing out with clarity of value prop, customer success, and execution
18:36 On building company culture and the importance of transparency
21:50 “Your best champion is your customer”
24:03 Challenges in browser security today
26:34 AI and cybersecurity: thinking deeper than GenAI and copilots
31:58 How the odds are always against defenders and implications for cybersecurity education
35:16 Unearthing CISOs’ top-level concerns and opportunities in vulnerability management/DLP
40:43 Part Two with Aleksandra: Consistently keep your customer happy
44:33 Staying positive in a rocky job market
🔔 Follow Rahul, Vivek and Aleksandra on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rckashyap/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivekramachandran/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-melnikova-1012/

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1. Part One with Vivek: Rahul’s cybersecurity and entrepreneurship journey (00:00:00)

2. Advice is overrated; be decisive (00:10:48)

3. Macro trends in cybersecurity startups (00:13:12)

4. Standing out with clarity of value prop, customer success, and execution (00:16:13)

5. On building company culture and the importance of transparency (00:18:36)

6. “Your best champion is your customer” (00:21:50)

7. Challenges in browser security today (00:24:03)

8. AI and cybersecurity: thinking deeper than GenAI and copilots (00:26:34)

9. How the odds are always against defenders and implications for cybersecurity education (00:31:58)

10. Unearthing CISOs’ top-level concerns and opportunities in vulnerability management/DLP (00:35:16)

11. Part Two with Aleksandra: Consistently keep your customer happy (00:40:43)

12. Staying positive in a rocky job market (00:44:33)