Advisory Boards: When and How to Build Them – Benny Lakunishok – FS #3
Benny Lakunishok, CEO of Zero Networks, shares his experiences and insights as a founder in the cybersecurity space. He discusses the unpredictable challenges of founding a startup, the importance of hiring the right people, and the harsh realities of the entrepreneurial journey. Benny emphasizes the need for adaptability in leadership roles and the significance of building a strong advisory board as the company grows. He also reflects on the evolving cybersecurity landscape and how his company fits into that ecosystem.
This segment is sponsored by Zero Networks. Visit https://founderstories.tv/zero to learn more about them!
00:00 Introduction to Founder Stories 00:44 Meet Benny Lakunishok from Zero Networks 01:09 Facing Unpredictable Obstacles as a Founder 02:05 Founder Life: Long Hours and Sacrifices 03:18 Shifting from Founder Bottlenecks to Operational Freedom 04:13 Words of Discouragement for Aspiring Founders 05:25 Overcoming Startup Challenges 07:28 Staying Focused Amidst Distractions 08:01 Wearing Multiple Hats in a Startup 10:57 The Right Time to Hire Specialized Leaders 13:59 Navigating Leadership and Responsibilities as You Scale 16:59 Positioning Zero Networks within the Cybersecurity Ecosystem 19:03 The Shift to Prevention 2.0 in Cybersecurity 20:17 Building a Customer Advisory Board (CAB)
Guest
Benny has been in cybersecurity for more than a decade. He was part of the leadership team at Aorato, which was a disruptive detection platform, acquired by Microsoft. He went on to lead the product team in Microsoft utilizing Aorato technology, as well as the team that integrated Microsoft’s acquisition of Hexadite into its portfolio. Prior to Aorato, he was a Senior Premier Field Engineer for Microsoft and in the security team of an elite intelligence unit within the Israeli Defense Forces.