Episode description

In this episode we sit down with the Founder/CEO of Horizon3.ai to discuss disrupting the Pen Testing and Offensive Security ecosystem, and building and scaling a security startup - from a founders perspective.

From HP, to Splunk to JSOC - all leading to founding Horizon3, Snehal brings a unique perspective of business acumen and technical depth and puts on a masterclass around venture, founding and scaling a team and disrupting the industry!

---

- For those not familiar with your background who Horizon3AI, can you tell us a bit about both?

You are building something special at Horizon3AI and I will dive into that here soon, but you've also been posting some great content about building a security startup, the team, the market dynamics and more, so I wanted to spend a little time chatting about that. 

- First off, your company was recently listed by Forbes as one of the top 25 venture backed startups likely to reach a $1 billion dollar valuation. How did that feel and what do you think contributed to your team landing on such a prestigious list?

- Speaking of venture backed, you recently participated in the Innovators and Investors Summit at BlackHat where you and other panelists dove into the topic of what founders should look for in investors and how VC's can stand out in a highly competitive market. As someone who's navigated that journey and is now being listed on lists such as that from Forbes - what are some of your key lessons learned and recommendations for early-stage founders?

- You've stressed the importance of the team over the initial idea and what you've called "pace setters" and "ankle weights" within the team and the importance of both. Can you elaborate on the terms and broader context around building a foundational team to scale the company successfully?

- You also have discussed the 4 advantages iconic companies build over time, what are they and why do they help differentiate you?

- Pivoting a bit, you have a really unique background, blending both the private and public/defense sector. How do you think that's helped shape you and the way you've build your team and company and approach the market?

- Horizon3AI is big on the mantra of "offense informed defense". Why is that critical and why do you think we miss the value in this approach in many spaces in the security ecosystem?

- You all have poked some fun at the way many organizations operate, running vuln scans, doing an annual pen test, and having a false sense of security. How is Horizon3AI disrupting the traditional Pen Testing space and leading to more secure organizational outcomes?