I took a chance 3 months ago and founded my second cybersecurity firm. It's going much different than I thought and it's a little uncomfortable to talk about.
In July, I officially went out on my own again. Flashback to 5 years previous, I sold my last firm and then worked with them for 5 years. It was time to do it again.
One thing I'm learning about myself is that being comfortable scares me. Put in 40 hours, get a paycheck. Put in another 40 hours, get a paycheck. Rinse and repeat.
When I went out on my own again, I gave certain things up:
1. Bi-weekly pay
2. A large team to support me
3. Health insurance
4. 401k
Being a founder, you don't get bi-weekly pay. You can't open Teams and have 50 people to message for support. You buy your own health insurance, and no one is contributing to your 401k.
It's uncomfortable. So why do I thrive here?
No one is setting limits for me.
No one is making my decisions.
No one is telling me I can't do something.
But here's what doesn't change:
⇾ I still have a mortgage
⇾ I still have healthcare to buy
⇾ I still have a family to take care of
⇾ These are constants that don't change.
I'm building my business by staying uncomfortable.
1. I'm surrounding myself with people that are wiser than me.
2. I'm speaking on stages to people that know more than me.
3. I'm joining in on conversations that I feel I might not belong in.
When my heart is pounding and my watch is saying I'm having a heart attack, it's because I'm about to walk on a stage (this literally happens to be every time). I'm talking to thousands of VPs, CISOs, IT Directors, and practitioners that know way more than I do. It's uncomfortable. I find myself asking why I do it.
My answer:
⇾ I do it for the relationships.
⇾ I do it to learn from others.
⇾ I do it because opportunity comes from being uncomfortable.
In our field of technology, cybersecurity or AI, it's easy to sit behind a desk and stay comfortable. Trust me, I find myself just wanting to lean back in my seat. I promise you though, nothing comes from staying cozy.
My uncomfortable situations the last 3 months:
Spoken in live podcasts
Spoken at cybersecurity conferences
Tons of lunches with people I don't know
Started a local AI group with people I've never met before
It doesn't matter if you're new to tech or a VP that's been sitting in a chair for 20 years. If you're comfortable, your career is at jeopardy.
⇾ Shake hands with people you don't know.
⇾ Go to lunches with groups you don't feel like you belong to.
⇾ Tell a story on this platform people can learn from.
⇾ Do something that makes your heart pump a little faster.
How do I know I'm going in the right direction? Easy, my watch tells me.
Are you willing to put yourself in uncomfortable situations? I'd love to hear about it.
Have a fantastic week everyone.
Mike Miller | vCISO | Founder