this founder got to $7M ARR in under 2 years: here’s why Vanta is compliance theatre not real cybersecurity

In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups

In this episode, Bryan Onel, co-founder of Oneleet, discusses his journey from hacker to cybersecurity entrepreneur. Bryan shares insights on bootstrapping strategies within a venture-backed model, the importance of community-driven growth, and how to differentiate from competitors by being authentic and customer-focused. Bryan also discusses tactical approaches to leveraging testimonials, participating in relevant conversations, and calling out industry inadequacies to drive growth and establish Oneleet as a leading alternative to incumbent platforms like Vanta -- a strategy that helped grow Oneleet from zero to $7 million ARR in 20 months.

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Timestamps:

(00:10) Being a successful founder requires total commitment and an all-consuming passion for the business.

(02:10) Bryan transitioned from being a hacker to building cybersecurity tools after realizing the need for companies to defend themselves against breaches.

(04:01) Working with close partners, like friends or family, can simplify the challenges of maintaining work-life boundaries in a startup.

(19:21) Many compliance-focused companies prioritize checklists over real security, leading to a false sense of safety for their clients.

(37:12) Building trust by genuinely helping potential clients, even if it means advising them not to purchase, can lead to strong word-of-mouth referrals.

Host Links:

Personal email newsletter - https://investorupdate.beehiiv.com/subscribe

https://twitter.com/codyschneiderxx

https://www.linkedin.com/in/codyxschneider/

https://codyschneider.com/

https://inthepitpodcast.com/

Guest Links:

https://nl.linkedin.com/in/bryan-onel

https://x.com/BryanOnel86

https://www.oneleet.com/