EP 142: Yotam Segev (CEO, Cyera) on Growing One of the Fastest Security Startups on the Planet
Yotam Segev is the co-founder and CEO of Cyera, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity startups in the world. In this episode, he joins Logan to talk about scaling Cyera from 100 to 550 employees in under two years, what it takes to operate at that speed, and why going slow can actually be riskier. They cover lessons from a tough go-to-market year, the emotional conviction behind choosing data security, and how Yotam thinks about platform expansion, hiring, and staying close to customers. It’s a candid look at the mindset and mechanics behind building an elite security company at breakneck pace.
(00:00) Intro
(01:23) Yotam's Journey in Cybersecurity
(02:30) Scaling a Company with Core Values
(05:02) Founding Cyera: From Military to Startup
(07:59) Entering the Venture Ecosystem
(18:19) Early Challenges and Lessons Learned
(22:36) Achieving Product-Market Fit
(33:01) Ambitious Goals and Rapid Growth
(37:39) The Future of Cybersecurity
(39:07) The Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
(39:47) Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Cybersecurity
(40:25) The Cat and Mouse Game of Cybersecurity
(42:47) Traits of Effective CISOs
(43:55) Expanding the Cybersecurity Platform
(52:36) The Role of AI in Cybersecurity
(01:03:25) The Impact of the October 2023 Attack on Israel
(01:08:27) Leadership and Company Culture at Cyera
(01:12:33) Reflections on Success and Future Goals
(01:21:37) Fundraising and Partnerships
(01:26:07) Hiring and Company Growth
Executive Producer: Rashad Assir
Producer: Leah Clapper
Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky
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About the Show
Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.
Cyera's Hypergrowth, Cake's Cap Table Push, and ServiceTitan's Stellar IPO | E2060
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Todays show:
Alex Wilhelm kicks off the show with Cyera’s Yotam Segev to dive into the state of enterprise data security. They discuss Cyera’s impressive feat of raising $300 million just quarters after its previous mega-round and explore the company's recent nine-figure acquisition of Trail Security. Next, Alex unpacks ServiceTitan's successful IPO and Broadcom's milestone achievement of reaching a $1 trillion market cap. To close, Cake Equity’s Kim Hansen joins the conversation to share insights into his company’s growth strategy and how it’s thriving in a highly competitive market.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Alex kicks off the show
(2:12) Cyera’s Yotam Seveg joins the show
(10:05) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(11:34) Evolution from information security to cybersecurity and automated data categorization
(20:44) Cyera's acquisition strategy and impact on the company
(28:00) Washington Post - TWiST listeners can subscribe for just 50 cents per week for your first year at https://www.washingtonpost.com/twist
(29:10) AI's impact on data security and competition in the cybersecurity market
(34:19) ServiceTitan IPO, market reaction, and implications for the industry
(37:34) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
(39:05) Tech companies reaching significant market caps and IPO performances
(47:17) Texas attorney general's lawsuit against tech companies over data practices
(48:21) Cake Equity’s Kim Hansen joins the show
(49:02) Cake Equity's mission, platform, and cap table management software demo
(54:29) Cake Equity's user interface, employee engagement, and expansion plans
(58:22) Automation in onboarding and international growth challenges for Cake Equity
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