The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch 20VC: Why Being First To Market Does Not Matter, Why You Do Not Have Defensibility on Day 1, How to Analyse Market Size and Present it to Investors, Vitamins vs Painkillers; Do Vitamins Survive Recessions and Good vs Great Messaging with Guy Podjarny @ Sn
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May 24, 2023 Guy Podjarny, Founder of Snyk and former CTO at Akamai, shares his journey from the Israeli military to becoming a startup powerhouse. He challenges the myth of being first to market, arguing that market leadership matters more. Podjarny dives into product-market fit, revealing common mistakes founders make and the importance of messaging. He discusses the need for defensibility in startups and offers insights from his extensive experience as an angel investor, including the significance of understanding market size and strategic decision-making.
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Guy's Startup Journey
- Guy Podjarny's startup journey began in the Israeli army's cyber unit, followed by work at several security startups.
- He later founded Blaze.io (acquired by Akamai) and served as Akamai's CTO before founding Snyk.
Motivation and Values
- Guy Podjarny is driven by a dislike of tribalism and seeks to foster inclusive environments.
- This value extends from his company culture to his broader charitable work.
Entrepreneurship as a Profession
- Guy Podjarny believes entrepreneurship is a distinct profession with unique learnings, like fundraising and finding product-market fit.
- Startups provide intense growth opportunities due to their inherent discomfort and demand for rapid learning.
