How to Identify the Right Problem, Build the Right Product, and Win Early Customers

In this episode of the AlchemistX Innovators Inside Podcast, Ian Bergman sits down with Roey Eliyahu and Michael Nicosia, co-founders of Salt Security—the company that pioneered the API security category. Together, they break down the early decisions that helped them go from idea to industry-defining solution.

Roey shares how he went from coding at nine in Israel’s cybersecurity units to buying a one-way ticket to Silicon Valley with a bold pitch and a few thousand dollars. Michael recounts how their first four-hour meeting turned into a lasting partnership. What followed was a masterclass in customer discovery, iterative product development, and relentless market education.

Key takeaways include:

• How to pitch a complex idea with clarity and impact

• Why discovering your APIs is just the beginning of managing risk

• How to qualify early adopters and validate product-market fit

• The mindset shift required to sell innovation into large enterprises

• The critical role of posture governance in modern cybersecurity

• How Salt Security aligned internal incentives with real customer outcomes

From crawling to running in the API security space, Roey and Michael offer hard-won lessons in navigating ambiguity, building trust with enterprise buyers, and scaling a product that protects some of the world's biggest companies.

If you're building a startup or buying enterprise tech, this conversation is packed with strategy, insight, and inspiration.

For more episodes and resources, visit https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/podcasts.