The Neon Show How to Build a Startup in 2025? With 1/5th Cost, 1/5th Team | Shikhil Sharma, Astra Security
Cybercrime is predicted to drain the world of $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, making it one of the greatest threats to modern business.
Shikhil Sharma, co-founder & CEO of Astra Security, is building one of today’s most trusted pentesting platforms. Just last year, Astra uncovered over 2 million vulnerabilities across customer systems, preventing more than $69 million in potential losses
Shikhil shares why Astra was built as a product- and marketing-first company, how storytelling helped the brand connect with people by clearly showing its purpose and expertise and how founder–investor relationships are built on conviction and trust.
He breaks down why pricing transparency is no longer optional for B2B companies and how trust is emerging as the true currency of go-to-market. We discuss what it takes to build a SaaS company in today’s AI-first world, from raising leaner rounds and running with smaller teams to creating products that customers love from day zero.
Beyond the playbooks, this is a conversation about building durable companies and the mindset that drives Shikhil as a founder: success isn’t bought, it’s rented, and the rent is due every day.
0:00 — Trailer
0:56 — Early college days that led to a startup
5:00 — AI could cut startup costs and team size by 80%
8:43 — Why seed rounds should be under $500K
11:45 — Marketing can beat sales in early-stage SaaS
16:07 — Is Google search under threat from consumer AI?
20:23 — Why B2B startups must display pricing transparently
25:41 — What VCs lend founders beyond capital?
28:36 — How 42 CIOs backed Atomicwork
30:58 — Replace GTM with COT- currency of trust
33:34 — Why 20-year SaaS playbooks no longer works
35:37 — How AI is changing cybersecurity
41:38 — How the founders first met in college
46:33 — Are “hard startups” actually easier to build?
51:50 — Neon X Astra Security
-------------
India’s talent has built the world’s tech—now it’s time to lead it.
This mission goes beyond startups. It’s about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.
What is Neon Fund?
We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that’s done it before.
Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we’re doing it all at Neon.
-------------
Check us out on:
Website: https://neon.fund/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/
Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShoww
Connect with Siddhartha on:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/
Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7
-------------
This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.