Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Building Wiz: the fastest-growing startup in history | Raaz Herzberg (CMO and VP Product Strategy)

Nov 17, 2024

01:05:19

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Raaz Herzberg is the CMO and VP of Product Strategy at Wiz, a trailblazer in cloud security, having previously led security products at Microsoft. In this conversation, Raaz shares how Wiz quickly pivoted to achieve extraordinary product-market fit. She discusses the importance of listening to customers and the lessons learned during rapid scaling. Raaz also reflects on her switch from product to marketing, blending her unique insights to craft innovative strategies, all while navigating the challenges of startup culture and personal growth.

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Quick takeaways

Wiz successfully pivoted from an unclear product vision to a focused approach in cloud security through continuous customer engagement and feedback.

The founders' hands-on experience in sales provided critical insights into customer needs, shaping future hiring decisions and sales strategies effectively.

Raaz's unconventional marketing strategies, such as playful booth designs, highlighted the power of creativity in enhancing brand visibility in competitive markets.

Deep dives

Navigating Startup Pivots and Product Development

The early days of a startup can be chaotic, especially when the product vision is unclear. Initially, the founders struggled to find the right idea, which led to a significant pivot within weeks of hiring the first product manager. Daily meetings with potential customers revealed a disconnect; despite receiving positive feedback, there remained uncertainty about the product's direction. This confusion prompted a deeper discussion, ultimately guiding the team towards a focused approach in cloud security, where their expertise lay.

Intro

4min

From Struggles to Success

8min

Navigating Startup Challenges

17min

The Shifting Heat: Navigating Organizational Growth and Marketing Challenges

6min

Navigating CMO Challenges in Startups

21min

Navigating Imposter Syndrome and Building Strong Company Culture

3min

Learning from Marketing Success

4min

Deciding to Stay Independent in a Growing Market

3min

Raaz Herzberg is the chief marketing officer and VP of product strategy at Wiz. Wiz hit $100 million ARR within 18 months (the fastest growth in startup history) and, five years in, is generating over $500 million ARR. It also serves over 45% of the Fortune 100. Raaz was one of the first five employees at Wiz, joining as the first product manager, and helped the team pivot to what may be the most intense PMF in history. Before Wiz, Raaz led security products at Microsoft, including Azure Sentinel. In our conversation, we discuss:

• How Wiz pivoted from their initial idea and found deep product-market fit

• What Raaz learned about listening to customers

• Why she moved from product to marketing, despite no prior experience

• How she thinks differently as a marketer with a product background

• Lessons learned from scaling a hypergrowth startup like Wiz

• Much more

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-wiz-raaz-herzberg

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Where to find Raaz Herzberg:

• X: https://x.com/raazherzberg

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raazh

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Raaz’s background

(02:54) Early challenges and Wiz’s essential pivot

(06:41) Finding product-market fit

(11:31) Lessons from early customer interactions

(14:54) The power in speaking up when you don’t understand something

(17:46) How Wiz pivoted from their initial idea

(23:52) Marketing and leadership insights

(34:12) The challenges of being a marketing leader

(28:05) Following the “heat” in your organization

(30:22) How Raaz found success as CMO

(34:01) Common CMO mistakes

(36:23) Creating noise and standing out

(40:28) Embracing failure and taking risks

(44:53) The importance of clear communication

(48:32) The “dummy” explanation

(51:00) Building trust and company culture

(53:45) Contrarian corner

(56:34) Lightning round

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Referenced:

• Wiz: https://www.wiz.io/

• An inside look at Deel’s unprecedented growth | Meltem Kuran Berkowitz (Head of Growth): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-deels-unprecedented

• Velocity over everything: How Ramp became the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time | Geoff Charles (VP of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp

• Assaf Rappaport on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/assafrappaport/

• How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linkedin-became-interesting-tomer-cohen

• Shardul Shah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shardul-shah-3589062/

• Doug Leone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-leone-a2714/

• Jeff Horing on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhoring2009/

• RSA Conference: https://www.rsaconference.com/

• Microsoft acquires Adallom to advance identity and security in the cloud: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2015/09/08/microsoft-acquires-adallom-to-advance-identity-and-security-in-the-cloud/

• Imposter syndrome: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome

• Careers at Wiz: https://www.wiz.io/careers

• Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business: https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Table-Transforming-Hospitality-Business/dp/0060742763

• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860/

• Gong: https://www.gong.io/