Grit

#185 CEO & Founder Netskope, Sanjay Beri: The Trenches

Apr 8, 2024

54:32

Snipd AI

CEO and Founder of Netskope, Sanjay Beri, shares his entrepreneurial journey, discussing topics like stress, raising capital, hiring for grit, and navigating internal politics. Reflects on the importance of resilience, personal sales engagement, and building a legacy in data security innovation.

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Quick takeaways

Entrepreneurial success requires embracing challenges and enjoying overcoming obstacles.

Building a lasting professional legacy involves empowering others and making a positive impact.

Recognizing the need for evolving team dynamics and leadership skills as a company scales is essential for growth.

Deep dives

Values and Mindset for Entrepreneurship

In entrepreneurship, it is crucial to have a mindset that embraces challenges, appreciates resilience, and finds enjoyment in overcoming obstacles. It is about being wired to thrive in high-stress situations, being adaptive, and relishing the unpredictable nature of business ventures. Not everyone may be suited for this path, and recognizing one's inclination towards this mindset is vital before embarking on entrepreneurial endeavors.

Introduction

2min

Navigating the Path to Going Public

6min

Building a Legacy in Data Security Innovation

17min

Building Resilience Through Childhood Experiences

4min

Emphasizing the Vital Role of Personal Sales Engagement in Business Leadership

2min

Navigating Grit and Resilience in Business

21min

Navigating Internal and External Politics in Enterprise Sales and Company Growth

3min

Guest: Sanjay Beri, CEO and Founder of Netskope

“You can be waiting your whole life to do something, and then your life’s over,” says Sanjay Beri. After nine years at Juniper Networks, he left his comfortable job, moved his family to a house with a pricier mortgage, and launched the cloud security firm Netskope. His entrepreneurial story would make anyone stressed, he acknowledges, but “at some level, you have to be wired to enjoy it… that's why I tell everybody who joins, ‘It's not for the faint of heart.’”

In this episode, Sanjay and Joubin discuss Reddit, banker friends, professional legacies, the wrong way to raise capital, authenticity, Ponzi schemes, “fool’s gold,” high-risk hiring, hitting pause, your “other family,” and changing roles.

Chapters:

(00:54) - 2024 IPOs
(05:43) - Long on cybersecurity
(07:59) - Netskope’s mission
(10:22) - Sanjay’s first company, Ingrian
(12:07) - The writing on the wall
(15:02) - Mamoon Hamid
(20:21) - Stress and perspective
(24:53) - Sanjay’s mother
(28:41) - The trenches vs. the clouds
(30:53) - Guts, Resolve, Integrity, Tenacity
(32:10) - Hiring for grit
(38:06) - The lowest point
(41:18) - “Always on”
(43:49) - The hot desk office
(46:13) - Scaling people
(49:30) - Politics and integrity
(53:03) - Who Netskope is hiring

Links:

Connect with Sanjay
- LinkedIn
Connect with Joubin
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com
Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

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