The Decibel Podcast: Founders Helping Founders

Jon Oberheide is the co-founder and CTO of Duo Security which was acquired by Cisco for $2.4 billion. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Jon Oberheide about his personal journey to where he is today, including the “not illegal” way he met his Duo co-founder in a back stairwell. The Most Unorthodox Practices Are Sometimes The Most Fruitful [06:11-09:16] - From spamming unsolicited emails at Starbucks to hacking his future business partner’s wifi network, Jon has done it all. Learn how his start at Quiznos helped him build a $2 billion app.Think Outside The Box For The Best Results  [10:36-13:08] - After dropping out of his PhD program right before graduating and sneaking around Ann Arbor stairwells, Jon is no stranger to the untraditional path. Listen to hear how thinking outside the box and curiosity can help startups work around roadblocks.Lean Into The “Unsexy” Startup [17:16-17:50] - While people fixate over the idea of a “sexy” startup, Jon talks about his experience founding a startup that tackled seemingly boring problems with widespread effects.The Startup Journey Is An Emotional Rollercoaster [25:44-27:12] - Getting to where he is today was not an easy journey for Jon but the lessons he got from it proved to be invaluable. If you are or want to be a founder, hear what Jon believes is the most important part of founding a successful and scalable company.Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakodaFollow Jon Oberheide https://twitter.com/jonoberheideFollow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC

Omar Tawakol is a serial entrepreneur whose latest company, Voicea, was acquired by Cisco in 2019. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Omar Tawakol about his journey to becoming a three-time founder and his advice to new founders caught up in the noise of the industry. Find The Creativity in Every Step of Iteration [01:48-03:19]  - To Omar, being a founder means creating value to bring to the world. While founders can lose this sentiment throughout the process of building a product, listen to hear how Omar infuses creativity in every step of the product market journey.Stay in The Game by Fostering Your Passion [12:44-13:24] - Omar has been in the game for decades and knows a thing or two about staying resilient through the startup journey. Learn about why Omar believes passion is the key to going the full distance as a serial founder.Architect a Team You Can Evolve With [13:02-13:30] - As a serial entrepreneur, Omar has built many teams that have carried their products through multiple iterations. It is impossible to be a successful founder without a team that fills the gap in your expertise. Listen to hear how hiring team members with the same love and persistence for your domain will carry you to the finish line.Surround Yourself With Experts [15:28-16:06] - While it’s important to have a vested interest in your domain, it is impossible to know it all as a first-time founder. Omar believes that even with deep knowledge of your domain, it is in a founder’s best interest to hire experts who can steer you in the right direction.Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakodaFollow Omar Tawakol https://twitter.com/otawakolFollow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC

Mohit Lad is the co-founder of ThousandEyes, a Cisco company providing some of the largest brands more visibility into how customers and employees use their networks. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Mohit Lad on how founding a company was “plan C” and why it’s important to use his role as an advisor to fight for diversity in the tech industry. Tap Into The Scrappiness/Pressure For The Best Results [08:58-11:23] - Mohit tackled several challenges throughout his founder journey, from self-filing for a green card to rummaging through recycling bins for spare servers. However, he says these high pressure situations give him clarity. For founders facing roadblocks, listen to learn why hurdles could be seen as motivators.Focus On Sustainability [22:38-25:43] - While many founders these days are focused on becoming a “unicorn” and securing multi-million dollar valuations, Mohit has made a conscious choice to grow sustainably. Instead of chasing higher valuations or rapid exits, Mohit grew his company at a sustainable pace to protect himself and his employees.Use Empathy To Get Ahead [29:20-31:01] - Since Mohit and his co-founder were creating their own category, they had to use empathy to understand what potential customers needed and how to best fulfill their needs. Learn why being the first company to enter a space allows you to make meaningful connections with new customers.Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakodaFollow Mohit Lad https://twitter.com/mohitladFollow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC

Dug Song is the co-founder and CEO of Duo Security which was acquired by Cisco for $2.4 billion. On today’s episode, Jon Sakoda speaks with Dug Song about how he fell into a world famous hacking group made up of “angels and devils” and how he got hired by his college after hacking into their networks. Understanding Your Customers Requires Deep Empathy [16:55-19:21] - Instead of giving your customers what they ask for, Dug believes you should give them something they never thought was possible. Listen to what they need, empathize with them so you can see their point-of-view, and then interpret it into the ever-coveted “wow moment”.Win or Learn - How to Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement [21:24-22:25] - It is inevitable that you have setbacks on the road to building a successful company. While failure can be a deterrent to many, Dug sees it as an important part of growth. The quality of a decision is not as important as the quality of the process to make a decision. Listen to learn more about why Dug believes you either win or you learn.Build A Team Of People You Actually Enjoy Working With [23:09-24:23] - Dug compares growing a company to nurturing a child and you should only share that responsibility with people you trust. Learn about what Dug calls “the grocery store test” and how it can be used to build a team of people you actually want next to you in this journey.Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakodaFollow Dug Song https://twitter.com/dugsongFollow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC

Welcome to The Decibel Podcast: Founders Helping Founders. We're excited to launch our new podcast! Each month, we're bringing together founders from diverse backgrounds to reveal their personal journeys, words of wisdom, and lessons learned from the earliest years of their now successful startups. Join us and subscribe to the Decibel Podcast to receive updates for future episodes.Follow Jon Sakoda https://twitter.com/jonsakodaFollow Decibel https://twitter.com/DecibelVC