Last week, I had the privilege of serving as emcee for the second annual Innovators & Investors Summit at Black Hat USA. It was a full day dedicated to conversations that matter for the future of the cybersecurity economy.
The event brought together founders, investors, and security leaders to explore how innovation gets funded, built, and scaled in a fast-moving and complex threat environment.
This post has my detailed takeaways from each session, but if you just want the 1-liner highlights, check out my LinkedIn recap.
Startup 201: What Your Lawyer and VC Won’t Tell You
Speakers: Taylor Margot
Key takeaway: Keep it simple: clean founder equity, use SAFEs, and avoid overcomplicating legal structures.
Notes:
The most common killer of early-stage startups isn’t product failure, it’s messy founder equity.
Early funding should almost always go through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFEs). They minimize friction, keep cap tables clean, and simplify early investor relationships.
Complex legal structures only create problems down the road and can scare off would-be investors.
A clean, straightforward foundation makes startups more fundable and more resilient in later rounds.
Security Below the Poverty Line
Speakers: Wendy Nather & Nils Puhlmann
Key takeaway: The gap between security “haves” and “have-nots” is widening, and compliance often adds cost without closing it.
Notes:
Many organizations are struggling with basic security access, not just advanced defenses.
Compliance requirements often add unnecessary overhead without addressing the root security issues.
The widening gap means attackers can disproportionately target weaker organizations.
The ecosystem suffers when security is out of reach for large parts of the economy.
The Vibe Code Experience
Key takeaway: Security needs to move at the speed of shipping. Our models and mindsets must evolve as fast as the code does.
Notes:
Security can’t remain the blocker in these vibe coding times. It has to be a partner that accelerates shipping.
Teams that adapt to the rhythm of code release cycles will stay relevant; those that don’t risk being sidelined.
Haikus and creative storytelling showed that security culture doesn’t have to be boring.
Security leaders need to rethink their frameworks, metrics, and approaches for developer-first environments.
Sniffing Out the BS in AI
Key takeaway: Not every problem needs AI. Start with proof, practicality, and purpose.
Notes:
AI hype is distorting both funding and product roadmaps.
Many “AI features” solve nothing and justify price increases.
Proof of effectiveness should always come before big claims or marketing.
AI should be applied only where it makes sense, not as a one-size-fits-all hammer.
The real winners will integrate AI invisibly into solving customer pain points.
Innovation Showdown: The Startup Spotlight Final Four
Startups:
Ryan Boerner
Benny Porat
Dimitry Shvartsman
Jeremy Snyder
Key takeaway: The best pitches tell the truth, meet customers where they are, and explain problems simply.
Notes:
Winning pitches prioritize clarity over flash. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
Customer empathy — meeting them where they are today — is often the deciding factor.
Authentic storytelling builds credibility with investors and customers alike.
Over-promising kills trust faster than any technical weakness.
Prime Security later went on to win the Startup Spotlight competition.
Self-Funded Security
Key takeaway: VC money isn’t the only path. Timing and product-market fit matter more than capital.
Notes:
Bootstrapping can create stronger discipline and healthier businesses than chasing VC dollars.
Money can help a company avoid dying — but it won’t guarantee success.
Timing and true product-market fit remain the most critical factors.
Alternative funding paths create resilience and independence in the cybersecurity economy.
Mastering the Channel Ecosystem
Speakers: Raffael Marty, Daniel Bernard, Matt Berry, Chris Bisnett, Peter Bryant
Key takeaway: The winning play in channel strategy is becoming something your partners’ customers demand.
Notes:
Channel success depends on understanding the partner’s customer first.
If end customers demand a product, partners will follow and demand drives adoption.
The best channel strategies focus on alignment, not forcing a product into misfit ecosystems.
Building long-term trust in the channel ecosystem is more valuable than short-term incentives.
Closing Remarks: The Cybersecurity Economy
Speaker: Mike Privette (me)
Key takeaway: We’re not just participants in the cybersecurity economy - we’re agents who build it up or break it down.
Notes:
Every budget decision, hire, and policy choice actively shapes the cybersecurity economy.
The ecosystem is dynamic and interconnected, meaning no decision happens in isolation.
Founders, investors, leaders, and policymakers all share responsibility for resilience.
The attacker economy shapes all of this and how defenses and investments evolve.
Final Reflections
The summit highlighted one unifying theme: cybersecurity is an economy in itself. Startups, investors, leaders, and policymakers all play a role in how it grows, where it struggles, and how it adapts to both threats and opportunities.
It was inspiring to see so many builders and innovators in one place. A huge thank you to the Black Hat team, especially Brittany Buza, for bringing it all together.