Timing, Tenacity, and Triumph in Al Lakhani's Startup Journey

Failure is part of being human—it’s what you do next that really matters. Do you give up, feel stagnant, or do you push forward like Al Lakhani, the founder of IDEE? In this episode Al brings a blend of humor and honesty, sharing his self-described "PhD in failure" as he takes us on the rollercoaster ride of building a cybersecurity company from the ground up. With stories of exhilarating highs, unexpected setbacks, and the crucial role of timing, Al’s journey is filled with valuable lessons and lots of laughter. Whether you’re looking for actionable insights to apply to your own startup or just want to hear how someone turned failure into success, this episode has it all!

[05:00] - Al’s Rollercoaster Ride

• Al shares the ups and downs of starting IDEE. From trying out ideas that flopped to finally finding success with the B2B approach.

[12:40] - Timing is Everything

• Al explains why hitting the right timing in startups is like catching a wave—it's all about being in the right place at the right time, with a sprinkle of luck.

[15:10] - Cracking the Marketing Code

• The hosts and Al get into what’s working (and what’s not) in IDEE’s marketing game. Al reveals that live demos have been successful, but getting people to check them out has been tricky.

[20:00] - Picking the Right Partners

• Al talks about the importance of choosing the right partners to work with and how giving away free samples (NFR licenses) helps get their buy-in and feedback.

[27:45] - The Changing Customer Journey

• Maria and Gianna chat about how customers do most of their research before even talking to a vendor, and Al shares his view on how the customer journey has shifted since COVID.

About our guests:

👉Follow Al on LinkedIn. 

👉Learn more about IDEE. 

Be sure to also follow our hosts on LinkedIn:

👉Gianna Whitver

👉Maria Velasquez 

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Breaking Through in Cybersecurity Marketing, join the Cybersecurity Marketing Society on our website, on our main LinkedIn page, or our podcast LinkedIn page, and keep up with us on Twitter.

See you in the next episode!