Cyber Startup Founder Says Entrepreneurship Wasn't Her Dream
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Entrepreneur Noa Zilberman discussed the $30 million sale of her cybersecurity startup, Odo Security, to Check Point, revealing that entrepreneurship was not her initial dream. She shared insights on the lengthy acquisition process, advice on business partnerships with spouses, and a controversial recommendation against pursuing a university degree. Zilberman is now working on new ventures, focusing on creating novel business models in unexplored areas.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Noa Zilberman's Odo Security sold for $30 million to Check Point.
- Zilberman stated that starting a company was never her dream.
- She advised against pursuing a university degree, favoring independent learning.
- The acquisition process is lengthy and complex, not like in movies.
- Zilberman is now developing new projects in untapped fields.
Noa Zilberman, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, co-founded the cybersecurity firm Odo Security with her now-husband and his friend from their living room. The company was later acquired by tech giant Check Point for $30 million. Zilberman revealed in an interview with Ice that starting a company was not her initial aspiration; she had envisioned a corporate career at Google. Her path into entrepreneurship began incidentally when she started solving technical issues for her partner's venture.
She advised that business partnerships with spouses should only be pursued if the couple has already proven they can handle extreme pressure together. Zilberman debunked the myth of a swift acquisition process, stating that deals are lengthy, draining, and complex, often taking months. Following the Odo Security acquisition, she and her husband were stranded in the Maldives for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of impulsive purchases, the couple invested their earnings in significant assets like land for building a home. Addressing the challenges for women in the male-dominated tech industry, Zilberman encouraged leveraging unique perspectives as an advantage rather than dwelling on initial difficulties. She also offered a controversial piece of advice against pursuing a university degree, suggesting that the time would be better spent on deep, independent learning due to the rapidly changing job market.
Zilberman urged young people in their twenties to forgo "self-discovery" trends and focus on hard work early on to build capital and networks that will yield significant returns later in life. She is currently developing new projects aimed at creating "Blue Oceans" by pioneering new models in untapped fields, emphasizing that true entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not just a path to an exit.