Life in a startup company tends to be manic; dizzying highs and terrifying lows alternate from one day to the next. Getting through those days without being carried away during the highs or depressed throughout the lows requires steadiness, optimism, and, foremost, truthfulness. Our employees, our troops, must trust us and be confident we will guide them and overcome any challenge. That is the kind of leadership Mike McNerney learned in the military, and it has been vital in his entrepreneurship endeavors. 

Mike McNerney is a technology entrepreneur and military veteran with a primary focus on cybersecurity. He is the COO of the cybersecurity insurance startup Resilience and a CNBC Technology Executive Council member. Mike has also served as a Cyber Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also worked in the U.S. State Department, where he pioneered the rule of law and economic development programs in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

In this episode, we talk about Mike’s transition from military life into creating and leading his own cybersecurity startup. We kindly shared some nuggets of his experiences in Silicon Valley and the skills he learned in the military that helped him launch his startup. We also go through the entrepreneur mindset, Mike’s experiences at Vets-in-Tech, and some advice for those interested in getting into the cybersecurity space.

Resources:

You can visit the Resilience website: https://resilienceinsurance.com/

or connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecmcnerney/

Book: Jon Meacham – Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush: https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Power-American-Odyssey-Herbert-ebook/dp/B00VZZ2OY4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=bush+destiny+in+power&qid=1628862020&sr=8-1

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:59 – Mike talks about his background in the military and his transition into cybersecurity.

3:31 – Nigel and Mike reflect on the challenges of living a civilian life after leaving the military.

8:25 – Mike talks about how staying in school helped him transition into cybersecurity and found his own startup.

12:03 – Mike shares a bit of what they do at his company and his experiences at Silicon Valley.

16:03 – Mike analyzes the skills he learned in the military that served him better as an entrepreneur.

19:30 – Mike talks about Vets-in-Tech and its programs that help other veterans in cybersecurity.

23:28 – Mike describes the skills they look for in candidates applying to work in his company.

28:36 – Mike shares some advice for those interested in joining the cybersecurity industry.