Julian Waits: From Minister to Serial Entrepreneur in Cybersecurity

Early Aspirations and Career Pivot

• 💡 Julian Waits initially aspired to help society through a career in the military or as a Baptist minister and musician.
• 🧠 Recognizing the practicalities of professional musicianship, he pivoted towards technology, leveraging a knack for math and science.

Entry into Tech and Early Roles

• 💻 His first tech role was at Texaco, where he started in computer operations and later became a network-certified engineer, working with early personal computers.
• 🚀 This experience led him to Compaq Computer Corporation, where he worked in systems engineering and discovered a passion for pre-sales and problem-solving.

Cybersecurity and Entrepreneurship

• 🔒 Waits found his calling in providing secure technology solutions, which evolved into the field of cybersecurity, even before the term was widely used.
• 🏢 He moved to Washington D.C. for its diverse tech scene and became a first-time CEO, eventually co-founding a startup called Bradian.
• 🚀 Now a serial entrepreneur, he enjoys bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to early-stage companies and mature organizations like Rapid7, defining and launching new businesses.

Philosophy and Advice

• 🤔 Waits emphasizes understanding the 'why' behind customer problems in cybersecurity, focusing on risk mitigation and rapid detection of compromises.
• 🤝 He advises finding a mentor in your desired industry, embodying the principle that "you can't be it unless you can see it."
• ⚠️ He challenges the notion that computer science and cybersecurity are exclusively for those with advanced math skills, highlighting the field's diversity gap and vast job opportunities.
• ❤️ Ultimately, Waits hopes his legacy is defined by his desire to help and protect people, enabling them to live better lives through the knowledge and solutions he shared.