Ron Gula Talks about the Importance of Getting Out of the Cybersecurity Bubble

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Inner Circle Podcast Episode 027

My guest for this episode of the Inner Circle podcast is Ron Gula, co-founder of Gula Tech Adventures–a venture capital firm focused on investing in cutting edge cybersecurity startups. Prior to launching Gula Tech Adventures, though, Ron had established himself as a cybersecurity leader and visionary, most notably as co-founder and CEO of Tenable.

I’ve known Ron for years and had even interviewed for various roles at Tenable over the years before finally being hired to manage the Tenable community and social media efforts in 2015. I wasn’t really looking for a corporate day job at the time, but a mutual friend brought the role to my attention and Ron was coincidentally “in the neighborhood” speaking at an event in San Antonio. I drove the three-plus hours from Houston to San Antonio to have dinner with Ron and talk about the role. I am grateful that Ron was willing to not only accept that I would also continue my personal efforts as a tech journalist and freelance content creator–but that he recognized that my role in the broader cybersecurity community was actually a benefit to Tenable and enhance my value for the role I was being hired for.

Fast forward a few years, and neither of us is at Tenable at this point. Ron stepped down to pursue other ventures–namely launching Gula Tech Adventures–and I was abruptly separated from the company in the Great Marketing Purge of 2017. It seems like it has worked out pretty well for both of us, though.

Ron and I have a great conversation in this episode of the Inner Circle podcast–reminiscing about our ealry days in the US Air Force and the paths we’ve each taken to get where we are in the world of cybersecurity. Ron also shares some of his insights as an investor in cybersecurity startups, and the challenges we face as an industry because we all exist in a self-validating bubble.

Listen to the episode, and please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions in the comments below.