Learning the Ropes: From Cop to CEO of a Venture-Backed Software Company with Ryan Schonfeld
October 4, 2021
Scaling your post-LEO business requires capital. What happens when the demand for your product or service outgrows the capital you have to fund operations? It may be time to seek investors. The process of seeking venture funding is a bit elusive and scary. In this episode, Ryan Schonfeld will share some of his lessons learned while growing his company, HiveWatch, through strategic investments.
Get all the links, resources and show notes at https://leo2ceo.com/copreneur-path/054
Scaling your post-LEO business requires capital. What happens when the demand for your product or service outgrows the capital you have to fund operations? It may be time to seek investors. The process of seeking venture funding is a bit elusive and scary. In this episode, Ryan Schonfeld will share some of his lessons learned while growing his company, HiveWatch, through strategic investments.
Get all the links, resources and show notes at https://leo2ceo.com/copreneur-path/054
Ryan Schonfeld is the Founder & CEO of HiveWatch.
In 2015, Founder Ryan Schonfeld was working as a leader of a Fortune 500 company’s Global Security & Safety Technology Group when he decided he just couldn’t take the status quo any more. Constantly hearing, “because that’s the way it’s always been done” and inefficiencies stemming from disparate systems and antiquated practices had gotten to be too much for him. From there RAS Consulting & Investigations was created to walk his clients through planning, education, and management of risk and liability, creating best-in-class, technology-forward, security programs for rapidly growing organizations. Through these services he found that there was a need for scalable security which some companies didn’t have the knowledge or human capital to create. From there sprung the idea of RAS Watch (now HiveWatch’s Swarm), a global security operation center (GSOC) as a service. In March of 2020 when the world stopped turning and the COVID-19 pandemic took over, Ryan recognized another need for a SaaS platform to make security leaders more aware, more connected, more proactive, and more informed - so he founded HiveWatch.
Ryan holds a Masters in Information Systems and Technology from George Washington University and a B.S. in Justice from American University with a minor in Information Systems and Technology. He is proud of his past work as a police officer and investigator and an instructor for the U.S. Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. Ryan continues to serve as a volunteer Reserve Police Officer.
Web/Social Links
Website: https://www.hivewatch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schonfeld/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchonfeldRyan
Highlights
[00:50] Welcome to Episode 54!
[02:50] Ryan introduces HiveWatch and how their software helps corporate security.
[05:33] HiveWatch is a people optimizer and streamlines data to get the most positive result.
[06:44] Ryan gives a great example of how HiveWatch could be utilized.
[08:48] HiveWatch also monitors social media conversations to protect from threats against a business.
[12:50] Ryan shares his story of transition from cop to copreneur.
[18:27] Business Brief 21: Simplicity is the Secret to Scale
[20:03] How HiveWatch became backed by venture capital.
[23:00] If you are not ready to give up control then venture backing may not be right for you.
[24:49] Ryan says his law enforcement background has helped him pick the right investors.
[27:17] When is it the right time for investors, and how do you find them?
[29:06] Ryan explains how important it is to listen to your gut and trust your instincts.
[31:23] How to connect with Ryan if you have questions!
Resources Discussed/Links
https://www.LEO2CEO.com - A resource for cops who want to start their own business.
Get all the links, resources and show notes at https://leo2ceo.com/copreneur-path/054
Ryan Schonfeld is the Founder & CEO of HiveWatch.
In 2015, Founder Ryan Schonfeld was working as a leader of a Fortune 500 company’s Global Security & Safety Technology Group when he decided he just couldn’t take the status quo any more. Constantly hearing, “because that’s the way it’s always been done” and inefficiencies stemming from disparate systems and antiquated practices had gotten to be too much for him. From there RAS Consulting & Investigations was created to walk his clients through planning, education, and management of risk and liability, creating best-in-class, technology-forward, security programs for rapidly growing organizations. Through these services he found that there was a need for scalable security which some companies didn’t have the knowledge or human capital to create. From there sprung the idea of RAS Watch (now HiveWatch’s Swarm), a global security operation center (GSOC) as a service. In March of 2020 when the world stopped turning and the COVID-19 pandemic took over, Ryan recognized another need for a SaaS platform to make security leaders more aware, more connected, more proactive, and more informed - so he founded HiveWatch.
Ryan holds a Masters in Information Systems and Technology from George Washington University and a B.S. in Justice from American University with a minor in Information Systems and Technology. He is proud of his past work as a police officer and investigator and an instructor for the U.S. Department of State's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. Ryan continues to serve as a volunteer Reserve Police Officer.
Web/Social Links
Website: https://www.hivewatch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-schonfeld/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SchonfeldRyan
Highlights
[00:50] Welcome to Episode 54!
[02:50] Ryan introduces HiveWatch and how their software helps corporate security.
[05:33] HiveWatch is a people optimizer and streamlines data to get the most positive result.
[06:44] Ryan gives a great example of how HiveWatch could be utilized.
[08:48] HiveWatch also monitors social media conversations to protect from threats against a business.
[12:50] Ryan shares his story of transition from cop to copreneur.
[18:27] Business Brief 21: Simplicity is the Secret to Scale
[20:03] How HiveWatch became backed by venture capital.
[23:00] If you are not ready to give up control then venture backing may not be right for you.
[24:49] Ryan says his law enforcement background has helped him pick the right investors.
[27:17] When is it the right time for investors, and how do you find them?
[29:06] Ryan explains how important it is to listen to your gut and trust your instincts.
[31:23] How to connect with Ryan if you have questions!
Resources Discussed/Links
https://www.LEO2CEO.com - A resource for cops who want to start their own business.