Taking your business from startup to scale-up in five steps
October 20, 2022Only three of Europe’s most visible scaleups are profitable
November 2, 2022
By Verne Harnish
Corey White, founder and chief experience officer of Cyvatar.ai, used the Scaling Up platform to help grow revenue in his division of the tech firm Cylance by 400%, as chief customer experience officer. But after Cylance got acquired by BlackBerry, he was ready for a new challenge.
Now, after attending the Scaling Up course at Mind Valley University in 2019, he is applying the platform a second time. This time, he is using it at Civatar.ai, a cloud-based provider of cybersecurity as a service that provides managed security to small and midsize businesses, putting the business he founded in 2019 on track for seven-figure revenue.
Hiring for mindset
Tapping the Topgrading system, White hires his remote team members based on a personality profile: “I’m looking for the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset,” says White, referring to the concepts psychologist Carol Dweck has popularized.. “What I want to promote is independent thinking across the business.”
“Netflix of cybersecurity”
White has also used Scaling Up to set his strategy for the subscription-membership business. “Strategy to me is everything,” says White. “It’s how you win.”
His overarching strategy is to make cybersecurity easy for companies that don’t have an information security manager. “We call ourselves the Netflix of cybersecurity,” White says.
Putting execution front and center
To make sure customers are happy, White and his team set metrics for success. “Execution is key,” says White. “That’s where most companies fail with getting secure.”
To that end, the company sets clear short-term goals of getting new clients secure within days. “I’m very big into measurements. Day one you start. In ninety days or less, we’ll get you secure.”
White uses Scaling Up with Align software to help his team stay on track. “That’s how we manage our Scaling Up process,” he says.
Keeping cash flowing
By keeping his focus on execution, White keeps cash flowing. “Cash is king,” he says. The steady flow of revenue helped him attract $12 million in venture funding.
With customers flocking, White is actively building his team to meet the demand. “We’re cheaper and more efficient than anything else out there,” he says.
