Everyone talks about BIG markets, but how to create a monopoly in an esoteric niche, a small market, and, as a consequence, become a strong defensible business?
In Part 1 of our One Million by One Million Blog posts, our guest is Brian Hajost, President and Founder of SteelCloud, a company that develops technology for automated remediation of endpoints to effectively meet compliance mandates.
In this candid and informative interview, Brian shares how his journey in technology began, and how he helped SteelCloud expand to become the leading cybersecurity compliance company it is today.
Brian Hajost is the President & CEO of SteelCloud, a company that develops technology for automated remediation of endpoints to various security benchmarks. Brian’s technical career has spanned over thirty years, primarily with leading-edge technologies in regulated industries. He holds eight patents in IT security and two patents in mobile security. He is an active contributor to the DC Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), currently serving a board member.
SteelCloud develops STIG and CIS compliance software for commercial and government customers and those technology providers that support them. Our products automate policy and security remediation by reducing the complexity, effort, and expense of meeting industry-standard security mandates. SteelCloud has delivered security policy-compliant solutions to customers worldwide, simplifying implementation and ongoing security and business support. SteelCloud products are easy to license through our GSA Schedule 70 contract.
Interview – How to Create a Monopoly in an Esoteric Niche
Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the beginning of your journey. Where were you born and raised? What kind of background did you have?
Brian Hajost: I was born in Lancaster, Ohio. I lived there until I went to college. I had five brothers and sisters including three triplets that were born in 1964 when triplets were an oddity. It was an interesting childhood going from three kids to six in one go. I grew up in Lancaster. It had about 20,000 people.
It’s known for two things. One, it’s the headquarters of Anchor Hocking Glass which was a Fortune 500 company at the time. Second, It’s the birthplace of General Sherman. Those are the two things that Lancaster was known for.