Omphaloskepsis – The Startup Disease

So, like most of you, I thought I had a great idea that solved an important problem. Companies are leaking confidential data. Exfiltration is a worldwide security concern. Most data lives on data center servers. If it was possible to block or at least recognize that confidential data was being copied off a server then a major security hole coulld be closed. But any software running on a server can be compromised to hide the exfiltration. Plus there would be a lot of CPU overhead trying to monitor data traffic at high wire speeds. Data centers already do compression/decompression at wire speeds using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) attached to wires at both ends of a connection. They also do encryption/decryption "on the wire". This increases bandwidth without impacting the CPU. So why not create an FPGA that monitors server traffic for confidential data exfiltration? It operates at wire speeds, does not impact the CPU, and cannot be modified without a physical connection, making hacking nearly impossible. Plus it is hardware so there is something physical to sell. That's a great idea. I created a prototype. I had a "team", including a CEO. I started training a grad student. What I didn't have was a clue about customers and markets. Who would buy it? How could I find them? What story could I tell them that was compelling? I had a story. I convinced myself. I had passion about it. But I suffered from Omphaloskepsis (Omphaloskepsis or navel-gazing is contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation.) My startup died from Omphaloskepsis. Jill Soley and Todd Wilms have a cure for Omphaloskepsis. They have a new book out "Beyond Product". It is short, painless, and informative. (http://jillsoley.com). Spend an afternnon and read it. Give it to your CEO. It might just save your startup.