4 min read · Written by Grant Rayner on 12 Apr 2023
Share by emailBefore taking the leap to set up your own company as an independent security professional, take advantage of being in an established organisation to experiment and test different ideas.
The best way to achieve this is by adopting an entrepreneurial mindset within your current organisation. You can use creativity, innovation, and initiative to develop new ideas, improve processes, and drive growth.
In short, become an intrapreneur.
Why make the additional effort?
First, you’ll have the opportunity to develop new and important skills. By experimenting with different ideas, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t. Hopefully, in the process, you’ll enhance your reputation within your existing organisation. You’ll benefit from being viewed as someone who is creative and innovative.
Secondly, your organisation can benefit from implementing ideas that drive growth and increase customer satisfaction. In the process, you may gain recognition, promotion, and even a pay raise.
More importantly, as an intrapreneur, you’ll be laying a solid foundation for your future as an independent security professional.
Let’s explore some practical ways to be an intrapreneur in your current organisation. These approaches are applicable whether you work in a security consulting company or a corporate security role.
One of your first priorities should be to identify any gaps, inefficiencies, or unmet needs within your company, especially with regard to the services provided to clients. Try to pinpoint areas where you can make meaningful improvements.
If you work for a security consulting firm, seek opportunities to enhance existing products and services, or to create new ones.
You can also identify areas that require innovation and improvement. By doing so, you may be able to detect inefficiencies in the company’s current procedures and suggest new ways of working. At least in my experience, there will be opportunities to introduce discipline and rigour to internal processes.
To identify opportunities, it’s important to have a good understanding of industry best practices and client needs. Additionally, staying up-to-date with emerging technologies is crucial. By doing so, you can build your professional knowledge and broaden your perspectives.
The best way to identify potential opportunities is by getting close to your clients. Focus on establishing informal relationships with them. Once you have developed a candid relationship, they will be more open about the day-to-day challenges they face and the support they need.
Naturally, it’s impossible to solve every client problem. Furthermore, it’s possible that you may not have the necessary authority to solve every client problem within your current organisation. However, you’ll still be learning valuable lessons that you can potentially apply once you’ve established your own company.
As an independent security professional, one of the most important skills you’ll need is the ability to design products and services. To do so successfully, you’ll need a combination of professional knowledge and experience to know what works and what doesn’t. The only way to gain the latter is through trial and error.
As you work on different projects, consider how you could improve the approach or deliverable. When interacting with clients, learn about their current and emerging needs. Consider what types of products or services may meet those needs. Once you have developed your ideas, build a business case and pitch them to management. If you get the green light, take ownership of the initiative by presenting these new products and services to your clients.
If you don’t get a green light, seek feedback and learn from the process.
Of course, you’ll also need to take the initiative.
Organisations tend to be static and conservative by nature. Initiating any type of change can be difficult. To drive the process, you need to take the initiative.
Once you’ve identified opportunities, don’t wait for an invitation to share your ideas. Instead, be proactive in presenting your ideas to colleagues and management. Seek support and buy-in from relevant stakeholders. Demonstrate how your ideas can benefit your organisation and your clients.
To make the most out of being an intrapreneur, take an experimental approach. Use the resources of a larger company to test different ideas and approaches. This will accelerate your learning and improve your capabilities. Most importantly, you’ll gain confidence in your own initiative and abilities.
When proposing different ideas, you can expect a range of feedback. Some may be positive, while others may be very negative. It’s possible that your proposals may threaten the status quo, and even if others agree with your approach, they may resist due to the additional work or uncertainty that adopting your proposal may bring.
Sometimes, it’s better to act on an idea than to spend time discussing it and seeking permission. New ideas and ways of working can face resistance within organisations. If you’ve identified a client need and believe you can meet it with a new product or service, go ahead and develop that offering and deliver it. What’s the worst that can happen?
Of course, it’s important to respect organisational governance and standards, and not to tamper with established products, such as subscription offerings. But if you can deliver a new product or service, and your client is willing to pay for it, you should feel empowered to move forward.
One of the best aspects of being innovative and trying new ideas is that you’re going to fail. Probably a lot. Failure is an excellent teacher. If, or more likely when, you do fail, take the time to analyse what went wrong. You’ll be able to apply these lessons later when you set out on your own.
As you propose new ideas and attempt to realise them, you will face resistance and setbacks. Along the way, you need to be prepared to adapt your approach and be persistent. However, it is also important to recognise when your ideas are not good or when there is too much resistance. In these cases, it is better to move on to the next thing instead of beating yourself up.
If you’re serious about becoming an independent security professional, start developing the necessary skills and mindset while still working for your current organisation.
Identify opportunities, build relationships with clients, design new products and services, and conduct experiments to develop new skills and enhance your reputation. By doing so, you can lay a solid foundation for your future as an independent security professional and transition from being an employee to working for yourself.
Next week, I’ll focus on how to determine when it’s time to take the leap.