Shira Shamban, co-founder and CEO of Solvo, joins this conversation to explain how a cloud security researcher became a software entrepreneur. She discusses the uncertainty behind starting a company, the practical work of finding customers, and why founders must validate a problem before investing heavily in a solution.
Shira on X
Shira began her cybersecurity career as an officer in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces, where she spent 13 years working in security and intelligence while earning an engineering degree from Tel Aviv University. She later led cloud security research at Dome9 Security before co-founding Solvo, which set out to automate cloud security and move it earlier in the development process.
Community work also runs through her career. Shira has lectured and mentored through groups including SheCodes, Cyber Ladies, Women in AppSec, and Infosec Girls. She created the Security Diva mentoring program and served as co-chair of OWASP Israel.
Shira rejects the idea that a founder graduates from a defined course or completes a checklist before becoming ready. No one taught her how to be a CEO; she learned by using her judgment, consulting people with deeper expertise in areas such as sales and marketing, and accepting responsibility for the final decision. Advice often conflicts, so a founder must understand its context rather than follow it blindly. A wrong decision is recoverable when the founder recognizes it and changes direction.
At Solvo, Shira’s central concern was attracting users and turning useful trials into lasting customer relationships. That meant deciding which market segments to approach, refining the message, demonstrating the product, studying metrics, writing, speaking, and creating enough visibility to stand out in a crowded cloud security market.
The role also included financial stewardship. Salaries, contractors, services, everyday team costs, and reserves for unexpected disruptions all had to fit within a realistic budget. The pandemic reinforced why a company needs enough resilience to survive events that cannot be predicted.
Shira’s first product concept did not begin with code. She created a mock-up, presented it as a possible product, and asked prospective users whether they would use it. Their responses suggested that the original idea was not the strongest one. She then asked about their most important cloud concerns and used those answers to reconsider the problem.
For her, market validation is not optional: a problem may feel urgent to a founder, but a business also needs buyers willing to pay to solve it. Mock-ups, a concise deck, and candid conversations can test that demand before a team commits substantial engineering time.
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, so Shira places exceptional value on a trusted co-founder whose abilities complement yours. She also recommends side projects and volunteering as realistic practice. Owning a conference function, leading a community initiative, or raising donations develops pitching, coordination, and end-to-end accountability. Credibility matters too: founders need enough relevant experience to earn the confidence of investors and customers.
