02 | The Founder’s Blind Spots: Integrity, AI Risk, and Cybersecurity Realities

Growth Without Integrity Is a Dead End

Many founders obsess over growth, tools, and tactics, but overlook the very foundations that keep a company alive.

In this episode of The Founder's Path From Spark to Company, Valerie Cobb speaks with Marlon Bermudez, founder of Marbor Security, about the realities of entrepreneurship: building with integrity, navigating cybersecurity risks, embracing authenticity, and understanding why values—not aggressive sales—drive long-term success.

This is not a pitch-filled conversation. It’s a grounded, human discussion about what it actually takes to build something sustainable.

From Curiosity to Company: Marlon’s Founder Journey

Marlon’s entrepreneurial path started early.

Originally from Costa Rica, he moved to the U.S. as a teenager and quickly found himself drawn to technology and problem-solving. Right after high school, he launched a small business helping organizations manage computers and servers.

That curiosity turned into a decade-long career with a managed services provider, where he wore many hats—technical leadership, operations, growth, and eventually serving as an information security officer.

But knowledge alone wasn’t enough.

“Knowledge isn’t power. The application of knowledge is power.”

That belief shaped everything that followed.

Giving Back Through Knowledge, Not Gatekeeping

While earning his master’s degree in cybersecurity, Marlon chose a different approach than most professionals.

Instead of locking knowledge behind paywalls, he wrote a book and made it freely available to the public—removing barriers to entry and contributing back to society.

That mindset later became foundational to his company and values.

Why Sales Feels Wrong (And How to Fix It)

Marlon openly admits something many founders are afraid to say:

“I don’t like sales.”

As an introvert, traditional networking and pushy outreach drained him. Cold pitches, unsolicited offers, and transactional interactions felt inauthentic.

The problem wasn’t sales. It was how sales is done.

People don’t dislike sales.
They dislike being treated as a transaction.

This insight led to a different approach: The Authenticity Journey, a human-centered forum focused on conversations, wisdom, and genuine connection rather than selling.

Authenticity Over Transactions

The Authenticity Journey brings together leaders in wealth management, private equity, and advisory roles, not to pitch, but to explore the human side of success.

The conversations are unscripted.
The stories are real.
The outcomes are connection, not conversion.

And paradoxically, that authenticity builds more trust than any funnel ever could.

The Cybersecurity Risk Most Founders Underestimate

The conversation shifts into a critical but often ignored topic: cyber risk.

Founders frequently underestimate how fragile their company really is.

One breach.
One data leak.
One compromised endpoint.

And it’s game over.

AI has only magnified this risk.

Employees use AI tools daily—often outside policy, often unknowingly exposing sensitive data. Even “approved” tools can introduce vulnerabilities if governance and controls aren’t properly designed.

Cybersecurity isn’t a product you buy.
It’s a continuous service, strategy, and discipline.

Shadow IT, Shadow AI, and the Illusion of Control

Organizations may block tools, enforce policies, and deploy platforms, but humans are creative.

Shadow IT and Shadow AI thrive when employees need to get work done faster than policy allows.

Without proper controls like DNS filtering, endpoint monitoring, and governance, founders are blind to real exposure, especially once devices leave the office network.

Integrity as a Competitive Advantage

One of Marlon’s strongest principles is simple:

“I cannot be bought.”

Integrity isn’t negotiable.
Conflict of interest is eliminated by design.
Trust is protected at all costs.

This applies to pricing, partnerships, and client relationships.

Discounting, for example, signals misalignment—not value.

If the price doesn’t align with the value delivered, the client isn’t the right fit.

Core Values Aren’t Optional

Using principles from EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), Marlon emphasizes embedding core values into:

• Personal life

• Professional decisions

• Client relationships

• Community engagement

Values guide behavior when decisions get hard—and they always do.

Two Final Lessons for Founders

Before closing, Marlon leaves founders with two powerful reminders:

1. Stop Playing Small

Growth lives outside comfort zones.
Fear is part of entrepreneurship.
If you’re bored, restricted, or stagnant, it’s a signal.

2. Alignment Matters More Than Scale

Not everyone is your customer.
Alignment between value, price, and integrity creates sustainability.

Final Takeaway: Build the Company You’d Trust

Tools change.
Markets shift.
Technology evolves.

But integrity, authenticity, and trust remain constant.

If you build with those at the center, growth becomes a byproduct, not a chase.