Unlike most AI-focused organizations, Andesite is not on a trajectory to replace people with automation. In fact, the importance of keeping humans at the helm is core to both our product and our philosophy — we believe a close partnership between people and technology is the best, possibly only, way forward. And while our founders include passionate technologists, not everyone who works here is a cybersecurity expert. We also bring people on board who are uniquely positioned to handle the human side of our operation, keeping everyone aligned to our North Star and making progress together.
To get to know the humans that make Andesite happen, we’re launching a Q&A series starting with our Chief of Staff, Porter Foulon. Having served two decades in national security and intelligence for high-level U.S. government organizations, Porter brings decades of operational experience and a uniquely grounded perspective to his role managing strategic momentum — or, as he puts it, making sure we’re “all rowing the boat in the same direction.”
What originally drew you to security operations roles?
To be honest, I wasn’t drawn to ‘SecOps’ in the technical sense of monitoring dashboards or managing software integrations. My background is in National Security operations, where the focus is on the mission and the coordination required to execute it.
Whether you’re moving a team on the ground or protecting a company’s data, the fundamental challenge is the same — you have to manage a massive amount of information to find the signals that actually matter. I’m drawn to the complexity and the stakes of that problem. My strength isn’t always in the technical tools themselves, but in the orchestration — building the operational framework that allows a team of specialists to see the problem clearly and act decisively.
What brought you to Andesite after working in the public sector for so long?
After two decades in the National Security sector, I find the macro-level view of cybersecurity very interesting. No matter the nature or location of conflict today, cyber attacks are always the first “shots fired.” I’m interested in the preparation and the universal challenge of filtering out the signal from the noise — which is a key part of what Andesite is focused on. The other big draw for me was the opportunity to be part of a highly disciplined team. Andesite is a high-performing organization with extremely rigorous professional standards. Everyone here is highly capable and fully invested in what we’re doing. It’s exciting to be part of that.
On top of everything else, moving to the private sector allows me to spend more time with my family. As the father of two young kids, that’s really important to me.
What made Andesite a good fit in terms of your skills?
While I may not be a security expert, I focus on managing complexity and reducing organizational friction. I bring a different set of skills to the table that’s equally important in terms of getting things done. Thinking back to previous roles, I have a lot of experience going into a chaotic situation, building a path forward, and bringing everyone out safely. In an organization full of highly-disciplined specialists, everyone is hyper-focused on their specific lane. While that focus is a strength, it naturally means people aren’t always looking at the intersections where different workstreams meet, which can create friction.
That’s where I come in and act as the connective tissue, figuring out how to alleviate that friction and use the tools and resources we have to stay synchronized so we don’t lose speed as we scale. It’s kind of like being an air traffic controller — looking at the big picture, bringing all the moving pieces together, and making sure they all land safely.
It comes back to our whole philosophy of keeping humans at the helm. We have this incredible technology and this incredible team all working on different aspects of that, and I’m the human who’s overseeing the synchronization of all these efforts — making sure we prioritize the right things and keeping the whole operation pointed towards our North Star.
What’s been most interesting for you since you’ve moved from the public sector to startup life?
Probably the mechanics of the venture capital model. In a seed-stage startup, you’re consistently thinking about the long-term business narrative and how traction and technical milestones translate into value. You can read all you want about the venture ecosystem, but there’s a nuance to investor relations that you only really grasp once you’re in the room having a conversation and processing feedback. It’s definitely more art than science and it’s been really interesting.
Coming into the startup world, one expectation I had was that it would be a crazy fast pace and a constant grind. It is intense, but the nature of the intensity is different. In the national security space, I experienced environments where the baseline pressure was extreme. Transitioning to a startup means the workload is still significant but it’s manageable because I’ve operated in similar conditions for a long time. It’s a different kind of grind. What I appreciate at Andesite is the shared accountability — everyone is pulling their weight because they believe in what we’re building, which creates a familiar sense of team cohesion.
What parallels or differences do you see between your life in public service and working for a tech startup?
One similarity is that you’re operating with limited resources in both environments, so there are always going to be tradeoffs. That could mean financial resources, or it could be in terms of available hours or people. You’re always up against some kind of limit or constraint.
In the startup world, you’re working against the clock. There’s always a looming customer delivery deadline, a product development deadline, or a date when your runway runs out. And in the national security environment, the ticking clock could be related to an opportunity window or it could stem from a specific mission objective. Whatever it is, you always feel like the shot clock is running out and you need to figure out what to prioritize — that’s the same for both worlds.
The difference is moving from budget execution to value creation. In the government, I was responsible for managing and overseeing funding to satisfy national security requirements. Success was defined by mission impact within that budget. In a startup, you’re building an engine that eventually has to sustain itself. You aren’t just spending a budget, you’re investing resources to prove a concept and scale a business. The limitations are the same — you never have enough time or people — but the accountability is different.
From your seat in the organization, what uniquely positions Andesite to tackle cyber defense challenges?
The team here is composed of people who are used to solving hard problems. I have a massive amount of confidence in our direction because the leadership has a consistent record of success.
In addition, the team has taken a very deliberate approach from the start. We take market feedback, but nothing we’ve heard, seen, or done has moved us from our core conviction. It’s amazing to see a team with this level of focus — and it’s been proven right. Andesite’s Human at the Helm philosophy was established before the market formed and it’s still holding.
The other thing that stands out to me is that we are uniquely positioned to support the U.S. government. We are a U.S.-based company with a U.S.-founding team and a product that’s FedRAMP High authorized. Our focus since inception has been supporting those who are protecting others. A lot of organizations in the security startup space are based overseas, which matters when you’re talking about protecting the U.S. government and military.
You mentioned being able to spend more time with your family now — what does that look like for you?
It’s amazing! My wife works a lot too so we’ve got the schedule worked out now where I have the mornings with my girls, who are two and four. I’ve never had that before, and it’s awesome. I go to work a little later and my wife comes home earlier, and we trade off the afternoon activities — ballet classes, gymnastics, swimming lessons. I’m like a regular character in the movie of their lives, rather than one that just comes and goes.
I know a lot of people struggle with transitioning from the public sector to the private, but for me, it’s been a great move. I like the professionalism of working at Andesite and I also really appreciate the flexibility. I don’t mind working long hours, but I don’t want to be away from my family for long periods. For me, it’s just wins across the board.