Guests:

• Eric Foster, CEO, Tenex.AI
• Bashar Abouseido, President,  Tenex.AI

Topics:

• "10X SOC" sounds great.  But for an organization stuck in "SIEM 1.0" with poor data quality and manual workflows, is "AI-native MDR" a "leapfrog" opportunity or a recipe for disaster?
• We've seen the rise of "Decoupled SIEM" and security data lakes. Does a "Modern SIEM" even need to exist if an MDR platform has an agentic layer doing the heavy lifting? 
• You've argued for AI-native over AI-bolted-on. For an end user, what are the tangible differences of using "AI inside a legacy SIEM" versus using an "AI-native separate product"?
• What is the one task you thought AI would handle by now that still requires a senior human analyst to step in?
• If a CISO is using an AI MDR, "Mean Time to Detect" (MTTD) starts to look like a vanity metric because the machine is instant. What is the new golden metric for an AI-powered SOC? Is it "Time to Context," "Reduction in Human Toil," or something else?
• How do you help a skeptical SOC Manager—who has been burned by false positives for a decade—trust an autonomous agent to perform a "containment" action at 3:00 AM?  

Resources:

• EP227 AI-Native MDR: Betting on the Future of Security Operations?
• EP10 SIEM Modernization? Is That a Thing?
• The original "10X" paper "Autonomic Security Operations: 10X Transformation of the Security Operations Center"

About Joy Apple

Joy is a Microsoft MVP and Director of Success and Enablement at Orchestry. With years of experience as an information technologist, I’m dedicated to helping organizations implement technology with a purpose-driven, “human-first” approach, ensuring tools like Microsoft 365 empower people to do their best work.

Teaching and knowledge-sharing are at the heart of what I do. Whether it’s through volunteering in the Microsoft Community, speaking at events, or writing as the “Joy of SharePoint,” I’m passionate about helping others unlock their potential with modern workplace solutions.
Im also a cohost of the Guardians of M365 Governance podcast, where I explore the challenges and rewards of governance, and a columnist for She is Tulsa, a quarterly magazine celebrating impactful stories from my local community.

Outside of work, you’ll often find me enjoying live music or discovering new spots in Tulsa, Oklahoma, combining my love of connection and creativity wherever I go.

Show Notes

• See the recording from the Microsoft Studios!
• Joy Apple on LinkedIn
• The Microsoft 365 Maturity Model – Governance, Risk, and Compliance Competency
• The Microsoft MVP Communities
• About the MVP Program
• Overview of Microsoft 365 Archive
• Guests in the Microsoft 365 admin center
• Mitigate Oversharing to Govern Microsoft 365 Copilot and Agents
• Orchestry

About the sponsors

	TrustedTech is a leading Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) specializing in Microsoft Cloud services, Microsoft perpetual licensing, and Microsoft Support Services for medium and enterprise-sized businesses. Our robust team of in-house, U.S-based Microsoft architects and engineers are certified in all 6/6 Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. M365 Licensing Consultation M365 Tenant Assessment Copilot Readiness Assessment
	Your migration and governance solution for Microsoft 365 ShareGate helps your teams simplify tenant migrations, get Copilot-ready, and take control of Microsoft 365 governance.
	Our Microsoft 365 experts and Microsoft Azure experts focus on the Microsoft cloud, so you can focus on what you do best! Learn more how we can help you!

This week’s guest is Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna Security, who has experienced both sides of the startup journey: scaling quickly during the boom years and then making the incredibly difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of his team when the market shifted.

From growing to 75 employees to scaling back and rebuilding, Yogev learned firsthand that the hardest part of leadership isn’t hiring fast, it’s making tough decisions with care, transparency, and integrity.

In this episode, Isabelle Johannessen and Yogev unpack what it really means to lead through layoffs with compassion and how founders can support their teams even in the most challenging moments. They also explore the lessons learned from scaling too quickly and how to build a more resilient company the second time around.

They discuss:

• How to approach layoffs with empathy and transparency

• Ways to support employees beyond financial compensation

• What founders get wrong about scaling and hiring

• Why culture matters most during difficult moments

• Lessons from rebuilding after layoffs

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.  

TechCrunch Disrupt: If you're thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we're back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.  

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type. 

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

 Chapters:

00:00 We grew too fast

02:30 What Anjuna actually does

04:45 Scaling the team quickly

06:10 The market crash hits

09:40 Handling layoffs with empathy

12:10 Supporting employees the right way

15:30 Why culture matters in crisis

20:50 The hiring mistake founders make

27:40 When to scale your sales team

34:40 Rebuilding after layoffs