By: Jake Smiths

When it comes to cybersecurity founders to watch, few names are rising as quickly as Yossi Barishev. The former Signia and Fireblocks executive joined hosts Noa Eshed and Ronen Menipaz on the Real Life Superpowers podcast to discuss the leap from industry insider to stealth-mode CEO, sharing raw insights on fear, adaptability, and what it truly means to build in an uncertain environment.

Barishev, who has been recognized by Business Insider as one of the leaders shaping the future of cybersecurity, has spent his career at the front lines of digital defense. At Signia, he advised Fortune 500 enterprises on incident response. While at Fireblocks, he helped safeguard billions in digital assets. Now, with his new company, which is still operating under wraps, he’s reimagining digital identity and trust in the age of AI.

From the Periphery to the Frontline of Cybersecurity

Unlike many Israeli founders who emerge from elite cyber units, Barishev’s journey began far from the well-worn path. “I didn’t serve in the right unit, didn’t study in the right school,” he told Eshed and Menipaz. “I spent most of my career running security teams on the buyer’s side.”

That outsider perspective, he says, became a strength. Growing up in Israel’s periphery and building a career without the typical credentials forced him to rely on adaptability and persistence, traits that became central to his philosophy. “Whenever I took a leap of faith and threw myself into deep water,” he said, “those were the moments I grew the most.”

His career-defining test came at Signia, one of Israel’s cyber consultancies, where he worked alongside some of the country’s decorated experts. “I felt like an outsider surrounded by geniuses from Unit 8200,” he recalled. “But eventually I became the firm’s top consultant. That’s when I realized I might actually have the stuff.”

Controlled Chaos and the Founder Mindset

For Barishev, entrepreneurship is less about control and more about “controlled chaos.” It’s a concept he lives by, intentionally introducing challenges that force personal growth. “If you can create chaos in a controlled manner,” he explained, “it teaches you more than any comfortable situation ever will.”

That resilience is essential in cybersecurity, a sector where the threat landscape evolves faster than organizations can adapt. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, the average breach now costs $4.88 million. For founders like Barishev, navigating that volatility requires both technical depth and mental endurance.

He describes startup life as a constant test of conviction. “Running a startup means getting punched in the face on an hourly basis,” he laughed, echoing Mike Tyson’s famous line about plans evaporating at first contact with reality. The only way forward, he says, is to build an internal compass strong enough to withstand external noise. “You never know everything,” he added. “But you must believe that whatever happens, you’ll find your way through it.”

Building With Purpose

Barishev’s company, co-founded with longtime colleague Yonatan Rosenberg, operates in stealth, but its mission centers on redefining identity and trust frameworks for enterprises operating in AI-driven ecosystems. While details remain undisclosed, Barishev emphasizes that the effort stems from personal experience. “I’m solving a problem I’ve faced my whole career,” he said. “It’s close to heart.”

His leadership style mirrors his worldview: pragmatic, self-aware, and deeply collaborative. “The founder relationship is the closest thing you’ll have to a marriage,” he said, noting that he and Rosenberg invest deliberately in their personal rapport. “It’s about complementing each other’s strengths, not replicating them.”

A New Era of Trust

As the conversation drew to a close, Barishev reflected on the paradox of entrepreneurship, where strength and vulnerability coexist. “My superpower is adaptability,” he said. “But my kryptonite is focus. The same thing that helps me thrive can also distract me.”

It’s a level of candor rarely heard from founders in stealth, and one that reveals the mindset behind his rapid rise. While the full details of his venture remain undisclosed, one thing is clear: Barishev is more interested in building something enduring than in creating hype.

“I’ve learned that when you have no fallback, you find a way,” he said. “And that’s where real growth begins.”

Listen to the full episode of Real Life Superpowers featuring Yossi Barishev on Calcalist Tech. Stay tuned; the next chapter of his journey may redefine how the industry thinks about identity and trust in the age of AI.