From SOC to CEO, and Learning from Failure to Find Success

From SOC to CEO, and Learning from Failure to Find Success

Author: BKBT Productions May 19, 2025 Duration: 33:07
Quinnlan Varcoe, founder of Blueberry Security, joins the show for a raw conversation about building a security startup! Quinn takes us through her wild ride from SOC analyst to founder - including how she shut down her business only to relaunch it stronger than ever.  George K and George A talk to Quinn about: * Finding your true product-market fit in the security services space * The brutal reality of B2B sales cycles (hint: they're WAY longer than you think) * How literally ONE client call changed everything while she was recovering from surgery * Her narrative-based approach to security operations training Plus, Quinn opens up about her experience as a trans founder in cybersecurity, navigating both professional challenges and today's political climate. This episode is PACKED with insights for founders, security practitioners, and anyone interested in the human side of building something from scratch.  --------------- 🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month is just around the corner! We're once again running our t-shirt campaign to raise money for scholarships for LGBTQ+ students in cybersecurity programs. In the month of June, all profits from any Pride gear purchased from the BKBT Swag Store will be donated. Set your reminders for June, and check out the collection: https://bkbtpodcast.shop/

There’s a lot of noise in the world of technology talk, but Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks cuts through it with a focus on the people behind the products and the societal currents shaping our digital landscape. Hosts George K and George A steer conversations that are less about specs and hype, and more about real-world consequences. You’ll hear them dig into topics like the messy rollout of new AI tools, the often-invisible backbone of digital infrastructure, and why communities adopt or reject certain technologies. This podcast regularly features guests from various fields who offer unvarnished opinions on what’s genuinely functional and what’s fundamentally flawed in our tech-saturated lives. The discussions move beyond simple commentary to challenge the standard narratives promoted by the tech industry, examining the cultural and social ripples of every new development. It’s a show for anyone who feels that technology coverage often misses the human element-the frustrations, the adaptations, and the ethical dilemmas. Tune in for a grounded, critical, and consistently engaging dialogue that connects the dots between code and culture. This production from BKBT Productions lives up to its name, getting down to the brass tacks of how technology is built and used, with a bare-knuckle honesty that’s increasingly rare.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
Podcast Episodes
AI vs Human writing and what it means for our thinking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:02
What happens when AI-generated text masquerades as human research? Kimberly Becker, PhD, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlypacebecker/] a corpus linguist joins the show this week to talk about her study comparing huma…
Protecting data as the critical supply line for AI Applications [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:51
We need to stop treating our data like something to be stored and more like a mission critical supply lines. Andrew Schoka [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-schoka/] spent his military career in offensive cyber, includ…
Securing nuclear energy systems on all fronts with Audrey Crowe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:54
Are we sleepwalking into a security crisis that makes ransomware look quaint? Nuclear security expert Audrey Crowe joins the show to talk about the convergence of grey zone warfare, critical infrastructure, and nuclear s…
Why future applications of AI will need higher quality data [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:44
What if the real AI revolution isn't about better models—but about unlocking the data we've been sitting on? Mike McLaughlin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-g-mclaughlin/]—cybersecurity and data privacy attorney, fo…
Translating security and tech concepts for the everyday consumer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
When did we stop asking how things work? Rich Greene joins the show to talk about his new podcast Plaintext with Rich [https://open.spotify.com/show/2DCglwZU8zBxzZgy8iHRCa], and we get into something that matters more th…
Happy Holidays! Our listeners are the greatest gift! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:19
It's a holiday week, so turn off this podcast! But if you'd like to tune in all the same, then we're here to say think you. You, the listeners, have been the greatest gift this season as we've made this turn in our forma…
Best Of: Confronting big tech's abuses as a question of human rights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:39
We're off this week, deep into planning and scheduling for next year. Please enjoy this Best Of episode, originally released in October. Hannah Storey, Advocacy and Policy Advisor at Amnesty International [https://www.am…
Looking ahead to the next year in tech and human impact [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:28
2025 was hella weird. The AI revolution is here whether we asked for it or not. This week, George K and George A reflect on the year and what it means for 2026. At AWS re:Invent, George A watched a machine create a custo…