🎙️ Hard2beat Podcast #4 – Defguard and the future of security

In the fourth episode of the Hard2beat Podcast, we dive into the world of network security and open source with Robert Olejnik, founder of Defguard - an open-source VPN that implements multi-factor authentication (MFA) directly at the WireGuard protocol level. We talk about how open source became the new foundation of security, why “security through obscurity” no longer works, and what it takes to challenge industry giants like Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto - whose products still power much of today’s digital infrastructure, despite recurring critical vulnerabilities. Robert shares his journey from hacker and engineer to founder and CEO - explaining how Defguard was built from years of experience in cybersecurity, open source, and enterprise systems. We discuss the shift from running a software house to building a scalable product company, and how openness, transparency, and community trust can reshape enterprise security. To learn why we invested in Defguard, visit: https://hard2beat.vc/insights-resources/why-we-invested-in-defguard/ More about Defguard: https://defguard.net Follow Hard2beat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hard2beat/ In this episode: 02:00 - How we met & what’s ahead in this episode 05:19 - Early days in tech & the path to entrepreneurship 12:01 - What is Defguard and what problems it solves 15:12 - Defguard’s positioning against industry giants 21:32 - Why organizations choose Defguard & how to sell security to enterprises 27:32 - Cloud VPNs, geopolitics & the future of network security 31:57 - Open source vs open code - transparency and inspectability 35:00 - Balancing usability and security 38:45 - Building Defguard as a business - roadmap & vision for the future 50:30 - How a technical engineer can become a salesperson and entrepreneur 53:09 - Monetizing open source - challenges & lessons learned 1:01:26 - Reflections - investing your own money vs raising capital to validate 1:11:15 - Quick questions - Rust, challenges & Defguard