AI and security compliance could make or break your next venture. In this episode of The Parallel Entrepreneur, Mark Cleveland sits down with Justin Beals, co-founder of Strike Graph, to dive into frameworks, data risk, and that special systems-thinking spark that turns small wins into scalable success. Leveraging his EdTech expertise to tackle security compliance for billion-dollar enterprises, Justin’s story is a masterclass in spotting trends and executing effectively.

Key Highlights:

• Opportunity Filtering – The three questions Justin always asks before launching a new product.
• AI as Internal Auditor – How Strike Graph deploys large language models to verify compliance automagically.
• Co-Founder vs. Solo Act – Winning arguments for teamwork, board partnerships, and the joys of not going it alone.
• Music & Mental Health – Surprising ways that daily creative outlets (and old-school Ashtanga yoga) keep Justin’s energy fresh.

Ready to sharpen your parallel potential? Subscribe now and share which insight resonated most—AI? Mentoring? Or making that “hundredth monkey” leap?

Chapters List:

00:00:00 Introduction to Justin Beals and StrikeGraph
00:02:02 Spotting Opportunities: Three Key Questions
00:04:10 Building Strike Graph: Why Framework Matters
00:06:06 Understanding Risk in Entrepreneurship
00:08:19 Systems Thinking & Data Models
00:12:09 Trends in Cybersecurity and Business Impact
00:14:31 Surviving a Downturn: B2B SaaS Realities
00:16:18 Co-Founders & Good Investors
00:19:43 Leveraging AI in Cybersecurity
00:22:35 Mentoring & Measured Learning
00:27:25 Creativity and Leadership in Entrepreneurship
00:33:13 Lessons Learned in Business and Co-Founding
00:40:36 Navigating Change with Venture Backers
00:43:19 The Emotional Landscape of Collaboration
00:45:18 The Art of Flexibility in Leadership
00:46:20 Shifting Focus: From Sales to Strategic Partnerships
00:48:00 Scaling with Core Values
00:51:38 Identifying Aha Moments in Customer Experience
00:53:57 The Impact of AI on Business and Society
00:57:52 Empowerment through Creative Technology
00:01:05:47 The Future of AI Companions
00:01:08:21 Lessons from the Past: Advice for the Future
00:01:18:58 The Essence of AI and Poetry

Show Notes:

• Share and engage with this interview on LinkedIn: Click here
• Secure Talk podcast - https://www.strikegraph.com/secure-talk-podcast
• StrikeGraph – https://www.strikegraph.com/
• Roundbox Global - https://roundbox.com/
• Koru - https://www.koru.global/
• Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash
• Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan - https://www.amazon.com/ZEALOT-Life-Times-Jesus-Nazareth/dp/140006922X
• Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC – AD 1000 by Barry Cunliffe - https://www.amazon.com/Europe-Between-Oceans-9000-BC-AD/dp/0300170866
• The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three-Body_Problem_(novel)
• Hundredth Monkey Effect - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect