Reinventing Yourself in the Age of AI: Lessons from My Own Transformation

People often ask me how they can stay relevant as AI reshapes industries. They want to know how to avoid being replaced and take advantage of new opportunities created by this technological shift. I’m not a career counselor, and I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer. But I’ve been through this journey myself, and I hope sharing my experiences will give you some valuable ideas.

Looking back at 2023 and 2024, I didn’t have a master plan. I took one step at a time, learning and adjusting along the way. I immersed myself in AI, founded a community that helped define new territories in AI security, and shifted jobs to become the Chief Product Officer at Exabeam, a leading AI and cybersecurity company. I helped lead the introduction of successful Generative AI features and supported the company through a blockbuster merger. Along the way, I wrote and published an award-winning, best-selling book on AI security.

This AI journey wasn’t linear or intentionally mapped out. It was a series of small and big steps that, when combined, transformed my career. Here’s how it unfolded and what I learned.? I hope you find it useful.

Step 1: The Booklet Experiment

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." — Peter Drucker

In the spring of 2023, the post-ChatGPT world was taking shape. At the time, I was at a cybersecurity startup with cool tech but no AI features. With the RSA Conference approaching, my marketing team and I needed an AI angle. We had no product to show yet, but we couldn’t be silent on AI. So, we came up with a wild idea: Let’s write a book on AI and Cybersecurity.

Did I know how to write a book using AI tools? Nope, but it would be a great excuse to learn. I used an early version of ChatGPT and a free image generator to build a rough-cut, 60-page booklet. We had a human copyeditor clean it up, and a designer prepped it for print. We cranked it out in three weeks. You can see the result here: Cybersecurity and AI: Threats and Opportunities.

The response? It looked great, people appreciated it, and it showed we could produce real value with these AI tools quickly.

Lesson: Don’t wait for perfection. Dive in, learn on the fly, and create something tangible.

Step 2: Finding My Tribe in AI Security

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." — African Proverb

After the booklet, people knew I was dabbling in AI and cybersecurity. A friend sent me a New York Times article about emerging AI vulnerabilities, which introduced me to the idea that large language models (LLMs) had unique security risks.

I spent a weekend googling the topic, then dumped what I learned into ChatGPT to organize it. I realized there wasn’t a definitive resource on AI security. So, I reached out to Jeff Williams—who co-created the OWASP Top 10 for Web Application Security—and pitched an idea: What if we built an OWASP Top 10 for LLMs?

With Jeff's encouragement, I launched the OWASP Top 10 for LLMs project. Within months, hundreds of security experts joined and contributed their knowledge. Although I wasn’t an expert on LLM security at the time, I knew how to build and lead teams, which turned out to be the critical skill this effort needed. The project became a key industry resource, embraced by developers and security engineers alike.

Lesson: Use your existing skills to tackle new challenges. I didn’t start as an AI security expert—I leaned on my project management experience to build something valuable.

Step 3: The Book Deal That Elevated My Profile

"Opportunities don't happen. You create them." — Chris Grosser

The OWASP project caught the attention of an editor at O’Reilly. She reached out: Would you be interested in writing a book on LLM security?

I jumped at the opportunity, and we worked together to pitch the project. Signing with O’Reilly raised my profile even more, and people in the industry took notice. What I thought would be a six-month project took twelve, but it was worth it. The book, The Developer's Playbook for Large Language Model Security, has been a career-defining milestone.

Lesson: Small volunteer projects can lead to significant, career-changing opportunities. Be open to unexpected doors opening.

Step 4: The Big Jump to Exabeam

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." — Helen Keller

By the summer of 2023, I knew I needed to go all-in on AI. I was at a great company, but it wasn’t where I could fully embrace this shift. I started exploring other options—talking to VCs and startups—before landing on Exabeam.

Exabeam had a strong machine learning foundation but hadn’t yet embraced LLMs. The company had the data, the business model, and the hunger to push into AI. It had all these things and also needed an experienced Chief Product Officer—a skill set I would bring. I knew it was the right fit.

I left behind friends, colleagues, and stock options to make the jump. It was a risk, but it paid off.

Lesson: Find the right organization that aligns with your goals. Use your skills to get in the door and develop the expertise you need on the job.

Step 5: Building and Commercializing AI Features

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." — Japanese Proverb

Once at Exabeam, my focus was clear: take early-gen AI prototypes and make them real. My job wasn’t to write code but to ensure these features became central to our strategy and delivered real-world value.

We built the best cybersecurity Copilot on the market and used it to position Exabeam as an AI leader. This helped lead to a major merger, creating the largest pure-play cybersecurity AI company in our space.

Lesson: Set a vision, lead, and deliver. Moving from prototype to production is where many AI projects fail. Success requires focus and execution.

Over the past year, all of this work has opened doors for me to speak with people across the globe about AI and cybersecurity. I’ve had the privilege to share insights in places like Tokyo and Singapore, and this month, I’m heading to Davos, Switzerland, to discuss how AI and cybersecurity will shape the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I’ll report back on that adventure soon.

Key Takeaways for Career Reinvention:

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." — Franklin D. Roosevelt

1. Don’t wait. Start small and learn as you go.
2. Leverage your existing skills. You don’t need to be an AI expert from day one.
3. Follow opportunities that build momentum. Little projects can lead to significant results.
4. Find the right organization. Surround yourself with people and companies ready to embrace AI.
5. Deliver real value. Move past demos to create solutions that solve real problems.

The AI wave is just getting started. If you want to ride it, the time to act is now.