Start With the Right Person - A Tech Startup Story with Fortyx Security
Some startup stories begin with a product idea. Others with a problem to solve. For Parvez, it all started with a person. Before he knew what they would build, he knew who he wanted to build it with.
In this episode, we speak to the Parvez Alam Kazi co-founder of Fortyx Security about what it really means to find the right co-founder and why they spent time testing their relationship before landing on a product or even a company name. It’s a story about patience, values, and doing things in a deliberately different order.
Their approach was quiet, intentional and completely against the grain. But it worked and now they are building a solution to give customers a cyber security that protects them from the threats that continue to attack businesses all over the world.
Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
The journey
Parvez had always known he wanted to start something. But instead of racing to market, he took his time. He met his co-founder while working in his previous role, and rather than jumping into a product, they began a long conversation, which continued over a number of weeks.
They talked about values, ambition, how they made decisions, and what kind of culture they’d want to build. No whiteboards. No funding decks. Just two people working out whether they could go the distance together.
Only once they were confident in the partnership did they begin to explore what Fortyx would become. That foundation, built on trust not urgency, is what’s guided every decision since.
Lessons from the journey
The right co-founder will shape your company more than the product or market ever will. Parvez credits their early work on the relationship as the single biggest reason Fortyx has scaled with clarity and resilience.
He also shares why building quietly, without the pressure to be seen or funded, gave them space to think clearly and move with intention. In their case, invisibility was an advantage.
Advice to other founders
Start with the who, not the what. If you're serious about starting a company, invest in the relationship first. Ask the hard questions. Talk about the long term. Make sure you're aligned before you even consider the problem you're solving.
And don’t rush. You don’t need a pitch deck to start building something real. Sometimes the quietest beginnings lead to the strongest companies.
Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Connect with Parvez Alam Kazi and learn more about Fortyx Security.
