Derek Jackson of Cyber Dive: Five Things I Learned As A Twenty-Something Founder
An Interview With Jerome Knyszewski
If you’re a twenty-something-year-old looking to start a business, or of any age really, I want you to remember a couple of things. First, don’t ever give up. You can achieve anything, learn anything and be anything that you want to be. The obstacles you face are the things that will set you apart and make you different. Also, don’t try to do everything on your own. Get good at surrounding yourself with people who are where you want to be; they will naturally rub off on you and help you grow.
As a part of our series called “My Life as a TwentySomething Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Derek Jackson.
Derek Jackson is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Cyber Dive, a tech startup that has built a social media monitoring platform for parents to gain insight into the interactions and experiences their child is having online. Derek served in the United States Army as a military intelligence officer where his work focused on the social media activity of U.S. adversaries and radical insurgents. With Jackson’s cybersecurity expertise as the driving force, he has led a team of in-house engineers in building Cyber Dive’s proprietary software. This web application was designed to present a child’s online data to their parents in a simple and unbiased manner to bridge the digital divide that plagues families all over the world.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?
I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. I am a self-taught engineer, a reading junkie and enjoy spending time with my family. I received my Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and MBA from Liberty University. I spent nearly five years on active duty with the United States Army as a military intelligence officer and deployed to Kuwait, Jordan and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. During this time, I led a team of intelligence soldiers in analyzing and targeting extremist organizations that used social media to spread propaganda and recruit foreign fighters. In 2018, I transitioned into the Army Reserves and a year later partnered with Mount Everest Summiteer Jeff Gottfurcht to co-found Cyber Dive. I have taken my experience as a military intelligence officer and packaged my tradecraft into our proprietary software. We have spent the last two years building a software capable of analyzing a child’s online activity and creating a platform capable of presenting that analysis to parents in a comprehensive and intuitive way. Cyber Dive is able to keep parents informed and help them protect their children from the potentially dangerous interactions that are initiated online.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your company? What lessons or takeaways did you take out of that story?
Well, somehow I ended up on Capitol Hill. But I think I should backtrack a little bit. I believe that we as a society should get to decide who owns our data. Is it the large tech companies? Is it social platforms themselves? Or is it us? Our data is a commodity with a high price tag, it’s ours, and the only decision we get to make is how it can be used for advertisement purposes. After starting Cyber Dive we decided to support the efforts of not only protecting children online but also their data. We walked ourselves up the steps of Capitol Hill and went office to office looking for legislators that would talk to us about data portability. The details are a little boring but most simply, this would allow social media users to take their data out of or into any platform whenever they wanted. It was a great experience that resulted in a few incredible connections and what I took away was a simple reminder that you won’t get what you don’t ask for.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
There are some obvious things that make us stand out at the moment. We are taking on big tech on behalf of parents everywhere that are struggling. We are creating a solution that doesn’t thrive off of secrecy, which by the way is how our kids are already approaching their online lives. That mindset is really a paradigm shift from the script that exists within our industry. We have been programmed to believe that limitations will work so we tell our kids that they only get two hours on their phone, or that we are going to block the sites we don’t think are safe for them. At Cyber Dive, we decided to throw that script out because it doesn’t work. We believe in involvement over limitations and right now, that’s what makes us stand out.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My wife, Kelli who is also the COO at Cyber Dive, has been with me every step of the way. Most of the time, I feel like a walking computer, so I turn to her for help with the people skills that building a successful company requires. I’m grateful for her innate ability to balance me out.
Are you working on any exciting projects now?
Working at a startup really means that every day is almost like a new project. We are constantly learning and improving so I would say that’s my exciting project right now. Refining our craft, improving our software and trying to make a difference.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I have been working as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University, but I am not sure if the students would classify that as ‘goodness to the world.’ Aside from our mission, we take the culture of our company very seriously and are extremely proud of the environment that we have set for our team. It’s a consistent priority of ours to bring interns onto the team because we know how rare it is to encounter a startup company with a mission as impactful as ours. We learn something new every day, change is quick, and expectations are high but quality collaboration is something that I want young professionals to witness. It’s a passion of mine to help anyone align with their career goals and I believe what we do is inspiring. Our company is on a mission to create a service that strengthens family relationships and provides parents with the ultimate tool to better understand their children.
Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?
I have two. The first is Learn Python the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code. This was the first programming book I ever ordered and I used it to teach myself how to code while I was on active duty. The second is The Last Lecture written by Carnegie Mellon professor, Randy Pausch before he passed. The book talks about dreaming and envisioning how we can change the world with amazing technology while appreciating the everyday moments and people around us.
Can you share 5 of the most difficult and most rewarding parts of being a “TwentySomething founder”. Please share an example or story for each
One of the most rewarding things about being a founder in my twenties is that I feel lucky to have found my passion early in life. Every day I wake up between 4 and 5 AM excited to work because I know that what I am doing will make a difference for families and I am in control of my destiny. As I mentioned before, it is rewarding to be able to provide my employees with the opportunity to develop skills and gain experience in the professional career that they are passionate about. I am grateful for the fact that I am in control of implementing a progressive work environment for my team as I’ve admired progress tech leaders and the ways they innovate not only in their products but in the culture they create for their employees.
Most of the difficulties I face as a founder I don’t believe are a result of my age. However, it can sometimes be difficult to relate to most twenty-something-year-olds because I have a different set of daily tasks and work responsibilities that a lot of my friends aren’t dealing with yet. My age and position as a co-founder have also led me to pay closer attention to the way I present myself due to the high responsibility I hold in my company.
What are the main takeaways that you would advise a twenty-year-old who is looking to found a business?
If you’re a twenty-something-year-old looking to start a business, or of any age really, I want you to remember a couple of things. First, don’t ever give up. You can achieve anything, learn anything and be anything that you want to be. The obstacles you face are the things that will set you apart and make you different. Also, don’t try to do everything on your own. Get good at surrounding yourself with people who are where you want to be; they will naturally rub off on you and help you grow.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)
That’s easy. I have three right off the bat. First, I’d love to spend some time with Malcolm Gladwell, one of my favorite authors. The way he leads his readers down an emotional journey and connects the dots in a unique way that you don’t see coming always leaves me craving his next book. Second, I’d want to sit down with Benny Greb; my favorite drummer. It’s common for drummers to have chops or be able to play loud and fast. Benny is different; he has control, feel and touch. The grooves he plays are just “cool” and make you feel the music. And lastly, I’d be ecstatic to have a meal with Bill Gates. Not only is he a role model of mine for his intelligence and his accomplishments in business, but the lasting impact he has made on the world through his philanthropic work is something I want to emulate in my life.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dqjackson/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
