Find vulnerabilities fast and learn how to fix them
In this episode of the Tekpon SaaS Podcast, host Cristian Dina interviews Tiago Mendo, the CTO and co-founder of Probely. Probely is a web application security scanner that helps automate the detection and fixing of vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs.
Tiago explains that the biggest problem Probely solves for companies is the ability to scale their security testing. Companies often have numerous applications, and hiring pen testers for each one is time-consuming and expensive. Probely allows companies to automate the scanning and testing process, enabling them to test hundreds of applications simultaneously.
The use cases for Probely are twofold. It can be used by security professionals overwhelmed with developer requests to test their applications. Probely can automate these scans or offload them to developers, ensuring that only secure applications are released to production. The other use case is for developers who may not have a dedicated security team. It is probably designed to be user-friendly and does not require extensive security expertise, making it accessible for developers who want to ensure the security of their applications.
The story of founding Probely
The story behind Probely began in 2016 when Tiago and his co-founders were part of the security team at a telecommunications company in Portugal. They struggled to keep up with the volume of applications that needed testing and found a gap in the market for a tool that could automate scanning and testing without requiring extensive security expertise. Inspired by this need, they decided to create Probely. They received angel and seed investments initially and later secured Series A funding. Currently, Probely is working toward its Series B funding round, aiming for exponential growth in the future.
Tiago acknowledges that finding the right product-market fit is an ongoing process. While Probely already has a significant customer base, they believe there is room for improvement to achieve exponential growth. They are continuously fine-tuning the product to meet the evolving needs of the market and customers.
One of the biggest challenges for Probely as a company is gaining visibility and competing against long-established competitors in the industry. Tiago also highlights the personal and engineering challenge of managing priorities and constantly reviewing the roadmap based on market and customer demands.
Reflecting on mistakes and learnings, Tiago admits to one hiring-related mistake. He found that delaying or postponing hiring due to time constraints was a mistake. Hiring the right people not only frees up time but also enables the team to achieve more. Tiago advises raising the hiring bar and being patient to find ideal candidates rather than settling for mediocre ones.
Overall, Probely offers an innovative solution for companies looking to automate web application security testing. With its focus on scalability, user-friendliness, and high-quality results, Probely aims to make finding and fixing vulnerabilities faster and more efficient for security professionals and developers.
