James Pham, Co-founder and CEO of Opsin, sat down with Locked In Pod hosts Lucas Moody and Rinki Sethi to share his inspiring journey—from a determined student in Vietnam to leading a cutting-edge GenAI security company. He reflects on how his relentless drive and resilience led him to MIT despite the odds, and how his background in machine learning and security shaped his vision for Opsin. James also delves into the challenges of building a startup, the pivotal moment that sparked Opsin’s mission, and the crucial lessons he’s learned along the way.
Opsin was founded to tackle a growing challenge: securing enterprise data in the era of GenAI. As businesses integrate tools like Microsoft Copilot, Glean, and Google Gemini, protecting sensitive information becomes a top priority. James discusses how his team validated the problem through 300+ conversations with industry leaders and landed Opsin’s first customer, DoorDash, proving the urgency of the issue.
”You don’t know until you do it. Building a startup is a series of challenges: convincing yourself, convincing others, and then making it happen. The only way forward is to take the leap.”
—James Pham
Reflecting on his transition from engineer to founder, James emphasizes that grit, adaptability, and speed are essential. From navigating immigration hurdles to convincing his wife to support his startup dream, his journey is a testament to perseverance. He also shares how Opsin’s culture of radical transparency and rapid decision-making keeps them ahead in the fast-moving GenAI landscape.
What does it take to build an AI-first security company? How do you turn a problem into a business? Tune in to hear James’ candid insights on startup life, leadership, and the future of AI security.
Watch the full conversation above!
James Pham, Co-founder and CEO of Opsin, sat down with Locked In Pod hosts Lucas Moody and Rinki Sethi to share his inspiring journey—from a determined student in Vietnam to leading a cutting-edge GenAI security company. He reflects on how his relentless drive and resilience led him to MIT despite the odds, and how his background in machine learning and security shaped his vision for Opsin. James also delves into the challenges of building a startup, the pivotal moment that sparked Opsin’s mission, and the crucial lessons he’s learned along the way.
Opsin was founded to tackle a growing challenge: securing enterprise data in the era of GenAI. As businesses integrate tools like Microsoft Copilot, Glean, and Google Gemini, protecting sensitive information becomes a top priority. James discusses how his team validated the problem through 300+ conversations with industry leaders and landed Opsin’s first customer, DoorDash, proving the urgency of the issue.
”You don’t know until you do it. Building a startup is a series of challenges: convincing yourself, convincing others, and then making it happen. The only way forward is to take the leap.”
—James Pham
Reflecting on his transition from engineer to founder, James emphasizes that grit, adaptability, and speed are essential. From navigating immigration hurdles to convincing his wife to support his startup dream, his journey is a testament to perseverance. He also shares how Opsin’s culture of radical transparency and rapid decision-making keeps them ahead in the fast-moving GenAI landscape.
What does it take to build an AI-first security company? How do you turn a problem into a business? Tune in to hear James’ candid insights on startup life, leadership, and the future of AI security.
Watch the full conversation above!
