Coffee With: Security Developer Marcus Eagan

Marcus Eagan
Location: Atlanta, GA
Job: Security Developer, Director of IoT Security at Luma
Education: B.A. in History, Grinnell College
Twitter: @marcuseagan

What are you up to at Luma?

Luma is a wireless networking company. We make routers that allow the average person to eliminate wifi coverage dead zones and to have more control over the internet in their homes. You can restrict access based on movie ratings, for example. The product also has a lot of security features that would be commonplace at a large corporation but weren’t previously available to individuals.

I focus on making computer security meaningful to consumers by protecting their entire home networks, instead of just a single device. It’s my job to provide our customers with security information that is comprehensible, actionable, and fun.

Tell us about your professional path to date.

My first real job was in the office of a hedge fund in New York, where I supported technology startups with IT and all things related to the web. Because I was a history major in college, people expected me to become a writer or lawyer or go to grad school. They boxed me into this expectation so many times. I just tried to find a job in writing that would put me close to tech in some way. I became half programmer, half writer.

I ended up working for a company that was helping Target improve data collection at the same time as their major data breach, and that’s when I realized that the lack of personal security was a problem worth solving. I had saved up some money and soaked in as much information as I could from the corporate world. I made the move to Silicon Valley to start my company, Nodal, a smart home security provider.

In the middle of raising my first round of funding – after initial support from 500 Startups, a seed fund – I traveled to Georgia to visit my aunt. Paul Judge, Luma’s cofounder, was at a networking event I went to there, and that’s when we met and spoke about the similarities between our companies.

After a couple of hours of discussion, he asked how he could help me. I said to him, “Hey, you should invest in my company.” It was bold. He said, “As a matter of fact, I will buy your company.” And he sent me a letter of intent and started due diligence.

How has your openness to new opportunities helped you advance your career?

People typically say that you should stay in a position for two years before considering moving on. But if it doesn’t feel right, I don’t think you should stay. In fact, I think people who change jobs every couple of years in the tech industry end up making more money.

I’d also advise against picking a job only because of how much money you will make. If you make enough money to pay your bills on time, money shouldn’t be the deciding factor. If you choose money and security like some of my friends did, you are more likely to plateau early. You need to constantly be learning.

Describe the most memorable moment of your career to date.

Over dinner with my former client during my freelancing days, I told him that, after my gig with him finished, I was planning to focus on pursuing acting and screenwriting. He knew I loved computers and intended to start a technology company one day. He pointed out that there were plenty of Black movie stars and then asked me, "Do you know any Black technology stars?" I thought to myself, ‘I know some…But does anyone else?’ I think about that conversation a lot. He saw something in me that I didn't see in myself.

What’s a common challenge that you see underrepresented minority tech entrepreneurs face today?

The funding gap. Investors assume that Black founders will prematurely shut down a company or wind things down when they don't receive follow-on funding. It's a vicious cycle; Blacks are apprehensive about starting companies in the first place because they don't expect financial support. Remember that Facebook, for example, wasn’t profitable for a long time, but it kept receiving funding. That same confidence too often doesn’t exist for Black-run companies. If you’re a White, Indian, or East Asian male, people are more inclined to say, “Oh, he looks like the last guy who I invested with who made me millions of dollars.”

What’s something you’ve seen a candidate do during the application process to stand out?

Relevant side projects. A candidate showed me what she had done outside of work to prove that the role was aligned with her passions and personal interests. On one level, this says you may be a super-nerd, which I appreciate. But it also shows that you’re exploratory and creative. Plus, pet projects suggest to me that the candidate is having fun doing what they do.

Do you have any side projects going at the moment?

I am working on a mobile app so I can stay sharp and continue fine-tuning my skills. Separately, a friend of mine from high school is creating an apparel line that features our favorite cartoon characters from the ‘90s, but Black versions of the characters. I’m helping him build an ecommerce presence to support that line.

Do you have a favorite mantra?

There are plenty of things I don't know, but there's nothing I can't learn.

Image courtesy of Marcus Eagan