Rejected by Big Tech & Finding Supply Chain Security | Solomon Lee + Jesse Telles on Resilience, AI Risk & the Future of Cyber | Wake Up X

Big tech said no. Over and over and over again.

Solomon Lee kept going anyway. He's building his experience from a smaller starting point — grinding every day, studying every day, and getting ready for the next level. Because that's what the drive looks like when the doors keep closing.

Then Jesse Telles walked in.

Jesse's background is software engineering — but what he loved most about it was never the code itself. It was the architecture. The design. The way large systems interact with each other. That curiosity pulled him naturally into cybersecurity, where understanding who has access to what and how systems stay secure becomes the entire job.

And when it comes to where cybersecurity is heading, Jesse has a clear focus: supply chain security.

When AI is used to automate the creation of supply chains, vulnerabilities get baked in at scale. Those vulnerabilities don't stay contained — they ripple outward with knock-on effects across every connected system. Recent attacks on companies like Stryker are proof this is no longer a theoretical risk. It is happening right now.

Two different stories. One shared truth — you have to keep going even when the doors keep closing.

We cover:🚫 Solomon's big tech rejection journey and the mindset that kept him moving💡 Jesse's path from software engineering to cybersecurity🏗️ Why system architecture and least privilege matter in cyber🔗 Supply chain security and why it's the most underrated threat right now🤖 What happens when AI automates supply chain creation at scale⚠️ Real world supply chain attacks including Stryker

▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1axM1mSsAWo🌐 Full episodes: www.wakeupxpodcast.com

Topics: supply chain security, AI cybersecurity risk, software engineering to cybersecurity, big tech rejection, resilience, ISACA Sacramento, Jesse Telles, Solomon Lee, WakeUpX podcast, system architecture, least privilege