Over the years at risk3sixty, I've seen the same pattern: the people who thrive here don't all look the same, they don't all think the same, and definitely don't all work the same way, but they do share something.
A mindset.
A way of approaching problems, serving customers, and taking ownership that felt different from what you usually see in security and compliance. A set of core values that acts as a gravitational force we are all compelled by. Eventually, we gave that mindset a name:
Strange Renegade.
For clarity, here's a working definition of "Strange Renegade."
A Strange Renegade is someone who challenges the status quo with purpose, serves others relentlessly, and takes full ownership of outcomes - all while staying humble, aligned, and committed to winning as a team.
I'm not sure that's the perfect definition, but I think it captures the essence of it. You can keep that in mind from here.
A lot of companies come up with catchy ways to refer to themselves. For example, I've heard that Amazon employees call themselves "Amazonians", Microsoft call themselves "softies", and Google refer to themselves as "Googlers." But we never intended to come up with any special way to refer to ourselves. The phrase "Strange Renegade" happened almost by accident..
When we first started risk3sixty my business partner, Christian White, recommended a book called Scaling Up by Vern Harnish. Christian White happens to be one of the most prolific business book readers I have ever met. So, when he is excited about a book I take it seriously.
In Scaling Up there is a chapter on "People" where Verne outlines his philosophy on organizational design. And sitting on page 61 is where it hit me: "strange" and "renegades." Those words stuck out so much that I marked them the first time I read the book (see image below).
And as I looked around risk3sixty, I realized it was a great way to describe the team we were building. The people doing the most meaningful work here were often the ones who didn’t fit the traditional mold of our industry.
They questioned frameworks instead of blindly following them. They cared deeply about customers, not just deliverables. They took ownership like the business was theirs - without needing the spotlight.
They were a little strange.
And they were absolutely renegades - in the best possible way.
The name stuck and soon landed on t-shirts, conference tables, artwork - and here we are.
Over time, I've been asked to clarify "what exactly is a Strange Renegade." Well, by its very definition, it's a little hard to define.
But here are five themes I see show up across our team that I think do a pretty good job of describing it.
One of my favorite business books is Traction by Gino Wickman. In the book Gino talks about hiring people based on a methodology he calls G/W/C Core values. It is a simple methodology that asked the questions: Do they get it? Do they want it? Do they have the capacity? Do they align with your core values?
This has been our basic hiring methodology for the last 10 years and has become a reliable way to identify a potential Strange Renegade during the hiring process.
Independence only works if it’s anchored. Strange Renegades may challenge ideas, but they’re deeply aligned with our five core values here at risk3sixty (Grit, Craftsmanship, Steadfast, Team, and Freedom). That alignment is what allows healthy debate without chaos.
Our Co-Founder, Christian White, often describes how fortunate we are to be an independent and privately held company because it affords us the pleasure of focusing on our primary stakeholders: Our customers and our team members. (Rather than the needs of outside investors.)
And that feeds right into the Strange Renegade mindset.
Strange Renegades start with service - customers first, teammates second, ego last. They ask, “How can I help?” before “How does this make me look?”
If you have been in the cybersecurity industry long enough this one probably comes as no surprise. We are full of independently minded folks. And that is certainly true of the best team members here at risk3sixty.
Strange Renegades think for themselves. They don’t wait to be told what to think. But - and this is important - they also collaborate and put client and the team above personal preference.
A few years ago I read the book "Ideal Team Player" by Patrick Lencioni. In the book he talks about how the best team members are humble, hungry, and smart. That framework stuck with me and I knew it was a great way to describe our best team members here at risk3sixty.
That balance is rare and when you find it, it’s powerful.
The "Strange Renegade" ethos has become important to our customers too. Most of our best customers don’t come to risk3sixty because they want a checklist. They come because they see risk3sixty as a long term strategic partner to help them navigate their universe of compliance and security challenges.
They want people who will stick around long enough to learn their business, treat them as individuals, and has an build products and services that will help take care of them as their business objectives evolve.
And those needs play into our strength.
Strange Renegades aren't check-the-box people. We strive to do things right, to go deep, to innovate our products and service offerings, and take the time to understand the business reality behind our customers challenges.
That leads to:
Customers feel the difference when someone truly owns the outcome - not just the task.
Internally, this idea creates clarity too.
You don’t have to be the same to belong here, but you do have to be aligned. You have to understand that the standard is high and have it inside yourself to strive to achieve it.
Strange Renegade sets expectations around ownership, humility, and service all while still giving people the freedom to think independently and bring their full personality to the work.
It creates a culture where:
That matters. A lot.
Strange Renegade isn’t a label we hand out lightly. It’s a commitment to our customers, to each other, and to ourselves.
Risk3sixty isn’t trying to be for everyone. And the people who thrive here usually aren’t either.
That’s not an accident. It’s who we choose to be.