Behind the Mic: How David Moulton Turned a "Side Project" into a Million-Download Powerhouse

[kiwi]

We recently hit a massive milestone: Episode 100 of the Threat Vector podcast. To celebrate, I reached out to the man behind the microphone, David Moulton, to get the inside story on how this show went from a small biweekly segment to the #2 technology podcast in the U.S.

David was kind enough to share some behind-the-scenes stories—including what it’s like to interview our CEO, Nikesh Arora, and why he’s okay with "annoying" the marketing team to keep the show authentic.

 

 

From Prototype to Flagship

Most people see the success of Threat Vector now, but David reminds us it started as an experiment. For six months, the team ran a prototype as a segment on Cyberwire Daily. They used that time to understand how to make good audio, how to communicate as a team, and even how to find the right words to describe complex security topics.

"Weirdly, making a five-minute show is sometimes more difficult than making a thirty-minute show," David told me. "But it was a good proving ground. It felt like the stakes were a lot smaller, and those lessons informed how we moved forward."

The turning point came when the company decided to make it the flagship podcast for the entire organization. Since then, the show has hit major milestones: reaching a million downloads and earning its place as one of the top-performing technology podcasts in the U.S..

The "Nikesh Effect" and Episode 100

In Episode 100, David sat down with our CEO and Chairman, Nikesh Arora. If you’ve heard the podcast, you know it’s not a typical corporate interview. They cover everything from Nikesh’s reflections on "deep laziness" to his love for cricket and his growing interest in the Golden State Warriors through the lens of his son.

David admitted that interviewing the CEO can be intimidating and required seven or eight versions of the questions.

"When I did the initial pass at the lightning round, they were far deeper and philosophical. Our team here really pushed me to lighten some of them up. Finding out that he deeply loves cricket but is growing his love of basketball through the experiences of his son became profound because Nikesh put meaning behind the answer. He could have just said 'cricket' and moved on."

The result was a genuine look at the human side of our leadership. As Nikesh mentioned in the episode, security is often an afterthought during innovation, and David’s goal was to bring the brilliant, caring people behind the company into the light.

Why Threat Vector Doesn't "Sell"

One of the most refreshing things David shared was his stance on vendor podcasts. While many companies use podcasts as a 30-minute commercial, David actively avoids that "mousetrap."

"A lot of times, it seems like they're trying to sell me on a solution or a point of view first... to the annoyance at times of some of the folks here, I try not to have that podcast. There are a dozen amazing ways to learn about product marketing and demos. But the podcast is about why you should care about the space, the topic, and the people."

His philosophy is that if you get to know the researchers in Tel Aviv or the Unit 42 experts and find them interesting, you’ll naturally be more open to what the company is building. He sees the show as a way to convince people that the problems they are struggling with might require an entirely different architecture, rather than just a better version of the tools they already have.

The "Coffee Shop" Trick for Data

Unit 42 reports are brilliant, but they can be incredibly dense. David’s trick for making that data feel like a conversation over coffee? Unapologetic curiosity.

"I think it's about finding things that are interesting and digging into them, asking questions, being curious, and being unapologetic when something doesn't make sense to you. Like, 'Why does that matter?' or 'Why do you think that matters to a reader?'"

He also uses a clever production trick for his signature closing question: "What's the most important thing that a listener should take away from today's conversation?" He asks it at the very end of the interview, but plays it as the "Cold Open" at the start of the show. It gives the guest a platform to summarize their most profound point first, which then frames the entire conversation that follows.

Check it out

If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend listening to the Episode 100 Podcast featuring Nikesh. It’s a masterclass in how to bridge high-level strategy with real-world humanity.

A huge thanks to David Moulton for taking the time to share these insights with the LIVEcommunity!