Get Comfortable With Your Discomfort | Berk Algan (SVB, Ernst & Young, vCISO)

Berk Algan is the founder of Virtual Cyber Risk Office, where he works as a fractional CISO and Chief Compliance Officer for growth-stage companies. He built the security and risk function at Silicon Valley Bank from the ground up over more than a decade, growing it to a team of 40 as the bank scaled to $200 billion. Before that, he audited Google, Apple, and Facebook at Ernst & Young, and left corporate for good in 2023.In our conversation, we discuss:Why the first wave of AI hit structured, repeatable knowledge work first, and what the next wave (the review layer) is already coming forThe compression trap: how AI shrinks the time it takes to do the work while the scope quietly expands to fill the gap, so people end up working more, not lessWhy more AI tools and more options are creating more decision fatigue, not less, and what that means for how you decide anything right nowWhat actually separates people who adapt well from people who don't, and why it has less to do with skill than most advice suggestsHis three-part response to this moment: get closer to the actual business problem, protect the right things instead of the familiar things, and use your own unsettledness as fuel instead of something to fixWhat he'd say to a technical leader who feels the ground moving and doesn't know where they're headed yetWhere to find Berk:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/berkalganWebsite: virtualcyberriskoffice.comWhere to find Vlad:Website: vladmoskovski.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vladmoskovskiFree Somatic Intelligence Toolkit for LeadersAI gives everyone data. The leaders who stand out also listen to their body's intelligence. Download the free toolkit here: vladmoskovski.com/handbook-landing-pageTimestamps:00:00 Welcome and introduction01:00 The three waves of AI hitting knowledge work04:30 Why more options are creating more decision fatigue09:30 The compression trap: doing more, not less14:40 Overwhelm, burnout, and the case for human flourishing26:40 Choosing optimism without ignoring what's real29:25 Life design and finding gratitude in the noise30:25 Why he left corporate, and what made the leap possible35:20 Relationships as the real currency after corporate37:10 Get closer to the business problem41:45 T-shaped vs. Z-shaped: what to actually get deep in45:15 Closing line: get comfortable with your discomfort