Episode #95: Lior Lamesh – Co-Founder and CEO of GK8

Going all in, whatever it takes

In this episode, we speak with Lior Lamesh – the founder and CEO of GK8, a cybersecurity infrastructure company.

At 26, while serving in Israel’s Shin Bet, he helped break into what was considered the most secure crypto custody system in the world, and he did it in just 4 days(!).

That moment started GK8.

In 3 years, the company was protecting billions of dollars.

It was also acquired – twice.

This episode is about what happens when someone decides:

“I’m going all in. Whatever it takes.”

And then? actually does it.

״We didn’t understand why people think it’s a secure product״

He didn’t plan to build a company.

A friend showed him and his now co-founder a crypto wallet that was supposed to be the most secure in the world.

It didn’t make sense to them.

So they bought it, tried to break it – and did.

That was it.

Where that “impossible is nothing” mindset comes from

You can hear it immediately.
He was raised this way. 

• A mother who didn’t accept 97
• A father who pushed competition
• Years of professional football
• Military units where mistakes get real

At some point early on, effort became the only way he knew.

Deciding to sell 

They were early.
They were first-time founders.

Things were working.

Then COVID hit – and offers actually started rolling in.

Lior and Shachar didn’t sell because they wanted out.
They sold because they thought it would help them move faster.

And as life happens..things didn’t go as planned…

..Then things broke

Seven months later, the company that bought them filed for bankruptcy.

There was no warning or heads up.

Lior wakes up to messages and opens the news.

That’s how he finds out.

Now think about the position:

• The company isn’t yours anymore
• You don’t control the situation
• But everyone still looks at you

Employees. Customers.Partners.

So what do you do?

You do what you can control, meaning you just… keep going.

The part most people don’t talk about

He says this almost casually:

You put EVERYTHING aside.

Relationships, sleep..life.

This probably says it all:

“My girlfriend told me – you sleep more with your co-founder than with me.”

So if you tell yourself success comes with no costs – think again. Nothing is easy. There’s always a cost.

So what actually drives him?

It’s not money. He’s very clear about that.

It’s the feeling of hitting the goal you set, and the belief that:

“If I want something enough, and are willing to pay the price – it will happen.”

That belief shows up everywhere in his story.

Where he is today

No. He’s not slowing down.

But something did shift.

He is starting to be aware of the cost. Not sleeping enough, stress catching up

So he’s trying – slowly – to build boundaries

Even small things like:

Staying one extra day when he travels, to actually see the place

That says a lot.

Why this conversation stays with you

Because it’s uncomfortable.

There’s no clean lesson here.
No “do this and you’ll succeed.”

There’s a real tension:

The thing that makes you exceptional is also the thing that takes from you

There’s no clear line for when it becomes too much.

It’s in your hands.