# Rajat Bhargava

> Rajat Bhargava is the Boulder-based co-founder and CEO of JumpCloud, an MIT graduate, investor and co-author of The Startup Playbook with Will Herman. His company-building career began with NetGenesis in the early web era and spans software, internet infrastructure and identity management. His public writing emphasizes testing business ideas, founder responsibility and accountable access for AI agents.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at JumpCloud
- **Organizations:** JumpCloud, NetGenesis, Service Metrics, Interliant, Quova, StillSecure, Yesware, MobileDay, MIT Sandbox, Techstars
- **Education:** Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads JumpCloud., Described by JumpCloud as a ten-time entrepreneur with two IPOs., Co-authored The Startup Playbook with Will Herman; the book website now features a third edition.

## Career timeline

- **1993-1994** — Started NetGenesis with fellow MIT students during the emergence of the web.
- **1994** — Named CEO of net.Genesis in MIT News; Brad Feld and Will Herman were early investors.
- **1998-1999** — Built Service Metrics; described its sale to Exodus for $280 million in his Mixergy interview.
- **2007-2008** — Explored a next-generation directory service with Larry Middle while working at StillSecure.
- **2013** — Returned to the directory idea with JumpCloud; appointed CEO on December 16 after the company launched at TechCrunch Disrupt that September.
- **2018** — Co-authored The Startup Playbook with Will Herman; first edition launched February 19.
- **2020** — Second edition of The Startup Playbook published by Wiley.
- **2026** — Published Machine Speed essays on identity governance, human ownership and the lifecycle of AI agents.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads JumpCloud.
- Described by JumpCloud as a ten-time entrepreneur with two IPOs.
- Co-authored The Startup Playbook with Will Herman; the book website now features a third edition.
- Listed on the MIT Sandbox Funding Board.
- Recognized by CEO Monthly for IAM leadership in 2025 and 2026, according to JumpCloud announcements.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — JumpCloud announced his second consecutive CEO Monthly IAM leadership recognition on September 17.
- **2026-08** — Published Machine Speed essays on agent identity (August 4) and shared HR/IT responsibility for AI agents (August 11).
- **2026-05** — Published The Verified Agent, arguing for human ownership and accountability in an increasingly automated workforce.

## Links

- Website: https://startup-playbook.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajat-bhargava-8190a723/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rajatabhargava

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rajat-bhargava
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21