In a fast paced development environment- application security engineers are often reactive in their approach to security the software is tested after it hits production- security bugs are filed but not acted on unless critical- new features don’t always go through an in-depth security review- etc. Bridging the gap between development and security by understanding and contributing to the codebase will build better trust with the development team- and eventually will make security part of the solution. This talk delves into how you can approach security in a more proactive way by taking a hands-on approach and putting on various hats as necessary. Practical tips about startup security and secure software development will be shared. The talk is geared towards security engineers that want to learn and participate more in application development- but can be beneficial for other security practitioners and software developers too.