We were all drawn to applying the statistical, experimental, and algorithmic approaches we learned in graduate school (and in our spare time) to a range of problems in industry. Every project has a big learning component that keeps things exciting and fresh.

Our first handful of clients all came from our professional network. I've been a developer and consultant for a long time (shockingly, over half my life!) and so, despite selling my companies and heading to graduate school, I had a bit of a network of other founders who knew me and were supportive of the new venture.

A few lessons learned, in brief: (1) Try really, really hard to be specific about what you offer (even when in reality you offer a lot of different things), (2) Write great proposals -- they become the project bible and really help streamline client conversations, and (3) Understanding a client's data and business always takes longer than you'd think.

Wanted to do something similar in cloud computing. Couldn't figure out how to get clients. Best of luck!

Data security is hugely important. Here are a couple things we do to deal with it: (1) We cleanse the data of Personal Identifiable Information (PII) as quickly as possible (i.e., before it touches our servers), and (2) We host our databases behind secure networks and follow best practices with regards to authentication, encryption, etc.