Ian Tien is the co-founder and CEO of Mattermost, an open-source collaboration platform that has evolved from a Slack alternative to essential infrastructure for government and defense organizations worldwide. Starting from a failed HTML5 gaming platform at Y Combinator, Mattermost now serves over 4,000 contributors, employs 120 people, and operates profitably while powering sovereign collaboration for national security agencies.
What you'll learn:
- How Mattermost pivoted from gaming to defense tech through bottom-up adoption
- The concept of "sovereign collaboration" and why governments need independent AI systems
- Ian's framework for hiring executives with "scar tissue" from diverse experiences
- Why he regrets spending $270,000 on internal swag after taking VC money
- The unique language and procurement challenges of selling to government customers
- How open source enables PLG motion in highly secure environments
- The difference between "butts and seats" contracting vs. commercial off-the-shelf solutions
- Why most successful founders are in their 30s and 40s, not college dropouts
- Ian's "daddy daughter days" approach to work-life balance as a CEO
- The emerging landscape of sovereign AI and national security technology
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction and Ian's Tools for Tech Leaders podcast
(04:05) Mattermost's evolution from Slack alternative to sovereign collaboration
(08:09) Bottom-up adoption in national security environments
(14:23) Learning to sell to government customers and navigate defense acronyms
(24:49) Executive hiring philosophy and building long-term relationships
(30:47) The sovereign AI landscape and government investment trends
(38:53) Defense tech opportunities and getting started in the space
(42:57) Palantir's business model and government contracting dynamics
(51:18) Rapid fire: Walt Disney as tech founder inspiration and personal lessons
