Minus One
The Origin Story of Facebook, Quora & OpenAI | Adam D’Angelo
May 7, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Adam D’Angelo, Co-founder and CEO of Quora and former CTO of Facebook, shares his journey from coding in middle school to shaping major tech platforms. He dives into the early strategies that fueled user growth at Facebook and Quora. Adam also discusses the evolution of AI, emphasizing the importance of a first-principles approach to understanding these powerful models. He reflects on leadership challenges in tech, the balance between hands-on involvement and management, and the significance of deep user empathy in product development.
55:43
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Quick takeaways
- Building a product that naturally grows through organic user engagement is essential for scalable acquisition and long-term success.
- A deep understanding of LLMs' architecture and training data, combined with hands-on experimentation, enhances intuition for leveraging their capabilities effectively.
Deep dives
The Importance of Natural Growth in Product Development
Building a product that can naturally grow is crucial for achieving scalable user acquisition. The same principles that facilitate growth from a small user base to a larger audience also apply to a startup's early stages. Companies should focus on creating a product that inherently attracts users, allowing organic growth, rather than relying solely on artificial marketing strategies. Once a product reaches a certain level of engagement, additional measures can be implemented to accelerate this growth.
