From Creating Kubernetes to Founding Stacklok: Open-Source and Security with Craig McLuckie

In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Managing Director Tim Porter talks to Craig McLuckie, who’s most known as one of the creators of Kubernetes at Google. Madrona previously backed Craig’s company, Heptio, and was excited to back his latest company — Stacklok. Stacklok is a software supply chain security company that helps developers and open-source communities build more secure software and keep that software safe. Tim and Craig discuss Stacklok’s developer-centric approach to security, the role of open source in startups, the importance of open source and security, and they also hit on some important lessons in company building — like camels vs. unicorns – and where Craig sees opportunities for founders. It’s a must-listen for entrepreneurs.

Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/founded-funded-stacklok-craig-mcluckie/

(00:00) Introduction  (01:48) Stacklok and securing open source (05:35) Knowing where open-source tech comes from (08:45) What is Supply Chain Security (10:04) The Role of Developers in Security (13:50) The Power of Open Source in for Startups (18:22) The Importance of Culture in a Startup (camel v. unicorn) (22:37) The Three Jobs of a Founder (27:59) The Future of Stacklok and the Cloud Native Ecosystem (31:00) Opportunities for Founders