The NFX Podcast How Tracy Young Sold PlanGrid for $875M and Navigated Tragedy
13 snips
Jun 11, 2025 Tracy Young, co-founder of PlanGrid and former CEO, shares her journey from construction to a groundbreaking startup that sold for $875M. She reveals insights on navigating grief while scaling her business and the importance of product-market fit. Tracy discusses her time at Y Combinator, offers fundraising advice, and highlights leadership lessons learned during crisis moments. Now the founder of TigerEye, she explores how AI and core values shape her new venture, emphasizing a balance between financial success and meaningful connections.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Early Launch With Loaned iPads
- Tracy Young and two domain experts recruited three engineers to build PlanGrid after seeing the iPad's potential for blueprints.
- They launched by loaning 20 iPads to friends to get the first users and feedback, funding the devices on maxed-out credit cards.
Co-Founder Loss During YC
- During YC, co-founder Antoine had sarcoma and died while they were in the hacker house, which deeply affected the team.
- The team poured their grief into work to honor him and keep his memory alive in the product and code.
Bottoms-Up Product-Led Sales Motion
- PlanGrid grew via a bottoms-up motion: App Store discovery, free trials, then proactive sales outreach and 'lunch-and-learn' demos.
- Combining product love with hands-on sales converted trial users into paid customers.