Decoder with Nilay Patel

The people who make your apps go to Stack Overflow for answers – here's how it works

13 snips
Oct 25, 2022
In this discussion, Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, shares insights about the platform that connects over 100 million developers monthly for coding questions and answers. He highlights the shift toward a SaaS model and its partnerships with tech giants like Microsoft. Prashanth addresses the challenges Stack Overflow faces in creating a welcoming community amidst criticism of elitism and evolving moderation strategies. He also touches on the significance of community health and the implications of potential changes to liability laws affecting online platforms.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

The Prosus Acquisition

  • Prashanth Chandrasekar decided to sell Stack Overflow to Prosus due to its growth momentum and Prosus's long-term vision.
  • The acquisition allows Stack Overflow to continue growing rapidly while retaining the option to go public.
ANECDOTE

A Harsh Welcome

  • Prashanth Chandrasekar's first experience on Stack Overflow was negative.
  • His poorly worded question was criticized, highlighting the platform's strict quality standards.
ADVICE

Building Inclusive Communities

  • Create a "staging ground" or "shallow pool" for new users to learn and experiment without harsh criticism.
  • Implement automated tools like "unfriendly robot" to identify and address potentially unwelcoming comments.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app