Pattern Breakers Spenser Skates: How Perseverance Paid Off for Amplitude
Jan 5, 2026
Spenser Skates, co-founder and CEO of Amplitude, shares his transformative journey in the analytics industry. He candidly discusses the challenges faced during Amplitude's rocky start, emphasizing the importance of persistence and learning from failure. Spenser reveals how his analysis of past Y Combinator successes inspired him to focus on survival and product-market fit. He also highlights the pivotal role of loyal early adopters and the necessity of developing sales skills for growth. His insights on leadership and maintaining a clear mission are both inspiring and actionable.
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From Failed Voice App To Analytics
- Sonalite was a Siri-like Android voice app that drew press but failed on retention and fundraising.
- Building Sonalite's analytics led Spenser Skates to realize product behavioral data was a broader opportunity.
Persistence Changes Odds Of Success
- Most startups hit a period (6–12 months) where quitting looks rational but persistence materially increases success odds.
- Surviving that near-term trough lets founders learn enough to discover something people want.
Behavior Drives Retention
- Measuring behavior revealed first-try voice recognition doubled retention versus failures.
- Small accuracy gains directly translated into proportional retention improvements.
