alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders

#107 - Sustainability Over Hypergrowth feat.Tuomas Artman // CTO @ Linear

Sep 13, 2024

Tuomas Artman, CTO of Linear, emphasizes the value of sustainable business growth over hypergrowth. He shares insights on maintaining product quality without expanding teams and the risks of feature bloat in customer-driven development. Artman discusses the advantages of prioritizing longevity over early acquisitions and reveals why Linear raised funds after initially planning to bootstrap. He also addresses why Full-Stack Engineers are preferred over QA Teams and the unique benefits of a local-first synchronization engine for a seamless user experience.

01:01:16

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Episode guests

Tuomas Artman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Prioritizing quality products over rapid expansion has allowed Linear to succeed with a smaller, dedicated team focused on craftsmanship.

Linear's funding decision to partner with investors like Sequoia enabled them to maintain product quality while pursuing long-term growth strategies.

Artmann advocates for avoiding feature bloat by creating simple, effective solutions that cater specifically to engineers and smaller companies.

Deep dives

The Journey into Computing

Tuomas Artmann shares his long journey into the tech industry, which began in 1986 with a Commodore 64. His initial fascination with computers grew as he transitioned from playing games to creating them, leading him to pursue design and programming. After briefly exploring formal education, he realized practical experience in the consulting industry was more beneficial than traditional computer science studies. Over nearly three decades, Artmann honed his skills, eventually leading to significant roles in companies like Groupon and Uber, where he experienced hypergrowth and learned the importance of building something sustainable.

Intro

2min

Navigating Tech's Growth Dilemma

16min

Navigating Tech Frameworks and Architectures

21min

Enhancing Developer Experience Through Efficient Stack Management

2min

Reevaluating QA Roles in Tech Teams

6min

Strategic Funding and Growth Decisions

8min

Nostalgia and Innovation in Tech

7min

Grow the business, not the headcount with insights from Tuomas Artman (CTO of Linear). Saying no to hypergrowth helped Linear succeed, but how did they do it? How did they build a high-quality product with a smaller team?

Listen to find out:

How to achieve quality products without increasing headcount 🌱
Avoiding feature bloat: The pitfalls of customer-driven development ⚖️
Why you should build for longevity, not acquisition: The downsides of selling too early 🏛
Why they raised funds after initially planning to bootstrap 💰
Why Full-Stack Engineers are in 👍, and QA Teams are out 👎
Why Linear avoids automated UI tests 🚦
How a local-first synchronization engine ensures a smooth UX ⚙️

Listen here

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