Scaling DevTools Raycast founder Thomas Paul Mann - quality, YC and AI
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Apr 17, 2025 
Thomas Paul Mann, co-founder of Raycast, discusses the evolution of their productivity tool designed for developers. He shares insights from their unique Y Combinator journey, particularly how they adapted to challenges during the pandemic. The conversation dives into maintaining quality while rapidly shipping features and how user feedback shapes their development. Mann also explores the exciting integration of AI, highlighting innovative ways it enhances workflow and user interaction, making technology more accessible through voice commands.
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YC Demo Day Disrupted
- Raycast's YC Demo Day was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- They pivoted from an in-person pitch to a single slide with five bullet points.
Early Raycast and the Jira Extension
- Early Raycast features included app/file search and clipboard history.
- A Jira extension, inspired by YC alumni feedback, became their first extension and shaped Raycast's focus on improving existing tools.
Internal Dogfooding for Quality
- Prioritize internal dogfooding to catch usability issues early.
- Iterate quickly on features based on internal feedback before public release.