The Pragmatic Engineer

Efficient scaleups in 2024 vs 2021: Sourcegraph (with CEO & Co-founder Quinn Slack)

Oct 9, 2024

Quinn Slack, CEO and co-founder of Sourcegraph, shares his insights on tech scale-ups and the evolution of coding practices. He discusses the shift from location-independent pay to zone-based compensation and the significance of delivering business value for software engineers. Quinn emphasizes his daily coding routine, even in his leadership role. The conversation also covers the integration of AI in software development and its impact on workflow, as well as the complexities of managing software updates in an AI-driven landscape.

01:06:22

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Episode guests

Quinn Slack

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Quick takeaways

Sourcegraph's shift from rapid growth in 2021 to prioritizing sustainable practices highlights the need for quality over quantity in scale-up operations.

Quinn Slack's continued hands-on coding as CEO exemplifies the importance of staying connected with both the product and customer needs.

The transition to a zone-based pay structure reflects Sourcegraph's focus on financial sustainability and market competitiveness as it scales.

Deep dives

Lessons from 2021 Regrets

Many professionals in the tech industry reflect on their decisions from the peak demand period in 2021 with regret, particularly regarding unrealistic expectations set during the hiring boom. Companies, including Sourcegraph, faced challenges as they concentrated on rapid growth without evaluating sustainable practices for the long term. Leaders recognize they could have prioritized quality and efficiency better, choosing to 'do less better' rather than pursuing extensive new projects that don’t align with core missions. The experience emphasized the importance of aligning hiring practices with the fundamental values of the company, ensuring that new employees are genuinely passionate about their work.

AI Advancement Requires Ground Truth and Collaboration

01:13

Stay Connected to the Customer Journey

01:20

Unlocking Knowledge Locally

01:18

Intro

4min

The Evolution of a Scale-up: Navigating Changes in Growth and Funding

2min

Navigating Growth Amidst Economic Challenges

2min

Evolving Practices in Software Development

21min

Navigating Software Updates in an AI Era

9min

Navigating Compensation Transparency in Tech

3min

Navigating Leadership and Compensation in Tech

17min

Navigating Programming and Leadership Insights

7min

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On today’s episode of The Pragmatic Engineer, I’m joined by Quinn Slack, CEO and co-founder of Sourcegraph, a leading code search and intelligence platform. Quinn holds a degree in Computer Science from Stanford and is deeply passionate about coding: to the point that he still codes every day! He also serves on the board of Hack Club, a national nonprofit dedicated to bringing coding clubs to high schools nationwide. In this insightful conversation, we discuss:

• How Sourcegraph's operations have evolved since 2021

• Why more software engineers should focus on delivering business value

• Why Quinn continues to code every day, even as a CEO

• Practical AI and LLM use cases and a phased approach to their adoption

• The story behind Job Fairs at Sourcegraph and why it’s no longer in use

• Quinn’s leadership style and his focus on customers and product excellence

• The shift from location-independent pay to zone-based pay at Sourcegraph

• And much more!

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Where to find Quinn Slack:

• X: https://x.com/sqs

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnslack/