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Tableau's co-founder Christian Chabot made the decision to bootstrap the company, despite previously working as a venture capitalist. This decision allowed them to maintain control and avoid giving up a large stake to professional investors.
Tableau had a strong and cohesive team of founders and key leaders who worked together for several years without any turnover. This team chemistry and shared ambition were instrumental in the company's success.
Building relationships and finding talented individuals were key drivers for Tableau's early success. The company's focus on people and their passion for entrepreneurship played a significant role in developing successful partnerships and attracting top talent.
Tableau's innovative sales model, which allowed the product to be adopted at a departmental level, played a crucial role in the company's growth. The ability to sell the product to individual users without needing to engage top-level executives led to rapid customer adoption and revenue growth.
After many years of being the CEO of Tableau, the speaker, Christian Chabot, and his co-founder decided they were ready to move on from their positions. They felt it was the right time for the company to bring in new leadership and take it to the next level. There was anxiety about finding suitable replacements, but the board and search firm supported them throughout the process. Ultimately, they successfully transitioned their roles to new executives.
Tableau had been approached multiple times with acquisition proposals, but previously they weren't ready to entertain the idea. However, as the competitive landscape evolved and the rise of cloud computing loomed, they started considering the possibility of partnering with a bigger player. When Salesforce approached them, they saw the opportunity to align their visions, cultural values, and business models. The acquisition offer presented a chance to be part of a larger organization and tackle future challenges together.
Reading 'The Innovator's Dilemma' halfway through Tableau's journey provided a profound revelation. They realized they were a textbook example of the concept presented in the book. As a disruptor, they focused on solving one specific problem really well, while established incumbents dismissed it as not important. This realization gave them the confidence to continue on their disruptive path despite the challenges of competing with larger players in the market.
After leaving Tableau, Christian Chabot and his wife formed the Washington Neurodiversity Project, a foundation focused on improving employment outcomes for neurodivergent thinkers. They aim to create more inclusive workplaces and provide opportunities for individuals with conditions like autism or ADHD to thrive in their careers. Currently, they are mapping out the network of support services in Washington State and looking for innovative ways to address the needs of neurodivergent individuals.
Christian Chabot (Co-Founder, Tableau) dives into the journey from bootstrapping Tableau in the early days to eventually IPOing and selling to Salesforce for $15.7B. Christian shares the biggest operating lessons from scaling Tableau and thoughtful insights for founders, especially those in the business software industry.
(0:00) Intro
(0:55) Christian’s Early Career and Entrepreneurial Journey
(3:14) Finding an opportunity in the market
(6:12) Joining SoftBank
(7:14) Lessons on venture capital
(10:50) Company origin stories
(12:03) The Birth of Tableau: From Idea to Company
(16:20) Getting right in the early days
(20:55) Commercializing something out of academia
(23:42) Bootstrapping it
(28:23) The growth and success of Tableau
(32:38) Reflections on the journey and the future
(43:57) Patience and basic metrics in business growth
(45:33) The role of external investors in business expansion
(48:02) The impact of capital on business ambitions and control
(49:38) Choosing the right investor
(51:39) The importance of maintaining control in fundraising
(54:11) Competition in business growth
(58:28) The importance of team chemistry in scaling a business
(1:02:19) Impact of disruptive hiring practices on business growth
(1:21:26) Power of community and innovating marketing
(1:26:16) Global expansion
Produced: Rashad Assir & Leah Clapper
Mixed and edited: Justin Hrabovsky
Executive Producer: Josh Machiz
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1
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About the Show
Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.
Executive Producer: Rashad Assir
Producer: Leah Clapper
Mixing and editing: Sam Dewees and JR Bohannon
Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
🎙 Listen to the show
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-logan-bartlett-show/id1606770839
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg
🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1
Follow on Socials
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow
🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow
🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow
About the Show
Logan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes.
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