1st10 Podcast #1 Prakash Janakiraman, Nextdoor Co-Founder, How to Design an Early Engineering Team
On the first-ever episode of The 1st10 Podcast, Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger interview Prakash Janakiraman, co-founder and former CTO of NextDoor. Prakash shares his experiences in the tech industry, focusing on the founding and growth of Nextdoor, the significance of building a strong and collaborative team, and the challenges of scaling a startup. Prakash emphasizes hiring engineers who align with the company's mission and are willing to learn and adapt. He stresses the importance of communication and collaboration within the team and how the NextDoor interview process focused on technical proficiency, collaboration, and cultural fit.
Don’t miss the valuable advice from Prakash for early founders and engineers at early startups!
On today's episode, Prakash talks about:
The importance of Cultural Fit - Building a successful team starts with prioritizing cultural fit and alignment to the company's mission over purely technical skills. (04:18)
Hiring generalist vs. specialists - In the early stages, generalists who can handle diverse tasks are invaluable, while scaling requires more specialized roles. (09:25)
Iterative Development - Quick iteration cycles and a tight circle of trust during early development stages lead to higher productivity and innovation. (10:49)
Collective Code Ownership - Encouraging collective code ownership ensures flexibility and reduces dependencies, fostering a sense of responsibility across the team. (16:57)
Continuous Learning - Continuous learning and adaptability are key to personal and professional growth in the tech industry. (25:18)
Chapters
00:00 Introductions
02:15 Prakash's Background and Experience
04:27 Essential Ingredients to Building Nextdoor's Early Team
10:16 Challenges and Inflection Points in Team Building
13:58 Specialization and Mentorship in Team Building
17:55 Interview and Evaluation Methods
28:18 Recruiting Strategies & Transition to Management
36:01 Building a High Trust Environment
38:41 In-Person vs. Remote Work Cultures
42:36 Advice for Early Founders and Engineers