Code Story: Insights from Startup Tech Leaders S11 E1: Rob Woollen, Sigma Computing
May 27, 2025
Rob Woolen, Co-founder and CTO at Sigma Computing, reflects on his extensive journey in tech after years at Salesforce. He discusses the creation of Sigma, aimed at simplifying large-scale data analysis through a user-friendly interface. Rob highlights the importance of product-market fit, emphasizing strategic decision-making and team alignment. He also addresses the significance of user empowerment in tech, sharing lessons learned from early development challenges and his vision for Sigma's future in application development.
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Seven Years to MVP
- Sigma Computing's MVP took about seven and a half years to develop and achieve product-market fit.
- The founders consistently focused on solving the same problem from day zero, iterating extensively.
Align Team for Pivots
- Convincing your team to rebuild or pivot requires clear vision and alignment around potential benefits.
- Use early proof points and customer success to generate momentum for change.
Balance Tactical and Strategic Features
- Prioritize product features that balance closing competitive feature gaps and enabling strategic innovation.
- Sometimes building novel capabilities unseen in competitors leads to a stronger product.