How to Build in AI, Lessons From Early Days of Snyk with Founder Guy Podjarny
Oct 10, 2024
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Guy Podjarny, founder of Blaze, Snyk, and Tessl, discusses his journey in developer security and AI-native development. He shares his four quadrants framework for building AI startups and reveals why these ventures tend to be riskier. Guy dives into the challenges of hiring in tough markets, effective early marketing strategies, and the nuances of selling vs. building a company. He also reflects on lessons learned from Snyk's beginnings and highlights the importance of understanding customer needs for successful tech adoption.
Guy Podjarny emphasizes the significance of understanding the two dimensions of AI solutions: the level of change required for adoption and trust needed for effectiveness.
AI startups encounter unique challenges in a rapidly evolving landscape, where identifying market needs and effectively communicating value propositions is crucial for success.
Hiring in the early stages of a startup is challenging, necessitating credibility and innovative approaches like pre-engagement strategies to attract talent and customers.
Deep dives
Understanding AI Adoption
AI solutions can be plotted along two key dimensions: the extent of change required to adopt the technology and the level of trust needed for it to function effectively. Tools that align with existing workflows often require less trust and facilitate higher adoption rates. For example, applications like code completion allow users to see the results and confirm their accuracy with minimal friction. Conversely, solutions that necessitate significant shifts in workflows and carry high expectations of reliability, such as robo-taxis, present a more complex adoption scenario.
Navigating Market Challenges
AI startups face unique challenges compared to traditional startups, particularly the lack of established competitors and the rapidly evolving technology landscape. Founders often discover multiple companies working on similar solutions only after getting deeply involved. This unpredictability makes it difficult to gauge market needs and available opportunities. Additionally, incumbents have a heightened awareness of market dynamics, making it crucial for startups to identify and effectively communicate their unique value propositions.
Lessons from Previous Startups
Reflecting on past experiences with startups such as Blaze and Sneak, founders must be aware of the challenges inherent in hiring and navigating funding rounds. Early attempts to recruit talent can be met with resistance, highlighting the importance of credibility and a compelling vision. For instance, taking a unique approach, like using a 'fake it till you make it' website to generate interest and pre-engagement with potential customers, can aid in the initial stages of the business. Such strategies can foster engagement and enhance product-market fit over time.
The Importance of Developer Engagement
Developer adoption is crucial for the success of AI-based products, demanding that tools be inherently useful and easy to integrate into existing workflows. Understanding user pain points is essential; if products require too much effort to implement, developers will likely ignore them. Effective outreach, such as building a strong presence in open source communities or utilizing community-driven badges, can foster adoption and drive engagement. Ultimately, ensuring that solutions are user-centric increases the likelihood of long-term success.
Learning from Failure
The journey of building a startup is rarely linear, often filled with setbacks that teach invaluable lessons. For instance, navigating a failed Series A funding round revealed the importance of crafting a compelling narrative and maintaining transparency with investors. Founders may face challenges that not only test their resilience but also shape future investment strategies. Drawing on support from trusted colleagues during tough times can lead to better decision-making and ultimately pave the way for success down the line.
Guy Podjarny is the founder of Blaze, Snyk, and now Tessl. He’s spent decades building at the center of developers and security. His newest company Tessl is reimagining software development, helping shape a new paradigm he calls AI Native Development. We talk through his four quadrant framework for building and investing in AI, plus go into the early days of Blaze and Snyk. He shares lessons on marketing to developers, hiring when no one wanted to work for him, overcoming multiple difficult funding rounds, and lessons from multiple M&A processes. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:21) The four quadrants of building and investing in AI (14:59) Why AI startups are riskier than non-AI startups (19:42) When to sell your company vs keep building (24:57) Why hiring the early team is so hard (26:32) Early marketing tricks from Guy’s first company, Blaze (29:09) Strategies for using conferences to grow your brand (33:33) Getting three days of free PR (38:04) Moving to Ottawa (42:11) Why Sales Engineer is an underrated founder stepping stone (45:49) What he learned as CTO of Akamai (48:31) Starting his third company Tessel, and why there’s no satisfaction without struggle (50:41) How Snyk got started (54:10) Creating developer-first security (59:59) Secrets for developer marketing (01:02:31) Why podcasts work so well for marketing (01:06:26) Snyk’s failed Series A Referenced Tessl: https://tessl.io/ Snyk: https://snyk.io/ Charting Your AI Native Journey: https://www.tessl.io/blog/charting-your-ai-native-journey Secure Developer Podcast: https://snyk.io/podcasts/the-secure-developer/ AI Native Dev Podcast: https://www.tessl.io/podcast We didn’t mention it in the podcast, but Guy just announced the AI Native Dev Conference, a virtual conference on Thurs, November 21st. Join him + many others here https://ai-native-devcon.heysummit.com/ Follow Guy Twitter: https://x.com/guypod LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/guypo Follow Turner Twitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovak Newsletter: https://www.thespl.it/
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