David Mytton, co-founder of Console and CEO of Arcjet, shares his journey in the tech world, from founding Server Density to embracing sustainable computing. He discusses the essential role of community in developing successful tools and the shift towards strategic hiring in tech. Mytton dives into the importance of documentation and effective go-to-market strategies for developer tools. He also highlights emerging trends in sustainable computing, reminding us that environmental impact matters beyond just energy consumption.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Server Density's Accidental Start
David Mytton's first company, Server Density, began as a personal project to learn Python and address a monitoring need.
It organically grew into a business when users offered to pay, necessitating a merchant account and company formation.
insights INSIGHT
Funding Path Choice
Startups must choose between bootstrapping and VC funding early on, as these paths have different outcomes and mindsets.
Bootstrapping requires profitability, while VC funding prioritizes rapid growth through investment.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Own Your Tech
Avoid outsourcing core product development in tech startups; own the technology.
Build it yourself, with a technical co-founder, or learn to code.
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building a business when there are no easy answers
Ben Horowitz
In this book, Ben Horowitz shares his personal and often humbling experiences in the tech industry to offer essential advice and practical wisdom. He addresses various hard decisions and challenges that business leaders face, such as firing friends, managing company culture, handling layoffs, and making tough strategic decisions. Horowitz emphasizes the importance of honesty, resilience, and adaptability in leadership, drawing from his experiences with companies like Loudcloud and Andreessen Horowitz.
The ascent of money
A Financial History of the World
Niall Ferguson
In 'The Ascent of Money', Niall Ferguson explores the human story behind the evolution of finance, from the origins of money in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest financial upheavals. Ferguson argues that finance is the foundation of human progress and reveals financial history as the essential backstory behind all history. The book covers key financial institutions and concepts, such as the invention of banking, the development of bonds and stock markets, and the role of insurance and real estate. It also delves into the impact of financial systems on historical events and the recurring theme that every financial bubble eventually bursts[1][3][4].
The Lessons of History
Will Durant
Written by Will and Ariel Durant after completing the 10th volume of their 'The Story of Civilization' series, 'The Lessons of History' provides an overview of the themes and lessons observed from human history. The book examines history from various perspectives including geography, biology, race, character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, growth and decay, and progress. The Durants discuss the recurring themes of history, such as the balance between liberty and equality, the role of economics, and the inevitability of human nature's influence on historical events. They argue that while there are no predictable regularities in the course of civilizations, there are common factors that contribute to their growth and decline[1][3][5].
A dynamic approach to tech innovation, security, sustainability, and developer empowerment can be seen in everything David Mytton touches. As co-founder of Console and host of the Console DevTools Podcast, he delights in keeping developers ahead of the curve with the tools they need the most. As the founder of Server Density (acquired by StackPath), he created a product that helped organizations manage mission-critical IT environments. As a sustainable computing researcher at Oxford and a global green tech speaker, he’s brought much-needed attention to the impact of cloud emissions and the water and energy consumption of the data centers that fuel our online lives. Now, as founder and CEO of Arcjet, he’s helping developers and businesses protect their apps with just a few lines of code. His professional career is a direct reflection of his relentless pursuit of making tech smarter and greener. How he invests his spare time showcases his unwavering commitment to mentoring developers and building the communities they need to succeed.
SHOW NOTES:
David’s founder journey, starting with Server Density (3:20)
Behind the early decision to start a company & start building a product (4:50)
Key lessons from bootstrapping, raising funding, and being acquired (8:30)
How those early lessons shaped Arcjet & Console (10:30)
Why VC money can make finding experienced engineers easier (13:16)
Strategies to help early teams build their first product / prototype (14:56)
Considering company outcomes: Should you build a company just to sell it? (16:23)
Signals that it’s the right time for a sale / acquisition (18:14)
The story behind Arcjet (20:30)
“What makes a great DevTool company” & strategic insights that shaped Arcjet (23:37)
Key practices that helped shape Arcjet’s GTM plan (25:36)
David’s approach to experimentation and discovery (27:36)
The impact of documentation on dev tool companies (31:35)
How discovery pathways for dev tools impact sales (33:28)
Making the decision-making process easier for users & buyers (35:01)
Translating dev tool benefits for finance teams vs. developers (39:56)
The impact of design on dev tool companies (42:37)
The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz, a leading venture capitalist, modern management expert, and New York Times bestselling author, combines lessons both from history and from modern organizational practice with practical and often surprising advice to help executives build cultures that can weather both good and bad times.
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World - Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.
The Lessons of History - In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of knowledge and experience from their four decades of work on the ten monumental volumes of "The Story of Civilization." The result is a survey of human history, full of dazzling insights into the nature of human experience, the evolution of civilization, the culture of man.
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