The IO Podcast: Investor + Operator Why The Second Decade Is The Best For Startups — A convo w/ Spenser Skates, CEO Amplitude Analytics
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Dec 16, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Spenser Skates, the visionary founder and CEO of Amplitude Analytics, reflects on his entrepreneurial journey and recent IPO. He shares insights on choosing the right investors, emphasizing the importance of their support over favorable terms. Spenser discusses staying motivated during the critical second decade, innovating product development, and creating employee-friendly equity practices. He also highlights the role of data in AI advancements and admires influential operators, reinforcing a long-term, customer-focused mindset.
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Close Call With Benchmark
- Spenser nearly skipped Benchmark's offer despite their top-tier reputation and showed up late without his deck.
- Eric Vishria still invested and later became the most valuable Series A board member for Amplitude.
Define Investor Roles Clearly
- Ask board members to be explicit about their expertise and role boundaries to avoid micromanagement.
- Use investor advice where they add distinct value and reject guidance outside their competence.
Board Helped Step Into Sales
- Eric interviewed hundreds of executive candidates and wrote a sales forecasting playbook when Amplitude needed interim sales leadership.
- That hands-on support helped Amplitude recover and re-accelerate revenue growth.