In Depth From Chrome extension to $5B platform | Postman’s journey | Abhinav Asthana (Co-founder & CEO)
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Aug 28, 2025 
Abhinav Asthana, Co-founder and CEO of Postman, reflects on his journey from creating a simple Chrome extension to leading a $5B platform for API collaboration. He shares insights on making the leap to Silicon Valley and realizing Postman’s potential. Abhinav discusses the importance of building community and balancing developer needs with effective product design. He also reveals early monetization experiments and the role of feedback in shaping their SaaS model, highlighting how a seamless developer experience can drive innovation.
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Humble Chrome Extension Origin
- Abhinav built Postman as a Chrome extension to solve his own API pain while switching between editor and API client.
- He published it, got organic traction, GitHub contributions, and a Google Chrome store feature that validated the idea.
Instant Use Drives Founder Addiction
- The internet unlocked scale and instant feedback that made building web products addictive for Abhinav.
- Seeing something used quickly gave him the dopamine to prefer building products over traditional jobs.
Decide Roles And Culture Early
- Have uncomfortable early conversations about roles, CEO, and culture to avoid future conflict.
- Decide responsibilities and operating values early so the team moves fast and aligned.