Spotlight On Graphite’s Merrill Lutsky on Revolutionizing Code Review for the AI Era
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Apr 1, 2025 
Merrill Lutsky, co-founder and CEO of Graphite, shares insights from his journey transitioning from developing a customer feedback tool to revolutionizing code review for the AI era. He discusses fostering trust through unique team-building practices like weekly dinners and co-founder therapy. The conversation highlights Graphite’s innovative AI-powered tool, Diamond, which enhances coding efficiency. Merrill also touches on New York's rise as a tech hub and the importance of maintaining work-life balance through pursuits like competitive running.
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First Startup Experience
- Merrill Lutsky's first startup in 2013 was a customer feedback tool for hotels and restaurants, born from a Harvard dining hall project.
- This experience, despite a small exit, provided invaluable lessons in team building, product development, and customer acquisition.
Startup Foundations
- Before starting another company, ensure alignment on team, idea, and market timing—ideally all three, but at least two.
- Don't force the process; let it evolve naturally from a problem you care about and a team you trust deeply.
Origins of Code Review Focus
- Lutsky's co-founders, Tomas and Greg, became meticulous about code review after experiencing frustrating debugging issues in a Harvard CS class.
- This early emphasis on code review stemmed from a need to minimize errors and improve their workflow.