Peter Reinhardt is cofounder and CEO of Segment.

Segment helps companies capture data from every customer touchpoint and send it to the tools where it can be used most effectively.

They were part of the YC Summer 2011 batch.

The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.

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Topics

00:26 - What is Segment?

1:56 - Segment’s first customers

3:31 - Their YC application

4:26 - Going through YC

5:56 - Realizing their first product didn’t work

10:56 - Launching Analytics.js

12:11 - Experiencing product market fit

17:21 - Debating whether to launch or build out the product

19:41 - Evan Farrell asks - You mentioned in the SS lecture that you had to totally pivot to Analytics.js to find PMF, is it possible to purely iterate on something people kinda like to find PMF, or should it be clear from the outset if a new idea is something people want?

20:56 - The importance of having a skeptic on your team

23:56 - Customer interviews

26:56 - Benjamin Liam asks - How did they know they have the right messaging to explain their product?

28:26 - Idea generation

33:11 - Danny Prol asks - What values and standards do you have in place for your team at Segment? And how do you actively build that culture into your company?

37:26 - Ashwin Doke asks - How has GDPR impacted Segment's business model?

39:41 - Andrew Pikul asks - Any advice he has on asking for more money than you're comfortable asking for.

42:11 - Juan Carlos Garza asks - How did YC help you to where Segment is right now?

43:41 - Juan Carlos Garza asks - In an early stage, what's the thin line between ignoring a customer suggested feature or moving a customer requested feature to the core of your application?

45:11 - Biggest learnings since YC

45:16 - Important hires at Segment

#93 - Peter Reinhardt