Spenser Skates

In this engaging discussion, Spenser Skates, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude, shares insights on navigating the evolving landscape of AI and analytics. He reflects on the challenges of integrating advanced technologies with a legacy codebase while emphasizing the importance of maintaining Amplitude's core strengths. Skates discusses the risks and rewards of taking the company public and shares personal anecdotes about leadership transitions and work-life balance. His thoughts on grit and the need for talent in AI offer valuable perspectives for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Spenser Skates, Co-founder & CEO of Amplitude, shares his fascinating transition from building an AI voice assistant to creating a leading product analytics platform. He discusses the challenges of breaking into the analytics market and highlights Amplitude's innovative features, including real-time user tracking. Spenser reflects on his entrepreneurial journey from MIT and offers insights on leadership through growth phases. He also emphasizes the importance of integrating AI into analytics tools and how they empower product managers to make data-driven decisions.

Spenser Skates, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude, a leader in digital product analytics, shares insights on navigating the tumultuous SaaS landscape since their IPO. He discusses the current state of business software, the delicate balance of pricing AI products, and the impact of economic shifts on staffing decisions. Skates also emphasizes the potential durability of data moats in AI and reflects on his gaming adventures with Baldur's Gate 3, adding a fun twist to the serious business talk!

In the 55th episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, Amplitude CEO Spenser Skates joins to discuss his path to going public, finding market fit, differentiating from competitors, and Logan’s early investment in Amplitude.(0:00) Intro(4:13) Going Public(16:50) Thinking About Cost Consciousness(21:17) Crowdsourcing Cost-Saving Ideas(26:22) Choosing a Career(35:25) The Promise of Product Data(58:36) What to Look For in a Board Member(1:01:12) Founding CEOs Suck at Hiring(1:17:39) Exercise Windows Mixed and edited: Sam DeweesProduced: Andrew Nadeau and Rashad AssirExecutive Producer: Josh MachizMusic: Griff Lawson 🎙 Listen to the showApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/three-cartoon-avatars/id1606770839Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5WqBqDb4br3LlyVrdqOYYb?si=3076e6c1b5c94d63&nd=1Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9zb0hJZkhWbg 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow on Socials📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow🐦 Twitter - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow About the ShowLogan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, Netflix. In each episode, Logan goes behind the scenes with world-class entrepreneurs and investors. If you're interested in the real inside baseball of tech, entrepreneurship, and start-up investing, tune in every Friday for new episodes. Executive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow on Socials 📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theloganbartlettshow📱 X - https://twitter.com/loganbartshow🎬 Clips on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theloganbartlettshow About the ShowLogan Bartlett is a Software Investor at Redpoint Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based VC with $6B AUM and investments in Snowflake, DraftKings, Twilio, and Netflix. In each episode of The Logan Bartlett Show, we sit down with the people behind today’s most important startups and extract the tactics, lessons, and frameworks they’ve learned the hard way. Conversations span hiring to GTM, product, growth, fundraising and everything in between - collectively forming the ultimate playbook to make you a better CEO, investor or board member.Tap follow and enable notifications to stay ahead of the game.

Spenser Skates, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude Analytics, shares his journey from programming to building a product analytics powerhouse. He challenges traditional startup norms, discussing equity compensation and the nuances of venture capital. A key highlight is his collaboration with Calm, optimizing customer growth through data-driven insights. Spenser advocates for direct listings over IPOs, emphasizing transparency in market entry. He also champions the role of kindness and mentorship in entrepreneurship, offering valuable perspectives on fostering supportive business environments.