In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Marten Mickos, a serial tech CEO who has been at the forefront of some of the most transformative moments in open-source technology. From leading MySQL through its groundbreaking journey to guiding HackerOne as a pioneering bug bounty platform, Marten's career is a masterclass in building innovative, trust-driven organizations.Our wide-ranging conversation explores Marten's remarkable journey through tech leadership, touching on his experiences building game-changing companies and, more recently, his work coaching emerging CEOs. We dive deep into the world of open source, company culture, and the nuanced art of leadership.In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics: • How MySQL revolutionized open-source databases and became Facebook’s database• The strategic decision to make MySQL open source and leverage Linux distributions• The art of building a beloved open-source project while creating a profitable business model• How a lawsuit solidified MySQL's position in the open-source database market• The role of transparency and direct feedback in building organizational trust• Why Marten was drawn to HackerOne's disruptive approach to cybersecurity• Marten’s transition to coaching new CEOs • Marten’s unique "contrast framework" for making complex decisions• And much more!—Brought to you by:• Wilson Sonsini – Wilson Sonsini is the innovation economy’s law firm. ⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠.• Gusto – Gusto is an easy payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 3 months free⁠⁠⁠⁠.—Where to find Marten Mickos: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martenmickos/• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/martenmickos.bsky.social—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ —In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(03:15) The first time Eric used MySQL(07:10) The origins of MySQL and how Marten got involved (13:22) Why MySQL pivoted to open source to leverage the power of Linux distros(17:03) Open source vs. closed (18:56) Building profitable open-source companies (24:52) The fearless company culture at MySQL and the Progress lawsuit(29:30) The value of not cutting any corners (33:35) How a dolphin became part of the MySQL logo (35:55) What it was like to build a company of true believers(38:47) Marten’s management approach emphasizes kindness and direct feedback (42:12) Marten’s hiring philosophy(45:14) Why MySQL sold to Sun Microsystems and tried to avoid Oracle (50:24) How Oracle has made MySQL even better(52:22) Why Marten decided to lead at HackerOne(55:41) An overview of HackerOne(59:31) How HackerOne got started and landed the Department of Defense contract(1:03:19) The trust-building power of transparency(1:08:30) Marten’s successor and the state of HackerOne now(1:09:23) Marten’s work coaching CEOs(1:14:20) Common issues CEOs struggle with (1:16:45) Marten’s contrast framework (1:26:12) The book of Finnish poetry that inspired Marten’s love of polarities—You can find the transcript and references at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Production and marketing by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I'm joined by Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a groundbreaking biotech startup developing drugs to extend dogs' healthspan and lifespan. Celine's journey combines her passion for animals with a bold scientific mission that looks beyond pets to potentially transform human longevity as well.Our conversation explores:• Why ambitious, moonshot visions can paradoxically make fundraising and team-building easier• The critical early pivot that positioned Loyal for its first drug approval• The undervalued power of listening deeply and asking the right questions• Loyal's philosophy of exceeding regulatory requirements to build trust and advance the field• Balancing the startup need for speed with scientific rigor and safety• How Celine's background led her to focus on the untapped potential of canine longevity• The competitive advantage of pursuing novel ideas before they become industry trends• Why founder conviction and scientific expertise were crucial to overcoming skepticism• Celine's approach to governance and maintaining mission control for the long-term• Navigating the challenges of Silicon Valley as a female founder in biotech• The realistic timeline and milestones for Loyal's drug development and approvals• Building for truly long-term impact beyond conventional startup timelines• And much more! —Brought to you by:• Vanta – Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust—continuously. ⁠⁠Save $1,000 today⁠⁠.• Explo – Explo helps teams deploy customer dashboard portals. ⁠Get Started⁠.—Where to find Celine Halioua: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinehh/• X: https://x.com/celinehalioua• Website: https://www.celinehh.com/—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ —In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(03:29) Early challenges Celine faced promoting Loyal(08:20) The early pivot that led to Loyal’s first drug approval(14:50) The importance of listening and asking questions(15:58) Why you have to love the mission (18:02) Why a lofty mission makes it easier to gain support(22:30) Loyal’s commitment to regulatory frameworks—and doing more than required(29:10) How to balance speed with safety and quality (34:36) Eric’s startup lesson on speed and compromises (38:22) How Celine became interested in the biotech space and canine longevity (47:32) The power of new ideas, and why it’s too late once it’s a trend(50:28) How Celine’s conviction and scientific expertise drove Loyal’s success(56:00) Celine’s advice to new founders: go deep(1:00:15) How and why Celine maintains control of Loyal(1:07:23) Breaking through the glass ceiling of Silicon Valley (1:15:50) Challenges of building a long-term company, and Loyal’s real milestones(1:21:11) The timeline of Loyal’s drug approvals (1:24:02) Lightning round—You can find the transcript and references at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Production and marketing by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Daniel Dines, the Founder and CEO of UiPath, a company that started in robotic process automation (RPA) and is now making a bold shift into agentic AI. Dubbed “the boss of bots” by Forbes, Daniel has led UiPath from its humble beginnings to a $6.65 billion company that’s reshaping the future of automation.Daniel’s journey is anything but conventional. After working as an engineer on SQL at Microsoft, he felt a pull toward something more creative—building his own product. That decision led him back to Romania, where he founded the company that would eventually become UiPath.In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics: • Why stepping out of your comfort zone is key to growth• The Jack London book that changed Daniel’s life • The benefits of bootstrapping vs. raising big VC money• Why letting go is the hard part of a pivot• How failure can unlock unexpected opportunities• A case for mixing work and life to build a strong company culture • Why empowering employees is good for business • What Daniel learned from UiPath’s journey to IPO • Daniel’s plans for his second stint as CEO• Why Daniel is optimistic about the impact AI will have on the future of work• And more!—Brought to you by:• Wilson Sonsini – Wilson Sonsini is the innovation economy’s law firm. ⁠Learn more⁠.• Explo – Explo helps teams deploy customer dashboard portals. Get Started.• Gusto – Gusto is an easy payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. ⁠⁠⁠Get 3 months free⁠⁠⁠.—Where to find Daniel Dines:• LinkedIn: https://x.com/danieldines• X: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldines/—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Podcast:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ —In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(03:11) Growing up in communist Romania(10:00) The importance of breaking out of your comfort zone(13:41) Joy as a sign you’re on the right path (15:27) The Jack London book that made Daniel an entrepreneur (16:40) The beginnings of UiPath(18:50) Why writing code wasn’t enough for Daniel and why coding is creative (22:22) UiPath’s values (24:50) Why Daniel returned to Romania(28:00) Advantages of bootstrapping (30:50) Pivoting to become a product company from outsourcing(33:27) An early password management product that didn’t work out(34:55) The difficult pivot that led to the product that is UiPath now(39:10) How the early failures led to the big opportunity (41:37) Hitting product market fit (43:50) Why Daniel hired misfits, and the characteristics he looked for in hires(48:32) How Daniel protected UiPath's values and why he plans to renew the commitment(54:00) The importance of empowering employees at all levels to provide feedback(57:47) UiPath’s journey to IPO(1:01:30) Why Eric thinks he didn’t prepare Daniel psychologically for the difficulty of IPO(1:03:46) Synthetic volatility’s human cost (1:07:01) Why Daniel stepped down as CEO and why he’s resuming CEO duties(1:11:55) Daniel’s second stint as CEO: hiring people he likes and going all in on agentic AI(1:18:20) The promise of open source(1:19:24) Daniel’s thoughts on the future of work (1:24:36) Lightning round —You can find the transcript and references at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Production and marketing by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Alyssa Ravasio, the CEO and Founder of Hipcamp, has transformed outdoor recreation by opening access to private camping spots. She shares how her childhood connection to nature shaped her entrepreneurial journey. The conversation delves into her early challenges, the importance of staying mission-focused, and the innovative practices that have propelled Hipcamp's growth. Alyssa emphasizes fostering a positive company culture, the significance of feedback, and aligning business goals with community stewardship to enhance outdoor accessibility.

Gagan Biyani, a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Maven, reflects on his journey from co-founding Udemy to launching his latest project. He shares how a free truffle taught him the pitfalls of traditional business thinking. Biyani emphasizes the importance of intuition over metrics and discusses fostering company culture while scaling. He candidly reveals lessons from his exit at Udemy and the emotional complexities of partnerships. The conversation also dives into AI's transformative potential in education, exploring its limitations and the need for human touch in learning.

Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of Duolingo, shares insights on building a $17 billion language learning platform without sacrificing mission for profit. He recounts how an intern birthed the viral green owl mascot and discusses the app's unique revenue model, where only 10% of users contribute to 30% of the revenue. Emphasizing long-term goals over immediate gains, he explores Duolingo's innovative company culture, the importance of experimentation for user retention, and how gamification transformed the learning experience.

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist—one of the internet’s most influential platforms. Despite its massive impact, Craigslist has remained intentionally minimalist, resisting the hyper-monetization strategies common in tech. Craig attributes his success to being in the right place at the right time, but his story reveals a deeper truth: a steadfast commitment to his values. We discuss how his moral compass shaped Craigslist, his approach to business sustainability, and his perspective on ethical entrepreneurship. In this episode, we cover: • The origins of Craigslist as a simple email newsletter • Why Craig resisted aggressive monetization and focused on community impact • The market research behind Craigslist’s minimal fees • How Craigslist maintained its mission even after Craig stepped back from leadership • Craig’s thoughts on AI, cybersecurity, and the future of journalism • How Craig’s strong relationship with customers kept him aligned with his values • Craig’s philanthropic work • Craig’s advice for new founders • And more! — Brought to you by: Vanta – Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust—continuously. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get $1,000 off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. • Gusto – Gusto is an easy payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. ⁠Get 3 months free⁠. Runway – The finance platform you don’t hate. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. — Where to find Craig Newmark: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craignewmark/ • X: https://x.com/craignewmark — Where to find Eric: • Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  • Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  — In This Episode We Cover: (00:00) Intro (03:06) The origins of Craigslist  (12:20) Why Craig used email in the beginning (14:03) Lessons from Sunday school that shaped Craig’s moral compass  (15:34) How Craigslist promoted community  (17:42) Craig’s resistance to the allure of maximum monetization (19:44) Why Craigslist became a private business, rather than a non-profit  (24:15) How monetization works at Craigslist  (27:11) Why Craigslist doesn’t need to drive engagement the way social media sites do (30:54) The size and scale of Craigslist (31:47) Current threats in cybersecurity  (33:44) How Craig became interested in cybersecurity  (35:34) How Craigslist maintained mission alignment after Craig left management  (40:54) Craig’s perspective on contentment and why he’s remained fulfilled (42:25) Advice for aspiring world-changers (47:56) Craig’s thoughts on AI  (51:08) Craig’s philanthropic work with journalism  (53:24) Problems in journalism today (54:37) Craig’s involvement with Donors Choose (57:14) Craig’s pigeon rescue work (58:58) Advice for new founders  (1:01:02) The importance of staying close to the customer (1:05:03) The case for avoiding exploitation  (1:07:16) Lightning round — You can find the transcript and references at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Join Amir Nathoo, Co-founder and CEO of Outschool, as he shares his journey from a self-directed learner to shaping an online education platform that prioritizes children's interests. He discusses the vital role of AI in education and the importance of human interaction. Amir emphasizes how businesses can champion social good while maximizing profit. He reveals lessons from the homeschool movement and critiques traditional investors' impact on educational disruption. This conversation is a call for innovative, mission-driven approaches in the evolving landscape of learning.

Emil Eifrem, Co-founder and CEO of Neo4j, discusses the fascinating journey of his open-source graph database company that has gained significant traction among Fortune 100 companies. He delves into the impact of transparency and trust in building business relationships. Emil also shares insights on navigating the U.S. versus Swedish entrepreneurial landscapes, the challenges of scaling a tech company, and the pivotal decision to realign values regarding military contracts. Additionally, he explains the revolutionary role of AI in data organization and the importance of ethical leadership in tech.

In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I’m joined by Iman Abuzeid, the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, a platform transforming how healthcare systems hire nurses. After earning an MD, Iman pivoted to business and technology. She spent some time working in New York before enrolling at The Wharton School, where she earned her MBA. After graduating, she moved to Silicon Valley and worked as a product manager at AliveCor, where she met her future co-founder. Together, they launched Incredible Health, a company now valued at $1.65 billion. In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics:  • Why Iman chose a different way to apply her medical school training  • The unique insights gained from NFX’s accelerator program  • Incredible Health’s purpose and its downstream effects on quality of care • The evolution of Incredible Health’s MVP • The focus on profitability from day one • How to commit to your values  • The importance of vetting investors  • How Incredible Health has implemented AI • How Amazon’s single-threaded model inspires the way Incredible Health prioritizes • And more!  — Brought to you by: Vanta – Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust—continuously. ⁠⁠⁠Get $1,000 off⁠⁠⁠. Runway – The finance platform you don’t hate. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. — Where to find Iman Abuzeid:  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imanabuzeid/• X: https://x.com/imanabuzeid Where to find Eric: • Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericries.carrd.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  • Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  — In This Episode We Cover: (00:00) Intro (01:52) An overview of Incredible Health (02:48) Why Iman started Incredible Health (05:22) Why Iman went to medical school but decided not to practice clinical medicine (06:42) How Iman got into software  (08:01) Iman’s background and why she is drawn to entrepreneurship (09:19) Why Roman and Iman left AliveCor to start their own company (11:00) How the partners at NFX helped Roman and Iman transform their original vision (15:55) James Joaquin's vision of "world positive" and how Incredible Health embodies it (18:15) Balancing the lofty mission of quality care with financial goals (20:20) The reasons for labor shortages in the healthcare industry (22:20) The tools Incredible Health has to help nurses manage their careers (23:18) What the MVP of Incredible Health looked like  (26:00) Some statistics around the current size of Incredible Health (26:43) The values that Iman leaned into to overcome many difficult obstacles  (29:22) How Iman has created so much value with a small team  (31:49) Early decisions made that led to high impact and high growth  (33:34) The world positive term sheet and how Incredible Health clarified its values (36:51) The three ways Incredible Health implements values  (38:30) Eric’s culture bank and leader’s guide  (39:50) Anecdotes from Incredible Health that illustrate customer obsession, speed, and  (43:41) How the pandemic impacted Incredible Health (46:25) How Incredible Health upholds values and ensures accountability (49:00) Protecting the culture from outside sources (52:38) The future of product strategy and growth strategy at Incredible Health (55:21) Learnings from implementing AI (57:45) Building and retaining trust on both sides of the marketplace (1:02:23) The importance of neutrality with all employers  (1:04:25) Prioritization and community standards  (1:08:15) The company as a whole vs. individual contribution  (1:11:24) Lightning round  You can find the transcript and references at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.ericriesshow.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Production and marketing by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.