Scaling DevTools

Adam Frankl, a seasoned developer-marketing leader and author, returns to discuss the essentials for DevTool startups. He emphasizes the importance of defining the right problems for developers and shares insights on Technical Advisory Boards (TABs). Adam reveals effective interview techniques to surface developer pain points and how to synthesize findings using AI. He also highlights the challenges of maintaining TAB member enthusiasm and the significance of early user feedback in shaping products. Plus, he explores innovative ways to leverage long-form content and conversations for better outreach.

Kyle Cheung, co-founder of Greybeam, dives into how his startup slashes Snowflake costs by 70-95% without migration. He shares quirky marketing tactics, including a memorable toilet stall analogy to explain query size differences. Fundraising is transformed into storytelling, where connecting with investors through narrative is key. Kyle also discusses their onboarding process and the ideal customer profiles, emphasizing the playful nature of their marketing as a way to stand out in the B2B landscape.

Matt Klein, a software engineer and entrepreneur known for co-creating the Envoy proxy and founding Bitdrift, shares fascinating insights from his early days at AWS. He discusses Amazon's customer obsession and the rapid iteration culture that led to AWS's success. The conversation dives into the challenges of building Envoy at Lyft, the importance of community in open source adoption, and the complexities of spinning out Bitdrift. Klein emphasizes meeting developers where they are, adapting product strategies, and the unique on-device approach for mobile observability.

Will Stewart, co-founder and CEO of Northflank, shares his journey from gaming to creating a developer platform that seamlessly runs complex workloads on Kubernetes. He recounts meeting his co-founder online through gaming and their unique approach to fundraising remotely. Stewart emphasizes the importance of production readiness over speed, and discusses how customer feedback shapes product development. He also dives into the balance of shipping features quickly while managing bugs, ensuring a consistent developer experience across all platforms.

Shawn 'swyx' Wang, a developer advocate and founder of the AI Engineer conference, shares his insights on the resurgent world of DevRel. He discusses his intriguing conversation with Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan about AI in biomedical research. Shawn contrasts the challenges of scaling biology with AI advancements and the crucial role of DevRel in grassroots adoption. He also addresses the pressures of the current VC investment bubble and how modern skills in short-form content are transforming the landscape.

Vincent D. Warmerdam, a Developer and DevRel practitioner behind Marimo, dives into strategies for growing a YouTube channel dedicated to their Python notebook. He discusses the power of Shorts in gaining viewers, emphasizing the need for genuine excitement about your product. Vincent shares his practical approach to content creation, balancing community outreach and SEO strategies. He insists on consistency and treating YouTube as a long game, while encouraging founders to connect authentically with their audience.

Rik Haandrikman, VP of Growth at RevenueCat, shares insights on revolutionizing sales strategies tailored for developers. He discusses how removing commission-driven incentives fosters genuine customer relationships. Rik highlights the importance of aligning sales goals with long-term success and nurturing customer lifecycles. He emphasizes the power of compelling events for driving engagement and building trust, advocating for active participation in community meetups and conferences. Discover his unique approach to make connections and inspire engineers.

Tuhin Srivastava is the CEO and co-founder of Baseten, an innovative inference platform for scaling AI applications. He shares the company's impressive journey, from its humble beginnings to raising $150M in Series D funding. Tuhin dives into the importance of robust inference infrastructure, the market shifts that drove rapid growth, and the vital role of quick customer feedback loops in product development. He emphasizes the need for an optimal developer experience and reveals key insights for early-stage DevTools founders.

Angelo Saraceno, Revenue and Compliance Lead at Railway, bridges his technical expertise with enterprise sales insights. He emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs beyond mere features, advocating for a balance between product integrity and revenue generation. Angelo also discusses the necessity of thoughtful automation in outreach and the challenges of aligning sales efforts with product-led growth. He reveals strategies for differentiating vocal users from paying decision-makers, and how to design support as a product for better customer experiences.

Guy Zerega, former EVP of revenue at Stack Overflow and current sales lead at Cyborg, joins the conversation to share his insights on selling developer-focused products. He emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience and adapting communication styles. Zerega discusses common mistakes in sales, the art of personalized outreach, and the critical balance of trust in buyer decisions. He offers practical advice for founders on when to hire sales teams and the significance of creating a customer-centric culture.