

1st10 Podcast
1st10podcast
Welcome to 1st10 Podcast, where we dive deep into the world of building early engineering teams. Join us as we sit down with engineers, founders, and investors to uncover the strategies, challenges, and successes behind assembling and nurturing the foundational teams that drive innovation. Whether you're a startup enthusiast, a tech leader, or an aspiring entrepreneur, our conversations provide valuable insights and practical advice on crafting the perfect engineering team from the ground up. Tune in to learn from the best and get inspired to build your own successful early-stage team.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 7, 2025 • 44min
From Facebook to Formation: Sophie Novati on Building Formation and Empowering Engineers
On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger sit down with Sophie Z. Novati, founder and CEO of Formation.dev. Formation is a company dedicated to build a more equitable tech industries by helping underrepresented engineers reach their full potential. Sophie shares her journey from being an early engineer at Facebook and Nextdoor to founding Formation, driven by her mission to bridge the skills gap in tech hiring. She discusses the challenges of traditional interview processes, the importance of mission-driven work, and how her experiences shaped her approach to building Formation. Tune in to hear them talk about:Mission-Driven Work: Sophie's passion for creating equitable opportunities in tech fueled her transition from engineer to founder.Succeeding at Technical Interviews: Success in technical interviews requires a holistic approach, including problem exploration, collaboration, and testing.The Engineering Method: This problem-solving framework is applicable not just to coding but also to product development and business decisions.Embracing Chaos As A Founder: Building a startup is a rollercoaster, and founders need to find deep fulfillment in their work to navigate the inevitable challenges and setbacks.Diversity in Tech: Sophie's experience with hiring processes revealed systemic barriers for underrepresented groups.Sustainable Business Models: Founders must focus on building sustainable business models that align incentives and solve real problems.Specifically, don't miss the part where Sophie shares the incredibly insightful advice she received from Mark Zuckerberg during a late-night chess session, while she was an intern at Facebook!Chapters:00:00 Introductions04:58 From Facebook Intern to Mission-Driven Founder10:07 Chess with Zuck and the Art of Problem-Solving15:59 Sophie’s Journey From Engineering to Leadership22:15 The Birth of Formation: Solving the Interview Paradox28:50 Common Mistakes Engineers Make During Coding Interviews35:30 The “Engineering Method” Framework For Problem-Solving37:09 Sophie’s Contact Details & Advice For Early-Engineers & FoundersQuotes:"If you're able to capture people's valuable attention, you can always figure out how to turn that into money later." – Mark Zuckerberg, quoted by Sophie Z. Novati (12:20)"If your business is, I'm going to give you $10 and you give me $5 back, then of course people are going to be happy with you. But that's not actually a business model." – Sophie Z. Novati (34:40)"Coding interviews are only maybe 40% about coding. So much of it is about how you're exploring the problem space, understanding what the constraints are in your problem." – Sophie Z. Novati (29:42)"If you're going to embark on the journey of being a founder, figure out a way to absolutely love your work. You have to have such a deeply anchored sense of fulfillment in the grand scheme of things to get you past the hard things." – Sophie Z. Novati (40:19)Follow:Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcastApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207 Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f951319c/podcast/rss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast Follow:Website: www.1st10.comPodcast: www.1st10.com/podcast Twitter www.x.com/1st10engineersLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/1st10/YouTube: www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast Links:Formation: https://formation.devMusic by Roman Senyk from PixabayProducer: Shrikant Joshi

Feb 28, 2025 • 45min
Lessons from Pinterest’s First Engineer: Yash Nelapati on Building, Scaling, and Trusting the Process
SummaryOn this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger sit down with Yash Nelapati, Pinterest's first engineer and first-ever employee! Yash shares his journey from being a young engineer navigating the challenges of the 2008 recession to joining Pinterest in its infancy and helping scale it into a global platform. He reflects on the chaotic early days, the importance of trusting the process, and how his experiences shaped his approach to building teams and products.Yash also discusses his current venture, MakersPlace, an NFT marketplace aiming to become the "Christie's of NFTs.". Here's a quick glimpse of the insights from the episode: Simplicity Wins: Joining a startup doesn't have to be a complicated decision. If you like the product and the people, that's often enough to take the leap. Generalists Thrive in Early-Stage Startups: Being decent at multiple disciplines is more valuable than being an expert in one, especially when you're part of the first 10 engineers. Culture Evolves with Growth: As startups scale, culture often shifts from being vision-driven to data-driven, requiring a balance between intuition and analytics. Embrace Chaos: Early-stage startups are inherently chaotic, but that chaos is where learning and growth happen. Firefighting and quick decision-making are part of the journey. Trust the Journey: Yash's advice to engineers considering startups is to trust their instincts, avoid overthinking, and suggests a “2-Question Test” to help you come to a decision.Do listen to the simple but eye-opening "2-Question Test" that Yash recommends for deciding whether or not to join an early-stage startup!Chapters:00:00 Introductions and icebreakers07:04 From Symantec to Silicon Valley: Yash's Early Struggles12:19 The Pinterest Journey: Coding in an Apartment and Scaling Chaos21:00 2012 Was The Year Everything Broke (and Grew!)29:28 Building Culture: From Visionary to Data-Driven34:13 MakersPlace: The Christie's of NFTs?40:19 Advice for Engineers And Opportunities at MakersPlaceQuotes: "I had to get decent at everything [rather] than really be good at something." - Yash Nelapati (11:36) "Gut can only take you to a certain spot but from there you've got to have a much better picture of what's happening underneath the hood." - Yash Nelapati (27:36) "You want your engineers to be very involved in the decision-making, yet there's got to be a line where you don't want to bring a whole lot of emotion..." - Yash Nelapati (30:21) "Optimize for 'Do I believe in this vision?' [and] 'Do I like these people that I'm sitting around?' And just base that decision on these 2 things." – Yash Nelapati (41:25)Episode links:Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcastApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207 Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f951319c/podcast/rss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast Links:Maker’s Place: https://makersplace.com/Yash Nelapati on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yashh/Music by Roman Senyk from PixabayProducer: Shrikant Joshi

Feb 21, 2025 • 46min
How Dropbox’s Recruiting Culture Shaped Gem’s Success: Steve Bartel’s Recruiting Playbook
On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger sit down with Steve Bartel, founder and CEO of Gem. Steve was employee no. 25 at Dropbox and went on to found Gem, a leading all-in-one recruiting platform. He offers valuable insights into building early-engineering teams - first at Dropbox and now at Gem. Steve also shares how he translated these experiences into creating the powerful recruiting platform, Gem. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned recruiter, this episode has valuable insights on the challenges of hiring top talent, the evolution of recruiting tools, and the future of AI in recruiting.Some key takeaways from the episode: Make Recruiting a Core Company Value: Steve carried over the culture of treating recruiting as a top priority from Dropbox to Gem, where hiring the right people was seen as the key to scaling the company. Work Trials Are Powerful: Work trials are not just for evaluating candidates but for allowing candidates to evaluate the company. This approach ensures a good fit on both sides. Build a Product-Focused Engineering Team: At Gem, Steve focused on hiring engineers who were excited about building products that recruiters would love, rather than just solving hard technical problems. Recruiting is a Grind, Not a Silver Bullet: Whether at Dropbox or Gem, there's no shortcut to building a great team. Especially for startups without a strong brand, it takes consistent effort, relationship-building, and a deep understanding of what candidates are looking for in a role. Specifically, don't miss the part where Steve reveals a cool sourcing trick that can help you convert cold second-degree connections into warm first-degree-ish leads!Chapters00:00 Introductions & catch-up05:45 Being employee no. 25 at Dropbox10:14 Recruiting Philosophy At Dropbox15:27 The Birth of Gem: Solving Recruiting Pain Points22:45 How to Build a 1st10 Team That Loves Building Recruiting Software26:04 Attracting Talent in the Absence of a Brand29:56 Looking to Lure Great Talent to Your Small Startup?38:48 The Future of Recruiting: AI and End-to-End Platforms43:34 Gem Careers, Freebie, and Contact DetailsQuotes: "The single most important thing that any of us could do to have an impact was to bring on more great people." – Steve Bartel (11:23) "A big part of the Gem promise was, ‘Come on board, we're gonna give you a ton of exposure into how startups work.'" - Steve Bartel (23:23) "I wish 1st10 was around back then because it was, it was really hard!" - Steve Bartel (26:25) "The challenging part [about AI] is no longer the algorithm; the challenging part is actually the data!" – Steve Bartel (42:06) Connect with us:Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcastApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207 Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f951319c/podcast/rss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast Webpage: https://www.1st10.com/podcastLinks:Gem: https://www.gem.com/Gem for Startups: https://www.gem.com/startupsSteve on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-bartel/Music by Roman Senyk from PixabayProducer: Shrikant Joshi

Feb 14, 2025 • 45min
From Hedge Funds to Hard Tech: Ashley Pelzel, COO of Astro Mechanica Shares Lessons in Adaptation and Leadership
On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger sit down with Ashley Pelzel, COO of Astro Mechanica, to explore her unconventional career journey from Bridgewater Associates to joining a cutting-edge aerospace startup. Ashley shares her philosophy of embracing serendipity, the importance of building strong early teams, and how she navigated the challenges of transitioning into a completely new industry. The conversation dives into the groundbreaking technology being developed at Astro Mechanica and the lessons Ashley has learned about leadership, hiring, and the power of curiosity.Tune in to hear how Ashley’s journey from finance to aerospace is redefining what’s possible in both her career and the world of aviation. Some key moments to listen for: Serendipity as a Strategy: Ashley’s career pivot was driven by a deliberate openness to opportunities. By saying “yes” to new experiences and connections, she found her way into a role she never could have planned for. Feedback is a Gift (Even When It Hurts): Ashley’s time at Bridgewater taught her the value of brutal honesty. Constructive feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable, can be a powerful tool for growth. Touching Metal is Key to America’s Dynamic Resurgence: At Astro Mechanica, being hands-on and physically involved in the work—whether it’s building jet engines or assembling test stands—is a core part of the culture. Hire for Heart, Not Just Resumes: Look for people who are passionate about the mission and willing to go the extra mile. Skills can be taught, but drive and curiosity are harder to instill.Specifically, don't miss the part where Ashley reveals how several people told her she “was not zero-to-one material” and what she did afterwards!Chapters: 00:00 Introductions and ice-breakers08:01 From Hedge Funds to Jet Engines - Ashley's Unconventional Career Journey18:19 El Segundo - the (new) soul of American Dynamism?22:14 Inside Astro Mechanica: Building the Future of Aviation31:24 The 'Zero-to-One' Myth: You Don’t Need Experience to Start from Scratch34:06 The Bridgewater Effect: Brutal Feedback and Building Resilience41:57 Opportunities at Astro Mechanica & Ashley Pelzel’s Contact DetailsQuotes: "At Bridgewater, I felt like a well-trained thoroughbred at the starting stalls of a race. [...] And I found myself asking myself the questions, ‘How far can I run? Where can I go? What can I do?’" – Ashley Pelzel (11:02) "My entire strategy for how I approached the next step of my career after Bridgewater was summed up in one word: serendipity." – Ashley Pelzel (12:43) "Don’t underestimate who you're in the trenches with every day. Who do you want to stay late with?" – Ashley Pelzel (35:13) Links:Smoky Hollow Coffee Rosters: https://www.smokyhollowcoffee.com/Ian Brooks on X: https://x.com/k2pilot“Thank God for El Segundo” by Scott Nolan: https://www.piratewires.com/p/thank-god-for-el-segundoFollow:Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcastApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207 Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f951319c/podcast/rss YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcastMusic by Roman Senyk from PixabayProducer: Shrikant Joshi

Feb 7, 2025 • 46min
The Quiet AI Revolution: Eddie Siegel, Fractional AI CTO talks about Solving Real Problems Behind the AI Hype
On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, Boris and Alexis sit down with Eddie Siegel, the brilliant mind behind Fractional AI, to explore the realities of AI beyond the hype. Eddie shares his unique perspective on how AI is transforming industries, the importance of building strong engineering teams, and the future of AI tools for engineers. From automating mundane tasks to enabling entirely new workflows, Eddie provides a grounded look at the substance behind the buzz. On today's episode, Eddie explains why he thinks…AI is More Than Hype: Real progress is happening in industries that aren’t typically seen as cutting-edge. Companies are using AI to automate manual processes, freeing up employees to focus on higher-value tasks. AI is a Transformational Shift: AI is enabling computers to read, write, and make decisions in ways that were previously impossible, unlocking new workflows and opportunities. Building the Right Team is Critical: At Fractional AI, the interview process simulates real-world challenges, and the team looks for engineers who can thrive in ambiguous, high-pressure environments. AI Tools are Game-Changers for Engineers:Embracing these tools can significantly boost productivity, and engineers who adapt quickly will have a competitive edge. The Future of AI is Verticalized:The real value will come from verticalized solutions that solve specific industry problems, rather than generic AI tools. AI Won’t Replace Jobs, But It Will Transform Them: The goal of Fractional AI’s projects is to help teams achieve 10x more output without increasing headcount. Whether you're an engineer, founder, or just curious about AI, this episode is packed with actionable insights and thought-provoking ideas!Chapters00:00 Introductions & ice-breakers06:03 Is AI Hype or Not-Hype?07:36 Eddie’s Journey From Intern at LiveRamp to AI Visionary at Fractional13:45 "AI Won’t Take Your Job But It WILL Replace The Job Itself!" 18:26 How to Hire New Talent at an AI Company26:32 A Fractional Lens of the Overall AI Market36:44 AI Tools Are Your New Superpower - Adopt Them ASAP!43:45 Eddie’s Contact DetailsConnect with usWebsite:www.1st10.comPodcast:www.1st10.com/podcast Twitterwww.x.com/1st10engineersLinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/1st10/YouTube:www.youtube.com/@1st10podcastMusic byRoman Senyk fromPixabayProducer:Shrikant Joshi

Jan 31, 2025 • 46min
From Mars to Startups: Sailesh Ramakrishnan's Journey in Engineering and Investment
On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger engage in a captivating conversation about the intricacies of building early engineering teams with Sailesh Ramakrishnan, the managing partner at Rocketship Ventures. They dig into the evolution of technology in startups and the transformative power of machine learning and AI in venture capital. Sailesh shares unique insights on global startup trends, the importance of data in identifying outlier companies, and the human element in technology.
Discover some amazing insights about the world of startups and venture capital from Sailesh, such as:
Curiosity Unleashed: Explore the fascinating intersection of technology and human curiosity that drives innovation.
Data Goldmine: Learn about the pivotal role of data in identifying promising startups and trends before they hit the mainstream.
AI Revolution: Understand the evolving landscape of venture capital and how AI is reshaping investment strategies.
Culture of Excellence: Gain insights into the importance of building a strong team culture that attracts top talent.
Tech Frontiers: Uncover the potential of emerging technologies and their implications for future startups.
Experience Matters: Realize the value of hands-on experience in navigating the challenges of building and managing teams.
Specifically, don't miss the part where Sailesh reveals RocketShip’s secret to finding successful startups! (HINT: It requires looking into nearly HALF A PETABYTE of data!)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:57 Mars Rover and the Ingenuity of the Human Race
06:30 Kosmix, Walmart Labs and being prescient about OpenAI
17:44 Rocketship and the connection to the Mars Rover
23:05 The Data-Driven Future of Investing
31:29 A Birds’ Eye View Of The Startup Landscape
38:14 The Best Advice Sailesh Ever Got
43:08 How To Connect With Sailesh Ramakrishnan
Quotes:
"Human beings are one of the few species that have that innate curiosity of knowing what the rest of the universe looks like." - Sailesh Ramakrishnan (06:03)
"We believe more data will always win over better algorithms." - Sailesh Ramakrishnan (17:11)
"The most important thing (that) cannot be manufactured, (that) has to be built, is creating that team." - Sailesh Ramakrishnan (39:09)
“The team that you start off with, when you build the company starting from your zero to first or fifth or 10th employee, is different from the team you need in the 100th or the 200th employee.” - Sailesh Ramakrishnan (40:03)
Follow:
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207
Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast
Links:
Music by Roman Senyk from Pixabay
Producer: Shrikant Joshi

Jan 24, 2025 • 28min
Predictions for 2025: What Founders and Engineers Need to Know Before It's Too Late!
On this episode of the 1st10 podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger share 5 predictions for the future of startups and technology as we begin 2025. They discuss the possibility of a financial boom, the transformative role of artificial intelligence, and the concept of American dynamism, which emphasizes innovation and building great things in America.
Tune in to hear them talk about:
5 Predictions for 2025: Particularly, the impact of American dynamism and how it’s set to fuel a fresh wave of innovation in the tech industry. With a renewed optimism in the air, this year will bring incredible advancements in manufacturing, robotics, AI, and more.
M&A Opportunities: Mergers and acquisitions present compelling business opportunities for early startups. Whether it’s about creating liquidity or amplifying your mission, understanding M&As can be a game-changer for your business.
The Future of AI: The evolving landscape of AI jobs and the increasing demand for full-stack and AI engineers could mean a radical shift the nature and the future of work!
Specifically, don't miss the part where Boris & Alexis discuss a possible future where companies might hire AI-agent engineers!
Chapters
00:00 Introductions
02:36 Prediction no. 5 - Boris Makes A Bold Prediction!
05:47 Prediction no. 4 - SaaS is Dead! Long Live SaaS?
10:32 Prediction no. 3 - Do You Wanna Build an AI Agent?
14:04 Prediction no. 2 - More Money, More… Hiring!
20:02 Prediction no. 1 - American Dynamism FTW!
25:25 Alexis and Boris Take Bets
Quotes:
"There's a lot of excitement around where Bitcoin can go with the sentiment of our administration, the sentiment of global powers that be with regards to its capability." - Boris Epstein (05:21)
"2025 is going to be the year of productivity, I think, for everybody! Like, build an agent to do everything for you!" - Alexis Munger (11:51)
"I think that we're gonna see a lot more teams spring up in Europe, South America, Canada." - Alexis Munger (14:46)
Follow:
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/1st10podcast
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7e8ec9af-f38c-4cd9-8c68-1c1dd4516b 27/1st10-podcast
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1st10-podcast/id1760411207
Podcast: https://www.1st10.com/podcast
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast
Links:
Music by Roman Senyk from Pixabay
Producer: Shrikant Joshi

Jan 17, 2025 • 36min
Tough Truths of Early-Stage Hiring: 6 Lessons From 2024
On the first episode of the second season of the 1st10 podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger share valuable insights on the critical lessons they learned during the past year helping early-stage startups build early engineering teams. They discuss the challenges of attracting talent, the importance of recruiting skills for founders, and the realities of hiring full stack engineers. Boris and Alexis explore a diverse array of topics such as the need for passion in candidates and the evolving landscape of startup hiring, providing valuable insights for founders and hiring managers alike.
On today's episode, Boris and Alexis discuss:
Why Attracting Talent is So Challenging - Founders often underestimate the complexities involved in attracting top talent, which goes beyond just posting job descriptions.
How Much The Recruiting Ability of Founders Matters - It is essential for founders to invest in improving these abilities.
The Myth of the Full Stack Engineer - Startups might - just might - be better off hiring specialists…
Good Talent is NOT on LinkedIn - The world has changed and so have the social media habits of young talented engineers…
The Ultimate Matchmaker - As important as technical skills are for the right hire, there is something equally important a candidate MUST have to be the perfect hire!
Don't miss the part where Boris talks about why candidates shouldn't be reluctant to leave big companies!
Chapters
00:00 - Introductions
02:11 - Lesson no. 6 - The Hardest Thing You Will Do as a Founder…
07:09 - Lesson no. 5 - How Good is the Founder?!
09:45 - Lesson no. 4 - What Does “Full Stack Engineer” Even Mean?!
17:15 - Lesson no. 3 - Where DO You Look for Good Talent?
19:50 - Lesson no. 2 - “Can I please, uh, NOT?”
25:06 - Lesson no. 1 - The MOST Important Thing Needed For The PERFECT Hire!
32:05 - Recap and conclusion

Oct 2, 2024 • 42min
#10, Tigran Sloyan, CodeSignal Founder: Looking Beyond The Resume To Decode The Startup Talent Dilemma
On this milestone tenth episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger interview the founder and CEO of CodeSignal, Tigran Sloyan. They discuss Tigran's journey from Armenia, to MIT, to founding CodeSignal. Tigran also shares some incredible insights on identifying great early engineers for startups, and his perspectives on the recruiting industry.
On today's episode, XYZ talks about:
Helping Kids To Learn Better - "The current funnel, the way it's designed, it doesn't cater to the different learning-styles. And it just sort of fails everybody involved because you try to cater to everyone while in the process failing everyone." - Tigran Sloyan (11:12)
Personality Is Not A Type - "I think most people misunderstand personality as a type, especially since things like Myers-Briggs popularized typing people, which makes it easy for us to think about, but it's always (A) it depends and it's a spectrum." - Tigran Sloyan (20:48)
Be Aware of your Own Biases - "We're biased about many, many, many things because we try to create the shortcuts! And it's part of everyone's growth to be aware of their biases and try to keep them in check in places where it's going to hurt them and their business." - Tigran Sloyan (29:44)
Recruitment is a ‘Matching Problem’ - "You've got to remember that it's a matching problem, right? Not a one-way street. I see so many people show up to interviews and think like, 'If I can only like represent myself in the best light...' And they forget that it's a matching problem, as in you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you!" - Tigran Sloyan (33:03)
Do not miss Tigran's advice on recruitment -- for both founders hiring engineers and engineers looking to join -- early stage startups!
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction & Teaser
04:30 - Tigran Sloyan's Journey from Armenia to CodeSignal
11:42 - Attributes of Great Early Engineers
15:46 - Building CodeSignal - Mistakes, Corrections, and Luck
19:15 - Spotting Good Signal in Resumes
23:13 - About CodeSignal and Its Mission
27:18 - Early Stage Hiring - Bias, Weak Signals, and Advice
35:54 - Recruiting & The Importance of Psychology
38:38 - Conclusion
Connect with us
Website: www.1st10.com
Podcast: www.1st10.com/podcast
Twitter www.x.com/1st10engineers
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/1st10/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast
Links:
Tigran Sloyan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tigransloyan
CodeSignal: https://codesignal.com/
Music by Roman Senyk from PixabayProducer: Shrikant Joshi

Sep 27, 2024 • 48min
#9, Andrew Munn, Lindy.ai Software Leader: Insight Into the Risk and Reward of Early Stage Startups
On the ninth episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger interview Andrew Munn, who's currently a senior engineering manager at Lindy.ai. Andrew shares some wonderful insights from his decade-long career in tech, spanning major companies like Facebook, Uber, and Nextdoor. He discusses his journey from internships at 3 of the 5 FAANG companies, his experiences with different corporate cultures, and his decision to join and later lead engineering teams at different startups.
Here are some of the hidden takeaways from the episode:
Product vs Distribution - "The best apps are inherently viral. They have their own distribution mechanism." (13:30)
Late-stage vs Early Stage - "Maybe late stage companies are the sweet spot for impact because you're big enough to have a real product and so you're actually impacting people's lives out there. But you're not so big that you're just a tiny little cog in a big machine. You can still make big changes." - Andrew Munn (23:17)
Size vs Speed - "Small, high-performing teams will outperform a large mediocre team any day. And that is also the only reason why startups have a chance." - Andrew Munn (32:35)
Don't miss the super-fun segment we designed specially for Andrew, called "Andrew, Why Do You Hate This?!" because it resulted in a mind-blowing revelation about selfies and selfie-cameras!
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
04:46 - Early Career, Internship, and First Job at Facebook
08:35 - Transition to Trove, and Early Startup Experience
15:38 - Moving From Trove to Nextdoor
20:12 - Comparison of Late Stage and Early Stage Companies
24:00 - Reasons For Going Back To Early Stage
32:07 - Building High Performing Teams
34:00 - Advice To Founders And Early Engineers
41:05 - A Fun Segment About Andrew's Pet Peeves
46:04 - Conclusion
Connect with us
Website: www.1st10.com
Podcast: www.1st10.com/podcast
Twitter www.x.com/1st10engineers
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/1st10/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@1st10podcast
Links:
Andrew's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmunn/
Lindy Careers: https://www.lindy.ai/careers
Andrew's X/Twitter Profile: https://x.com/AndrewMunn
Music by Roman Senyk from Pixabay
Producer: Shrikant Joshi