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Introduction to Ben Silbermann
Ali Rani introduces Ben Silbermann, co-founder and CEO of Pinterest, at Startup School SV 2016. The segment sets the stage for a discussion about Ben's entrepreneurial journey and experiences leading up to Pinterest, highlighting his diverse background and the excitement surrounding his presence.
"good morning nice to see everyone here uh my name is Ali Rani uh I'm a partner at yator uh I run our late stage fund it's called the uh W combinator continuity fund and I'm uh I couldn't be happier to..."
From Aspiring Doctor to Entrepreneur
Ben Silbermann shares his early life growing up in Iowa, initially aspiring to be a doctor like his family. He discusses his time at Yale, where he shifted from premed to political science, and how his exposure to the internet sparked his interest in technology and entrepreneurship.
"Ben thank you for coming thanks for having me wow there are a lot of people right A lot of people and it's very bright lights smokes um Ben let me just start first by asking you to tell us a little bi..."
The Internet's Transformative Power
Silbermann reflects on the transformative experience of having a laptop with high-speed internet during college. He expresses his fascination with the internet's potential to democratize access to information and how it inspired him to think about solving problems through technology.
"along that line um I thought geez I don't know if medicine is for me and I feel like medicine is one of those professions where if you think that you actually know that um and uh and so I just you kno..."
Early Ventures and Experimentation
Ben discusses his early ventures while working at a consulting firm, where he experimented with building small projects online. He shares anecdotes about creating a tool for trying on glasses virtually and helping a friend's band promote themselves, emphasizing his curiosity and playful approach to entrepreneurship.
"drop out you got your degree you graduated and then you took you didn't start a company right away is that right no um you know I I decided not to be a doctor my parents were like okay well better fig..."
Learning to Build Without Technical Skills
Silbermann talks about overcoming his lack of technical skills by collaborating with friends and learning product design and coding as needed. He emphasizes the importance of having a tangible project to motivate learning, rather than studying in an abstract way.
"more more playing with things than than just sort of focusing on building a serious company now you're clearly creative you clearly had a sense of like the internet could be something interesting to s..."
The Leap to Entrepreneurship
Ben recounts his decision to leave his job at Google to pursue entrepreneurship full-time, spurred by encouragement from his girlfriend. He reflects on the challenges of transitioning from a stable job to starting his own company and the excitement of finally committing to his ideas.
"it uh when did you or how did you decide okay I'm gonna now uh leave uh my job and jump and commit fully to starting a company you know it was a while um so when I was in DC um I was like always readi..."
First Steps in Building a Company
After leaving Google, Silbermann teamed up with friends to create a tool for gathering medical records. He shares the challenges faced when the team disbanded and how he pivoted to building products for the newly released iPhone, leading to the creation of a shopping app called Tote.
"advice yeah so so you left Google what was the first thing you tried to build well immediately when I left um I hooked up with some friends of mine and uh I was still interested in medicine I had kind..."
Fundraising Challenges and Early Success
Ben discusses the difficulties of raising funds for Tote during the economic downturn of 2008. He shares his experience of entering business plan competitions to secure initial funding, highlighting the resourcefulness and determination required to get his startup off the ground.
"first time you'd raised money for tote it was the first time that i' been in charge of raising the money and done it really formally and um it was a total show uh to be honest uh you know the other p..."
Building the Tote App
Silbermann explains how he and his co-founder used their initial funding to hire engineers and develop the Tote app. He describes the slow process of iPhone app development and the anticipation of launching their product, setting the stage for future entrepreneurial endeavors.
"amazing and there were two of you at the time y there what so what did you do with the money did you go out and hire some people uh we did we we paid uh the the awesome Engineers that were helping us ..."
Creating for Ourselves
Reflecting on the inception of Pinterest, Silbermann explains that the initial motivation was to create a tool that they themselves would find useful. He emphasizes the importance of personal interest in product development and how their curiosity shaped the platform's early direction.
"getting done and we thought it was really cool um and so we thought hey let's put this thing out into the world um and that was sort of how the switch over happened so when you reflect back and think ..."
Finding Early Users
Silbermann recounts the challenges of attracting early users to Pinterest. He describes their scrappy marketing efforts, including reaching out to bloggers and organizing events to introduce the service, highlighting the importance of community engagement in the early growth phase.
"little bit about like trying to Market it and being Scrappy about that can you talk about that yeah so so we released it and you know I did probably what everyone does like the first thing you do is y..."
Lessons from Early Adoption
In this segment, Silbermann reflects on the misconceptions about early adopters and the diverse backgrounds of Pinterest's initial users. He shares insights on the importance of user feedback and the need to adapt to the evolving user base, emphasizing a user-centric approach to product development.
"but you know in between I mean we did all kinds of honestly like pretty desperate things uh like uh I used to walk home and I was in pal and I'd walk by the Apple Store and I would like stand in the A..."
Scaling User Engagement
Silbermann discusses how Pinterest scaled its user engagement as the platform grew. He explains the establishment of a research team to understand diverse user needs and the balance between data analysis and intuitive judgment in product development, showcasing the evolution of their user engagement strategy.
"made I and then I think there was a lesson in really taking care of users and so all the time um you know I would sit in coffee shops and ask people to try this service and just try to watch them and ..."
Recognizing Potential
Silbermann reflects on the gradual realization of Pinterest's potential for growth. He shares a pivotal moment when an investor encouraged him to envision the platform's grand possibilities, illustrating the importance of mindset in entrepreneurship and the journey of building a successful startup.
"right so from those early days how long did it take before you thought you were onto something that could be really really big that you'd built something that could be useful for lots and lots of peop..."
Attracting the Right Talent
Silbermann shares insights on attracting talent to Pinterest, emphasizing the importance of creating a compelling venture rather than guaranteeing success. He recounts how informal gatherings helped recruit passionate individuals who aligned with the company's vision.
"company um we did a little bit more money from some of the Angel Investors um but we also were not spending very much money so the team was incredibly small yeah how small uh I think it was like five ..."
Building a Team of Builders
Silbermann reflects on the characteristics of early Pinterest hires, focusing on their passion for building and creativity. He highlights the value of diverse backgrounds and how these traits contributed to the company's innovative culture.
"to to get the resources you need whether they're they're talented people or whether they're users or whether they're pieces of technology to then achieve uh and build the product and service that you ..."
Evolving Product Vision
In this segment, Silbermann discusses how Pinterest's core problems remain relevant while the ambition for the platform has expanded. He envisions Pinterest as a comprehensive catalog of ideas, personalized for each user, enhancing the discovery process.
"going to be this apartment because if people see it they're definitely going to know that we haven't made it yet um but if we throw barbecues there they're going to know we're we're cool people I mean..."
The Role of Technology in Personalization
Silbermann elaborates on the potential of Pinterest to help users discover ideas tailored to their preferences. He contrasts Pinterest's approach with other services that provide objective answers, emphasizing the platform's goal of fostering personal exploration.
"Engineers he was actually a cartoonist um that that stopped cartooning and became an engineer and that kind of became the calling card of a lot of our early folks um people that were almost Outsiders ..."
Overcoming Challenges and Self-Doubt
Silbermann shares personal experiences of discouragement during Pinterest's growth, including technical challenges and moments of self-doubt. He reflects on the importance of resilience and learning from mistakes in the entrepreneurial journey.
"that's that's kind of my dream but then how we're doing it I couldn't have imagined um one of the great perks of starting a company is that you get to hire people that are way better than you in all t..."
The Value of Mentorship
In this closing segment, Silbermann discusses the significance of mentorship in his career. He reflects on how guidance from experienced entrepreneurs has shaped his approach to leadership and navigating the challenges of building Pinterest.
"do something uh soon I was like it's not not the most inspiring thing I mean there there all these moments but I think you just kind of keep going uh and and one of the one of the real privileges that..."
Learning Through Experience
In this segment, Ben Silbermann talks about the importance of learning from failures and seeking advice from experienced entrepreneurs. He acknowledges that running a larger company requires a shift in mindset and emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adaptation.
"than avoiding errors at any given point got it I want to ask you about mentors and mentorship um are there mentors that you have uh relied on have they made a difference and how did you find them um a..."
Evolving Leadership Responsibilities
Silbermann reflects on how his role has changed as Pinterest grew from a small startup to a larger organization. He discusses the need for clarity in vision and culture, as well as the importance of effective communication and management skills in leading a diverse team.
"and in in starting companies just like anything else you learn by trying and failing and you learn by talking to people that that might have succeeded before you yeah how has your job changed and your..."
Balancing Product Involvement
In this segment, Ben Silbermann explains his ongoing involvement in product decisions at Pinterest. He emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions and trusting his team to execute, marking a crucial transition for founders as they scale their companies.
"talking to lots of people that's changed uh when we were really small when we would get press inqueries I I was a pretty introverted person so I just wouldn't reply or I'd be like we're busy that was ..."
Building a Diverse Company Culture
Silbermann discusses the values that shape Pinterest's culture, focusing on diversity and user obsession. He believes that a diverse team leads to better products and emphasizes the importance of hiring individuals from varied backgrounds to foster innovation and creativity.
"product Vision got it have one last question for you and it's a it's a squishy one I wanted to wanted to ask you about culture at a company or an organization um and for you at Pinterest you know what..."