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Tom Preston Werner at Startup School 2012
17 segments available
Tom Preston-Werner, founder of GitHub, at Y Combinator Startup School on October 20, 2012. Presented in Stanford Memorial Auditorium by Y Combinator and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program.
Segments Timeline
The Wrong Question About Funding
Tom Preston-Werner opens his talk by addressing the common question entrepreneurs ask about raising large amounts of funding, specifically $100 million like GitHub did. He argues that this focus on money is misguided, emphasizing that what truly matters in entrepreneurship goes beyond financial figures.
"hi everyone it's awesome to be back here was here in 2010 two years ago lot's changed since then I'm actually going to put this on the ground this is my timer you see part of being a founder of a comp..."
Decisions Define a Company
In this segment, Tom asserts that a company is defined by the decisions it makes, which are made by people. He stresses the importance of having the right people in a startup, sharing insights from GitHub's early days and the complementary skills of its founders.
"I'm not actually going to tell you how to do that I'm going to tell you something different and I think that's because at the end of the day money isn't actually what matters money is irrelevant what ..."
Building a Team with Complementary Skills
Tom shares the story of how he and his co-founder Chris Wroth complemented each other's skills to build GitHub. He discusses the importance of assembling a diverse team with varied expertise, including hiring their first employee who was a Git expert to enhance their product.
"that it makes okay decisions are made by people okay with me so far so the only thing that matters are people okay people are the only thing that matters and those people then had better be the right ..."
Signs of Traction in Startups
Tom explains how GitHub knew they were gaining traction when potential customers expressed a desire to pay for the product before it was even available. He emphasizes the significance of customer interest and the importance of building a billing system early on.
"just started hacking on it on the side side project but then shortly thereafter and here's here's a little tidbit about how can you tell whether your startup idea is actually gaining traction how is i..."
Learning from Bad Experiences
Reflecting on the backgrounds of GitHub's founders, Tom discusses how their previous experiences in poorly run companies informed their approach to building GitHub. He highlights the value of understanding what not to do in order to create a successful startup.
"repositories so again through meetups we met Scott we talked to him we talked to him about product about how he would go about building things and he was the one that built gist which is the snippet s..."
The Importance of Team Dynamics
Tom emphasizes the critical nature of team dynamics in a startup. He advises founders to ensure they are aligned with their co-founders and to evaluate any conflicts seriously, as effective collaboration is essential for progress.
"you might as a as a person starting out think well how are we going to solve this problem well let's let's hire an executive because they know what they're doing now you have two problems here's here'..."
Hiring Challenges and Culture Fit
In this segment, Tom discusses the challenges of hiring the right people for a startup. He shares a personal experience of having to let go of an early salesperson due to a lack of cultural fit, underscoring the importance of aligning hires with the company's values.
"perspective on things to not do actually so getting experience elsewhere not so bad right a lot of great people that start startups had a bunch of full-time jobs before that I had five I had five full..."
Embracing Flexibility in Roles
Tom reflects on the evolving roles within a startup as it matures. He describes his early role as a 'janitor' fixing issues and emphasizes the need for flexibility in titles and responsibilities during the initial stages of a company.
"to be the kind of person that can do that when it needs to get done and as your company matures and you go through these different phases things are going to change your role is going to drastically c..."
The Power of Team Diversity
Tom discusses the diverse skill sets of GitHub's founding team and how their different perspectives contributed to the company's success. He encourages startups to consider the mix of personalities and skills when building their teams.
"so for us I if I look at the the different people who are in the company in the early days and why we've been able to stay together as a team all four of us are still there today 5 years later I'm sor..."
Design as a Core Component
In this segment, Tom stresses the importance of design in product development. He argues that a well-designed product enhances user experience and should be a priority for startups, likening it to the intuitive design of automobiles.
"audience but wait customers don't interact with people not when you're building a product so how can they be the most important thing product is actually the only thing that matters ah things are gett..."
Focus Over Features
Tom shares insights on product development, emphasizing that startups should prioritize focus over adding numerous features. He warns against diluting a product's effectiveness by overcomplicating it with unnecessary additions.
"just get in you can drive it off the steering wheel's here this pedal makes you go and this pedal makes you stop that's the product and what you exclude from your product is just as important is what ..."
Crafting a Clear Mission
Tom discusses the evolution of GitHub's mission from simplifying Git hosting to enhancing developers' lives. He emphasizes the need for startups to articulate a clear and concise mission that guides their growth and product development.
"as they want if you screw up your design then you screw up your product so make sure that one of your co-founders is design-minded for us it was me if you're going to do a startup and you're thinking ..."
Choosing the Right Path for Growth
Tom reflects on the choices startups face regarding growth and scaling. He encourages entrepreneurs to start with a manageable problem and gradually expand their vision, sharing GitHub's journey from a simple repository hosting service to a broader collaboration platform.
"we have now is what we call making it easier to work together than to work alone you'll see that it's completely divorced from software altogether and so I will actually answer your question what are ..."
The Importance of Product Quality
In this segment, Tom highlights the significance of product quality over market timing. He uses examples from the tech industry to illustrate how great products can succeed despite a crowded market, reinforcing the idea that product excellence is paramount.
"make I like to think about it like the TV show Lost how many of you have seen that show lots of you have seen that show yes I think the saddest thing in the world is a squandered opportunity and that'..."
The Role of Philosophy in Startups
Tom introduces the concept of philosophy as a guiding principle for startups. He explains how the culture and values of a company shape its decisions and ultimately its success, emphasizing that philosophy is as crucial as people and product.
"that matters so you Center section on account of three please help me in saying this phrase 1 2 3 product is all that matters but wait products only come into being when people make decisions like we ..."
Core Values of GitHub
Tom outlines the five core values that guide GitHub's culture: optimizing for happiness, best argument wins, working from first principles, creating super fans, and being awesome. He explains how these values help attract the right talent and foster a positive work environment.
"if you do those things if you optimize for happiness my theory is that profits will result naturally and it puts you on the right path to do things that matter number two best argument wins this means..."
The Interconnectedness of People, Product, and Philosophy
In the closing segment, Tom emphasizes that people, product, and philosophy are inseparable elements of a successful startup. He reiterates that mastering these three components is essential for entrepreneurs seeking to raise significant funding and achieve lasting impact.
"decisions and since decisions are how make people make products the philosophy that guides those decisions is all that matters so please third segment of the audience on three one two 3 philosophy is ..."