The Statsig team had a great time participating in Seattle Tech Week hosted by Madrona. There were so many fantastic opportunities to connect with the local community, but we’re going to be a little biased as to say that our event was our favorite.

We brought our roadshow, A/B Talks, to Seattle for a special Founders addition. Our CEO, Vijaye, sat down with Linda Lian, CEO of Common Room, Jared Roesch, CTO of OctoAI, and Justin Uberti, CTO of Fixie.ai to talk about their journeys to the title of founder.

Each shared their unique experiences, offering valuable perspectives on the startup journey. 

Key Insights from the Discussion 

1. The Path to Founding a Company 

• Linda discussed her transition from investment banking to startups, emphasizing the importance of diverse experiences. 

• Jared shared OctoAI’s origins in a shared interest in machine learning and the journey from academia to entrepreneurship. 

• Justin recounted his career shift after witnessing the potential of AI, particularly inspired by early demonstrations of GPT-3. 

2. Early Challenges and Triumphs 

• The panelists highlighted the chaotic early days of their startups, from naming companies to setting up Wi-Fi routers.  

• Linda emphasized the critical importance of assembling a strong, aligned founding team. 

• Jared and Justin underscored the necessity of focus and the value of having clear goals, even in the face of uncertainty. 

3. Building the Right Team 

• The panelists agreed on the importance of hiring individuals who align with the company’s values and culture. 

• They discussed the challenge of balancing equity and competitive salaries to attract top talent, especially from established companies. 

4. Core Values and Vision 

• Each founder spoke about the evolution of their company’s values and the importance of a clear vision. 

• Linda introduced the Vision to Values framework, which has been pivotal in guiding Common Room through various pivots. 

• Jared and Justin highlighted the significance of a customer-focused culture and maintaining technical excellence. 

5. Audience Interaction and Key Takeaways 

• During the Q&A, the founders shared counterintuitive strategies that led to success, such as asking for money early from customers to validate product-market fit and knowing when to say no to misaligned customers. 

The A/B Talks: Seattle event was a great source of practical advice and inspiration for entrepreneurs. We want to thank everyone who came out for the event and to our amazing panelists who shared their stories.

Catch the full conversation on-demand:

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