a16z Partner Seema Amble talks with MongoDB and Viam co-founder Eliot Horowitz about building sustainable open source software tools. From challenging Oracle to building the de facto cloud-based database management tool, Horowitz outlines MongoDB’s early go-to-market strategies, approach to community building, and enterprise sales motion. This episode provides detailed tips on creating solutions for the developer community, building trust amongst enterprises, and successfully scaling a business supported by the open source community.

01:18-03:42 Why open source is a strategic business decision

3:42:6:03 Product development strategy + making developers’ lives easier

6:03-08:24 MongoDB strategy of building community through meetups

08:24-10:49 The five-second rule for developer products

10:49-13:09 How MongoDB used meetups to fuel growth

13:09-15:35 The importance of getting people excited about your product

15:35-19:29 MongoDB’s enterprise sales strategy

19:28-20:26 MongoDB’s recruiting strategy

20:26-25:12 Open source customers vs. users, adoption patterns

25:12-27:35 The evolution of enterprise deals and building trust through demos

27:35-32:23 Product communication strategies and tactics

32:23-39:37 Managing customers and building long-term relationships

39:37-40:16 Outro

a16z Partner Seema Amble connects with Zapier co-founder Wade Foster about the company’s founding and GTM success utilizing a product-led growth (PLG) strategy. Chock-full of actionable insights, this episode explores Zapier’s product strategy, customer experience, and how the team built a sustainable growth engine that enabled them to reach profitability within three years. Foster also provides valuable guidance on brand strategy and how creating an unconventional “weird” brand helped Zapier differentiate from competitors.

1:15-2:05 Zapier's origin story
2:05-3:13 Initial product idea
3:13-5:06 Finding product-market fit and YC
5:06-7:43 How Zapier found their early customers
7:43-10:15 Strategic approach to identifying services to integrate
10:15-13:28 Identifying customer needs and optimizing onboarding
13:28-16:10 Developing a scalable customer acquisition strategy
16:10-19:07 Guidance on building a successful self-serve product
19:07:23:52 Early pricing experiments and brand evolution
23:53-27:04 Early hiring strategy
27:04-29:59 Reflecting on Zapier’s brand identity and product strategy
29:59-31:19 Advice for founders regarding customer acquisition and GTM
31:19-31:59 Outro

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should not be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see

a16z.com/disclosures

.

In this episode, a16z Partner Seema Amble chats with Tomer London, co-founder of Gusto, about establishing product-market fit and product discovery. London shares how Gusto, now valued at ~$10 billion with 300,000+ customers, identified early customers who could provide valuable feedback that helped the team optimize the self-service product experience. The conversation explores Gusto's approach to product development, as well as managing and incorporating customer feedback while maintaining a clear product vision.

1:18-3:14 Gusto’s founding story
3:14- 4:56 Solidifying a GTM sales strategy
4:56-10:03 Identifying early customers and perfecting the sales pitch
10:03-12:45 Working with customers to optimize the product UX
12:45-14:31 Engendering trust and finding success with accountants
14:31-16:41 The role accountants planned in Gusto’s success
16:41-19:34 Creating a feedback funnel and balancing product vision
19:34-22:38 Self-service strategy and measuring success
22:38- 23:45 Refining the UX at scale
23:45-25:45 Identifying real-world use cases to inform product strategy
25:45-29:52 GTM learnings and advice
29:52-30:05 Outro

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should not be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.