Parker Conrad's Billion Dollar Startup Lessons: Do unscalable things, then scale them (part 1)

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  • Опубликовано: 13 июн 2024
  • Today we're going to hang out with Parker Conrad. He created Rippling. He's one of the best product-focused CEO's I've ever met. Today he's going to share some of the most hard-won startup lessons that I've ever heard. And he hasn't talked about it anywhere else.
    Hear about his startup journey
    ☠️ Spending 7 years grinding it out on a startup that wasn't working
    🧨 Finding product market fit by doing the unscalable
    💎 Getting it right with Rippling: Using software to actually scale operations
    Read the full transcript here: blog.garrytan.com/parker-conr...
    Learn more about Rippling at rippling.com
    Follow Parker on Twitter at / parkerconrad
    I’m Garry Tan, venture capitalist and cofounder at Initialized Capital. We were earliest investors in billion dollar startups like Coinbase and Instacart, and we’re spending time with some of our best founders to learn the secrets of their success and see the future they’re building. I’m doing my own run-and-gun one man RUclips channel with no staff or crew - we're going for raw and unfiltered, not perfect.
    Please like this video and subscribe to my channel if you want to see more videos like this!

Комментарии • 72

  • @andresbf830
    @andresbf830 4 года назад +42

    "Start with the problem that you have and look for the right way to solve it, rather than technology searching for a solution"
    "Make something people want, do unscalable things, and actually scale it"
    This is so elegantly well said, and so fundamentally true ... Thank you Garry and Parker! ♥️🚀

  • @ArnoldGelacio
    @ArnoldGelacio 4 года назад +27

    A solution in search of a problem... exactly what I did as an engineer trying to start my first startup many many years ago. I know better now. Looking forward to learning YC ways in Startup School.

  • @nickel
    @nickel 4 года назад +19

    Been a few years since I last saw you but glad to see you're putting RUclips content out now, just subscribed! :)

  • @owenlee9474
    @owenlee9474 3 года назад +2

    Thank you 😊 have been working at my "startup" for 4 years now. Learning alot from your channel to make it work

  • @kesavakirupadinakaran2250
    @kesavakirupadinakaran2250 4 года назад +3

    Truly appreciate this type of content, Garry. :)

  • @towersroofinginc422
    @towersroofinginc422 4 года назад +3

    Another great video! Thank you for including the transcript, for some reason youtube is not working for me right now.

  • @lakshaithani268
    @lakshaithani268 3 года назад +3

    Great insights from Parker Conrad. Thanks Garry for bringing this content to us!!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @waltondornisch7662
    @waltondornisch7662 3 года назад

    So very smooth, so educational

  • @fyodorio
    @fyodorio 3 месяца назад

    Nice, clever, and practically wise guy, kudos 👍

  • @jonyeazel
    @jonyeazel 3 года назад

    Love your channel Gary. Really high level stuff.

  • @Redant1Redant
    @Redant1Redant 4 года назад +3

    “Me and 40 engineers and no one else “ (!). Uh, that 41people. That’s a huge team!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +2

      Yes it’s unusual. $17M seed round.
      But that’s what happens when you build a unicorn in 24 months for your 2nd startup, then leave and have the ability to do it again without any of the prior mistakes.

  • @stopinvadingmyprivacy8375
    @stopinvadingmyprivacy8375 Год назад

    Love Parker and am a customer. Have met him in person and was super impressed. Hope someone close to him can advise him to take better care of his health -- his weight has ballooned and I'm genuinely worried for him! Take care of yourself, friend. We want you to stick around.

  • @alexjahani2853
    @alexjahani2853 6 месяцев назад

    preparing for an interview at rippling right now and rly appreciating these videos!

  • @rjyoungling220
    @rjyoungling220 3 года назад +4

    Watching this again. So much useful information here. (Also, started learning how to code cuz of you.)

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +1

      Great to hear! It will pay off massively.

  • @mohamedabdul633
    @mohamedabdul633 3 года назад +2

    This channel is the great place for people like me who's looking to start a startup. Thanks

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +1

      That’s my hope!

  • @sandieman
    @sandieman 4 года назад +2

    Finally solid video storytelling in San Francisco!

  • @zando5108
    @zando5108 2 года назад

    its great listening to each of these origin stories!

  • @YoannBuzenet
    @YoannBuzenet 4 года назад +1

    I'll definitely be there next week !

  • @TheMiningStore
    @TheMiningStore 4 года назад +7

    appreciate these... especially the transcript!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +2

      Thanks for watching!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад

      Rev.com captions

  • @leeackerson2579
    @leeackerson2579 4 года назад +4

    Parker is absolutely right, not only do most startups not follow their business plan, many don't actually end up in the exact same business they started out in. I once talked with the principal at a large VC firm and he told me they once did a study of all the startups they had invested in over a 7 year period and NONE of them really followed the business plan they had originally brought to the VC.

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +1

      Oh interesting. I think our pivot rate is maybe 25%

  • @rajatbansal512
    @rajatbansal512 3 года назад +1

    Wish this was longer man. Amazing stuff!!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +3

      Luckily there is Part 2!

    • @rajatbansal512
      @rajatbansal512 3 года назад +2

      @@GarryTan Ya saw that but I wish there were more joe rogan style 3 hours conversation with silicon valley guys , that would be amazing. .

  • @kushalkamra3803
    @kushalkamra3803 2 года назад

    Thanks Garry 👍

  • @edguerrera8944
    @edguerrera8944 3 года назад +9

    Have a feeling decentralization of large business and creating similar companies with more sustainable honorable practices
    you name it big Pharmaceutical is crashing hard big food and personal favorite big oil is why we started Hemp Fuel Group 2017 👊

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +1

      Lots to do isn't there?

  • @playgemji
    @playgemji 3 года назад +1

    Useful video indeed. Love the YC stories.

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @nuperspektive
    @nuperspektive 3 года назад

    Best channel on RUclips 🔥🔥🔥

  • @brandonxochoa
    @brandonxochoa 3 года назад +1

    Applying tech solutions to my CPG!

  • @thenewschoolpodcastwithchr7
    @thenewschoolpodcastwithchr7 4 года назад +3

    Hey Garry, I LOVE your youtube channel and am so impressed that it's a one man shop. I recently launched a podcast (also doing all the work) and am looking into taping videos as well for future episodes. I am confused how you get close ups for you and your guests and two person shots. Are you bringing three cameras to achieve this?

    • @PeterSu
      @PeterSu 4 месяца назад

      Gl with the podcast! Most likely is 3 cameras on tripods (wide, shot of host, shot of guest).

  • @juliusurban8575
    @juliusurban8575 4 года назад +1

    Great Video! I would love to hear the content on the go. Any plans on releasing the Audio as a Podcast?

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад

      I decided to do transcripts on my blog, instead and focus on video.

  • @jagathbn8483
    @jagathbn8483 3 года назад +2

    Hey Tan,
    Your videos are far more informative than every other videos ever seen!!
    Keep Going!! I am really greatful to you contribution here.
    Thanks,
    Jagath

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад

      I appreciate that!

  • @matthewl.5085
    @matthewl.5085 3 года назад +19

    Parker doesn't want to be interrupted 😂

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +10

      LOL yes sorry, this was one of my earlier interviews and I wasn't as good at just letting people talk :-)

  • @ahmedbehairy9040
    @ahmedbehairy9040 4 года назад +3

    Great content Garry, quick q though; When do you go lean and when do you go the Rippling-way?

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +3

      Lean for the first time. Fat if you have been successful before.

    • @andresbf830
      @andresbf830 4 года назад

      yes, lean until you find product-market fit, and once you find it, all-in , right?

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +3

      Andrés BF Arguably fat when you think you have a lot of competitors and want to eat their lunch.

  • @nranand
    @nranand 4 года назад +3

    Great video Gary and Patrick is awesome. But do you think he could have raised $17m upfront seed round as a first time founder? i.e. If he didn't do zenefits.

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  4 года назад +5

      Probably not! He built Zenefits from zero to $70M annual revenue in less than 2 years so that helped a lot.

  • @kumodee1
    @kumodee1 4 года назад +2

    Came here from Linkedin

  • @FaisalWirakusuma
    @FaisalWirakusuma 4 года назад +5

    Time to go productive, Garry!

  • @mxmoritz
    @mxmoritz 4 года назад +2

    🚀
    Looking forward to part 2!
    Great opportunity to subscribe and hit that 🔔 so I won't miss it 😂

  • @tonymendestv
    @tonymendestv 3 года назад +1

    Let the dude speak ! LOL 😝

  • @afriday11
    @afriday11 7 месяцев назад

    Raise $17m, hire 40 engineers, release it and customers will flock to use your product… exactly the opposite to the YC way. That said, rules are meant to be broken.

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  7 месяцев назад +1

      Advanced techniques not meant for broad use but there is no one size fit all path to PMF

  • @anukrw
    @anukrw 3 года назад +1

    Mate you REALLY need to stop interrupting him. Just some constructive criticism.!

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +1

      This was one of my first interviews. I have gotten better since.

  • @nexovec
    @nexovec 3 года назад +4

    This channel getting so little attention is a total joke

    • @GarryTan
      @GarryTan  3 года назад +5

      All in good time, friend!

    • @nexovec
      @nexovec 3 года назад

      ​@@GarryTan Considering your production quality and virality of entrepreneurship videos globally, I'm certain that you're getting demoted by the Algorithm unjustly based on something totally irrelevant. Consider trying out different thumbnail, title and description styles, instead of sticking to the usual stuff, might help. Cheers!

    • @jamesclerkin9918
      @jamesclerkin9918 2 года назад

      @@GarryTan it’s amazing u give this content away for free

  • @ReflectionOcean
    @ReflectionOcean 13 дней назад

    By YouSum Live
    00:01:09 Rippling automates admin work for seamless employee life cycles.
    00:02:25 Initial startup failures led to pivotal lessons and perseverance.
    00:04:01 Identifying untapped market needs drives successful startup ventures.
    00:07:06 Scaling a business faster than engineering support can hinder growth.
    00:07:27 Manual processes hinder automation and increase error rates.
    00:08:01 Pushing boundaries and challenging limitations fosters company growth.
    00:08:47 Overexpansion without addressing underlying issues can lead to downfall.
    00:09:00 Monitoring and adjusting growth strategies prevent rapid decline.
    00:10:14 Maintaining healthy gross margins is crucial for investor confidence.
    00:11:04 Building a software-centric company eliminates manual errors and ensures stability.
    00:11:56 Strategic investment and focus on software development drive success.
    00:12:49 Aligning product development with market needs ensures sustained growth.
    00:14:19 Prioritizing solving real problems over technology leads to startup success.
    By YouSum Live