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Jean Lee

01/03/24

@ EO

The success of WhatsApp was key to holding on to our values during our transition from 20 million to 1.2 billion users, supported by a unique engineering culture that focuses on simplicity and prioritizes core features over many tasks.

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Advice from the Top 1% of Software Engineer | Exaltitude Jean Lee

@ EO

Advice from the Top 1% of Software Engineer | Exaltitude Jean Lee

01/03/24

Related Takeaways

Jean Lee

01/03/24

@ EO

Simplicity through prioritization was key to WhatsApp's success, especially during its acquisition by Facebook for $19 billion.

Jean Lee

01/03/24

@ EO

I was the 19th engineer to join WhatsApp, and we had around 20 million users at that time, which grew to 1.2 billion active monthly users by the time I left.

Jean Lee

01/03/24

@ EO

At WhatsApp, we focused on core utility features like messaging and calling, rather than gimmicks, to ensure quality and reliability.

Jean Lee

01/03/24

@ EO

The acquisition of WhatsApp was surreal; I struggled to comprehend the magnitude of a billion dollars and what it meant for me personally.

Vidit Aatrey

05/22/19

@ Y Combinator

To stay connected with our users, I personally engage with them on WhatsApp, providing customer support and gathering feedback on new features before launch.

Y Combinator Cast

10/09/24

@ Y Combinator

WhatsApp and Instagram, both small teams at the time of their acquisitions, leveraged Apple's platform to achieve significant growth and impact.

Y Combinator Cast

06/28/24

@ Y Combinator

Historically, companies like WhatsApp and Instagram have been close to achieving unicorn status with very few employees, but a sustained trend of this nature has yet to be established.

Mark Zuckerberg

08/17/16

@ Y Combinator

Facebook's success stemmed from our commitment to keep improving the platform based on user demand, which was different from my previous projects.

Y Combinator Cast

10/09/24

@ Y Combinator

In the mobile era, Apple was ahead while Facebook struggled to keep up, often acquiring companies like Instagram and WhatsApp to strengthen its position.