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Nicolas Dessaigne

11/27/24

@ Y Combinator

Hire people who are technical or at least understand developers, as developers prefer speaking with knowledgeable individuals rather than traditional salespeople.

Video

How To Start A Dev Tools Company | Startup School

@ Y Combinator

How To Start A Dev Tools Company | Startup School

11/27/24

Related Takeaways

Patrick Collison

11/05/15

@ Greylock

When building for developers, you can directly ask them what they want, as they are often vocal about their preferences.

Sam Altman

03/18/17

@ Y Combinator

The best source for hiring is personal referrals from people you already know, as most successful tech companies have been built this way.

Harj Taggar

09/26/18

@ Y Combinator

Consider hiring a technical recruiter only after you've made your first hire, as understanding the hiring process yourself is crucial.

Nicolas Dessaigne

11/27/24

@ Y Combinator

Selling developer tools differs from selling other products; developers prefer demonstrations over lengthy sales decks, so focus on showing rather than telling.

Eric Migicovsky

10/13/18

@ Y Combinator

When hiring, prioritize trust and reliability over specific domain knowledge, as this approach can expedite team building during critical growth phases.

Nicolas Dessaigne

11/27/24

@ Y Combinator

When starting a dev tools company, it's crucial to have a founding team composed of developers, as they will be building a technical product for other developers.

Nicolas Dessaigne

11/27/24

@ Y Combinator

Most developer tools are sold bottom-up; sales teams should identify if employees within enterprises are already using the product and help management understand its value.

Nicolas Dessaigne

11/27/24

@ Y Combinator

When selling to non-technical buyers, we often lose deals, but when the buyer is technical or has influence, we win more often. Leaning into the technical aspects of our product has improved our success.

Eric Migicovsky

07/26/19

@ Y Combinator

Founders and core team members should develop the skills to talk to users instead of relying on others to be the go-between.