YC
Michelle Zatlyn and Matthew Prince at Startup School SV 2014
@ Y Combinator
10/15/14
Takeaways
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Five years ago, Matthew and I were in your seats, and we started Cloudflare. Today, we have two million customers worldwide, including Y Combinator, because we make their web properties load fast and protect them from cyber attacks.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Over the past five years, Cloudflare has experienced significant growth, with about 3,000 new sign-ups daily and a perfect upward trajectory in all metrics.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
When we started Cloudflare, we were often asked how we achieved our success, and I always say there's no silver bullet; it's about consistent effort and learning along the way.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
In our early days, we focused on building a strong team dynamic, where each co-founder had clear roles: Lee builds the product, Michelle ensures things get done, and I tell the story of what we're doing.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
It's crucial to worry about the small details, like hiring the right people and ensuring they work well together, as these factors significantly impact long-term success.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
When we first launched our product, I was embarrassed about its readiness, but we had to ship it. We learned from our initial customers, who provided valuable feedback that helped us improve.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
To celebrate reaching our first 100 customers, we took the whole company to Vegas, which was a big deal for us at the time, as getting to that milestone was incredibly challenging.
MZ
Michelle Zatlyn
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
In the beginning, we had no money for servers, so we reached out to our community for donations, which led to us assembling our first servers from donated parts.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Michelle's background in biochemistry and her experience at companies like Toshiba and Google filled in the gaps in our team, ensuring we got things done effectively.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
It's important to have co-founders who cover different skill sets and trust each other, as this foundation is crucial for navigating the challenges of building a startup.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
In our first board meeting, we discussed hiring a new vice president, and the board emphasized the importance of hiring someone with a proven track record, highlighting the different philosophies on job titles.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
I call everyone an engineer, regardless of their role, whether it's customer support, finance, or sales.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
At our first board meeting, we declared that everyone was a vice president, but the board pointed out that none of us deserved that title yet.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Michelle suggested we should get rid of titles altogether, acknowledging that we hadn't yet hired or fired anyone.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
This decision to eliminate titles set a precedent for hiring, ensuring we select people who genuinely want to be part of the team.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Michelle has ego but no vanity, always prioritizing the company over personal recognition.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Having a woman on our board for diversity has been crucial, as it brings different perspectives and enriches our company culture.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Diversity in our team, including gender and background, significantly enhances our product and how we perceive the world.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
In our early hires, we didn't prioritize candidates with web infrastructure backgrounds, which led to unique solutions to technical challenges.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Being naive about industry norms allowed us to innovate without the constraints of traditional expectations.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Good engineers are drawn to challenging technical problems, and we've successfully tackled many of these challenges.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
If you're in a position where your team members are bored, it's time to start making changes, including letting people go.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
We aim to run our company at a high intensity, achieving five billion page views per employee, which attracts top talent.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Surrounding yourself with great people, whether co-founders, employees, or investors, is more important than maximizing stock value.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Not all investors are created equal; it's essential to align visions with those who want to make the internet better.
MP
Matthew Prince
10/15/14
@ Y Combinator
Choosing investors based on shared vision is crucial, as it can be challenging to change that decision later on.