Peter Reinhardt on Finding Product Market Fit at Segment

Peter Reinhardt - / reinpk - is cofounder and CEO of Segment - segment.com/
Segment helps companies capture data from every customer touchpoint and send it to the tools where it can be used most effectively.
They were part of the YC Summer 2011 batch.
The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon - / craigcannon
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Topics
00:00 - What is Segment?
1:30 - Segment’s first customers
3:05 - Their YC application
4:00 - Going through YC
5:30 - Realizing their first product didn’t work
10:30 - Launching Analytics.js
11:45 - Experiencing product market fit
16:55 - Debating whether to launch or build out the product
19:15 - Evan Farrell asks - You mentioned in the SS lecture that you had to totally pivot to Analytics.js to find PMF, is it possible to purely iterate on something people kinda like to find PMF, or should it be clear from the outset if a new idea is something people want?
20:30 - The importance of having a skeptic on your team
23:30 - Customer interviews
26:30 - Benjamin Liam asks - How did they know they have the right messaging to explain their product?
28:00 - Idea generation
32:45 - Danny Prol asks - What values and standards do you have in place for your team at Segment? And how do you actively build that culture into your company?
37:00 - Ashwin Doke asks - How has GDPR impacted Segment's business model?
39:15 - Andrew Pikul asks - Any advice he has on asking for more money than you're comfortable asking for.
41:45 - Juan Carlos Garza asks - How did YC help you to where Segment is right now?
43:15 - Juan Carlos Garza asks - In an early stage, what's the thin line between ignoring a customer suggested feature or moving a customer requested feature to the core of your application?
44:45 - Biggest learnings since YC
45:50 - Important hires at Segment

[@nelsoncorreia1112]

28:57 Q: do you have a particular process for idea generation? A: "You just go _super deep_ ... you just have to understand the market and the ecosystem and the customers upside-down, backwards better than they do themselves. Start with something that is interesting to you _personally_ and then go dig deep."

[@ivamekki]

It's 1 am. I've been taking notes. Learning TONS. And just so enjoyed Peter's sharpness/insights/stories/hilarity and the wonderful interviewing/thoughtfulness from Craig. Love it + thank you both!

[@DrTune]

Segment at 39:20 about pricing to a customer's face is terrific

[@isassetuba]

Legend

[@Xpalmer]

Solid conversation! Peter is super smart and humble. I appreciate his candor on everything

[@kartheekgajjala1420]

Craig the questions asked were really good and on point. It really gets fundamental details out of Peter. Thank you for this amazing conversation

[@ycombinator]

Thanks for watching! -Craig

[@jkbaseer]

When he mentioned about the company values, it really proves the values comes from him. The way he speak and information all look like the value of karma. He thought through clearly to provide legit information instead of trying to show off with false narratives. Enjoy every part of the video. The interviewer is marvellous with his gestures “It was really cool, silent for a whole amazing, ok so the next question..” He feels deeply listening to his talks

[@jeffchau6381]

PG: You have nothing to show for $400k? Peter: *GULP* haha, loved the story after that event, how they didn't give up on themselves and figured it out, funny Peter was such a skeptic and wasn't for it at first. Then he wanted to "prove" it on Hacker News to kill the "bad idea" and then inadvertently experiencing product-market fit and sharing how it is "alot like losing control" and how it's not about "good feedback" on improvements from users, but *are they using it?* What an amazing podcast, thanks for the insightful questions to really tell Peter's story and journey =)

[@leebarnard9353]

Where can we access MEDDIC resources, please?

[@andreasv9472]

How does digging deep relate to "the mom test"? Is it the same type of discussions, or is it at different stages at product development?

[@JamesGrahamJames]

thank you

[@ashwindoke]

You used my name too while asking the question at 37.:00, thanks a ton :)

[@andreasv9472]

Great video. I don't understand why these videos doesn't have thousand of views really... I take notes as crazy and implement all I read. Just during this interview I went through my linkedin network looking for co-founders to be my "critics" XD And thought about what is My core values; and how can I reach customers and dig deep? Lovely video! Would love to have someone like Peter as a mentor

[@bertramslukstins8119]

Does anyone knows the names of the sales frameworks he speaks of?

[@EveryBudiAmerica]

Wicked Smaat!

[@LRG53]

@37:00

[@zzang2k4]

I'm a little unclear on the early decision making -- so you stand in the back of the classroom and realize 80% of the kids are on Facebook. In my mind that kicks off a conversation around how to better incentivize students to use the tool during the lecture. Why bail on the tool and pivot the company?

[@MiguelWeagley]

it seems like the problem was deeper - not only was no one using the lecture tool, no one was even listening to the lecture in the first place

[@ashutoshgupta3561]

First one here. Yay :D

[@kunalsandilya]

Please add Peter's Stanford video 1st and this video 2nd. Otherwise, the entire contexts are missing and information losing value.

[@TheForthemankind]

43:15

[@TheForthemankind]

12:22

[@Abaljuma]

this guy looks like he eats pineapple pizza with coffie!!!

[@JimmyTRUELOVE]

Man it's SO fucking annoying hearing the interviewer laughing every two seconds...

[@rituraj-503]

i want to like this video but that would not be very nice