Guest: Eric Simons - Co-founder and CEO of StackBlitz. Eric is known for his work on StackBlitz and its product Bolt, which has become one of the fastest-growing products in history, reaching 40 million ARR within months of launch. Key Takeaways: Leverage AI for Rapid Growth: Bolt's success is largely due to its integration with advanced AI models like Anthropic's Sonnet, which excels at generating production-grade code. Team Dynamics: A small, tightly-knit team with long-term members can significantly enhance productivity and innovation, as seen with StackBlitz's core group. Product Development: Use AI to accelerate product development, allowing non-developers like PMs and designers to directly create and iterate on software. Survival and Iteration: Persistence is key. StackBlitz was on the verge of shutting down before Bolt's launch, emphasizing the importance of resilience and continuous iteration. New Opportunities for PMs: The rise of AI tools like Bolt shifts the role of PMs towards directly influencing product development, leveraging their skills in problem articulation and solution design. Topics Covered: AI in coding, team dynamics, product development, startup growth, role of PMs in AI-driven environments.
“It was kind of like, Bolt's this overnight success, seven years in the making.”
“You got to have confidence in your convictions on how to best play the hand.”
“Talk to this thing like you do a Linear ticket, or a JIRA ticket.”
