Science & Technology

Tom Preston-Werner with Chris Dixon: Building Companies and Developer Communities

Published

6 years ago

June 10, 2020

In a virtual fireside chat, a16z General Partner Chris Dixon and GitHub and Chatterbug Cofounder Tom Preston-Werner discuss “Building Companies and Developer Communities.” Preston-Werner explains how the open-source ethos is a great way to build social virality among developers, and how the clean, developer-focused interface of GitHub led to its wide adoption and caused developers to demand it within their own organizations. He also offers marketing lessons from the early days of GitHub, when the company used informal methods of building community, such as hosting “drink-ups” at local bars in a bid to create “superfans.” He urges founders to view a company’s brand as an expression of its core beliefs, with a focus on how it helps its users succeed. The reason people would put a sticker on their laptop or wear a company tee-shirt is because of “what they believe they are communicating to others with that sticker or shirt … it’s a shortcut for communicating values.”

Andreessen Horowitz’s Crypto Startup School brought together 45 participants from around the U.S. and overseas in a seven-week course to learn how to build crypto companies. Andreessen Horowitz is partnering with TechCrunch to release the online version of the course over the next few weeks.

Find more Crypto Startup School videos plus additional reading and info:

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5 Comments

HeyItsMe

June 10, 2020 at 7:56 pm

Nice video keep it up V7qY

Reply
SocialBounty Make Money App

June 10, 2020 at 7:56 pm

Nice video keep it up V7qY

Reply
greyes11

June 10, 2020 at 8:38 pm

this guy completely missed the crypto layup on the financing open source question….. biases are crazy

Reply
- greyes11
  
  June 10, 2020 at 8:55 pm
  
  The talk he references as a great way to build products highlights how we will ignore
  new methods for actions/decisions we have already mastered because relearning the new action is too cognitively taxing
  
  Reply
kaan bingöl

June 13, 2020 at 5:26 pm

We are currently trying to build for Architects in Istanbul . I am ready to answer your questions.

Reply

CNET

Apple Made a $129 Folio Case with a Kickstand for the iPhone Duo

Never thought we’d see the day an iPhone case from Apple is over $100 👀 #iphoneduo #allaccess #appleevent #iphoneduofolio #iphoneduocase Add CNET as a trusted news source Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront: Subscribe to CNET on YouTube: Follow us on TikTok: Follow us on Instagram:…

Published

19 hours ago

September 9, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Never thought we’d see the day an iPhone case from Apple is over $100 👀 #iphoneduo #allaccess #appleevent #iphoneduofolio #iphoneduocase

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CNET

AirPods 5 First Look: Apple Lowers Prices and Upgrades ANC

Apple announces the AirPods 5 in two distinct versions, both featuring 50% more effective active noise canceling and lower prices than previous models. In this video, we break down the key differences between the base and step-up models, including battery life, swipe controls and acoustic upgrades. You can find the products mentioned in this video…

Published

20 hours ago

September 9, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds
Apple AirPods 4 Wireless Earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation
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Read more about the new AirPods 5 on CNET.com
Apple Introduces New AirPods 5 With Improved Noise Canceling and Lower Price for Step-Up Model

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction and Pricing Overview
0:14 – Step-Up vs. Base Model Differences
0:21 – Battery Life Breakdown
0:27 – Design, Sound Quality, and ANC Improvements
0:43 – H2 Chip and Conclusion

Video Credits:
Host: David Carnoy
Scripted by: David Carnoy
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera:Celso Bulgatti
Video Editor:Jon Gomez
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao