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From Pivot Hell To $1.4 Billion Unicorn

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

From Pivot Hell To $1.4 Billion Unicorn

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

2025/12/10
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

2025/12/10
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

In just a few years, James Hawkins took PostHog from an idea hacked together right before YC's W20 deadline to a unicorn powering product analytics for thousands of teams. He joins YC's Brad Flora to talk about surviving six months of "pivot hell," why...

Highlights

In a competitive landscape dominated by polished tech giants, PostHog emerged not through perfection, but through persistence, iteration, and a deep connection with its users. What began as a series of misfires evolved into a bold experiment in open-source analytics—fueled by necessity, shaped by feedback, and driven by a team unwilling to give up.
08:47
They were more excited about the open-source product analytics idea than any previous one.
10:43
The Hacker News launch was the most upvoted dev tool post of the year despite being mediocre by later standards.
15:06
Having a clear, passionate plan matters more than being 'correct' in early fundraising.
23:36
Building in public helps establish trust in an AI-driven, competitive market.
27:49
Funny content has a much wider reach than traditional B2B messaging
35:59
The signed photo of founders James and Tim sold out in the unhinged merch shop

Chapters

How a last-minute idea sparked a unicorn
00:00
What happens when every pivot fails?
04:32
Why launching on Hacker News changed everything
10:43
Funding in a crisis: surviving 160 rejections
15:06
Betting big on AI—and why transparency matters
17:13
Can humor actually win in B2B marketing?
25:33
Why their website breaks all the rules—and works
33:58

Transcript

Brad Flora: I'm here today with James Hawkins, CEO and founder of PostHog from the YC Winter 20 batch. James is here. Hot off the news of raising a $75 million Series E round of funding at a $1.4 billion valuation, making PostHog the latest YC unicorn. Tod...