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Activity Log

Mike Borozdin’s stories of the last 15+ years

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Outline

  • Why listen to this guy?
  • School: UW 1997-2001
  • Working during school
  • Graduation into the crash
  • Microsoft
  • DocuSign
  • Latest Adventure
  • Recap
  • Homework

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Why listen to this guy?

Who is he? �Mike Borozdin�Is this relevant? �Somewhat: UW CSE Grad 2001�What did he do?�Big companies and startups.�Windows Group at Microsoft�Part of DocuSign from 2006 to 2016�Ran a consulting business�What did he not do?�NBC, TV or Radio���

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School: UW 1997-2001

Major 0: Computer Science�Major 1: Economics�Major 2: Part time coding gigs

What stuck 15 years later:�- Applied Math (very basic)�- Debugging using print()�- Using a lot of grep / findstr�- Operating Systems�- Algorithms�- Languages�- Databases�- Demand Curves�- Cost Benefit Analysis�- Balance Sheet�- Stock Options�- Statistics�

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Major realization: �computers + another science is 1+1=3

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Graduation into the crash

  • In March 2000 NASDAQ is over 5,000 - Computer Science Degree is gold (literally)
  • I graduate in June 2001
  • Laid off immediately
  • #$^%!!!!!
  • NASDAQ eventually is down close to 80%
  • What do you do when no one is hiring? Hire yourself!

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Major realization: �A crash is an opportunity for someone, maybe you

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Microsoft

Long shot goals:�- Living Room PC�- Changing the way people view TV�- Push hardware�Incredible computer scientists�Meetings, meetings, meetings�Large code base�Lots of data�Kernel debugging

Major realization: �Great people will flock to great goals

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DocuSign

Friends with the founder: Tom Gonser�Started post Series A (25 employees)�Left 2000 employees, $3B valuation, 70MM users�Led the Developer Tools and Partner Applications�By the time I left my team was around 25 people�Grew the developer community to 25,000ppl�#1 eSignature API�50% of DocuSign transaction traffic

Major Realization:

Focus on the Customer

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Latest Adventure: Tempo Automation

On demand Printed Circuit Boards�Hardware + Software�Joined as Series A to head up Software + IT�Building the team from scratch�Deep CSE problem space�

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Recap

  • CSE + X = X * N
  • A change can look like a crash
  • Big problems attract amazing people
  • Amazing people will do big things eventually
  • Solve real problems - focus on the customer

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Homework