Taking Buildkite from a side project to a global company
3 days ago
- #developer-tools
- #bootstrapping
- #founder-journey
- Keith Pitt, co-founder of Buildkite, transitioned from a magician to a developer tools entrepreneur, driven by a passion for invention and pleasing peers.
- Buildkite started as a side project to solve personal CI tool frustrations, evolving into a profitable business after early validation from unknown European customers.
- Initial pricing tiers were simple ($5-$100/month), but confidence grew when an enterprise customer upgraded to $500/month, signaling market validation.
- Early funding challenges included rejection from accelerators due to being a solo founder, leading to co-founder Tim Lucas joining after a logo request turned into a partnership.
- Cash flow management was a critical lesson after a near-miss with payroll, teaching the importance of financial planning and transparency with the team.
- Lachlan joined as a third co-founder, bringing enterprise sales confidence, helping the team transition from small-scale pricing to high-value contracts.
- A $28M Series A in 2019 was partly motivated by personal financial needs (home purchase), with most funds going to investor secondaries rather than company growth.
- Product philosophy crystallized after 9 years: ignore feature requests as cries for help, prioritize deep user empathy, and treat developers as humans, not robots.
- Hiring missteps highlighted the importance of strict culture fit; Keith now advocates for exclusionary hiring to maintain team alignment in his new venture.
- Board dynamics were challenging, with mismatched expectations between Australian pace and Silicon Valley speed, leading to feelings of underperformance.
- Keith’s exit after 13 years felt incomplete, likened to leaving a TV show mid-season, with unresolved stories and a struggle to detach from his ‘house’.
- New venture Unreasonable Magic focuses on preserving the soul of programming amid AI tools, aiming to balance productivity with coder fulfillment and deep problem engagement.
- Key book recommendation: *Alchemy* by Rory Sutherland, which shaped Keith’s product principles and self-understanding.