meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
This Week in Startups

MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria on great leadership, building winning teams, and more | E1783

This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis

Technology

4.21.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2023

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist

Embroker. The Embroker Startup Insurance Program helps startups secure the most important types of insurance at a lower cost and with less hassle. Save up to 20% off of traditional insurance today at Embroker.com/twist. While you’re there, get an extra 10% off using offer code TWIST.

Roots is a real estate investment platform for all investors. There are no entry fees, and you can start with as little as $100. Head to investwithroots.com/TWIST to sign up and start investing today!

*

Today’s show:

MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria joins Jason to discuss recent tech trends (10:58), the move towards remote work (17:58), his strategy for building winning teams (37:17), and much more!

*

Time stamps:

(00:00) MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria joins Jason

(2:32) Dev’s background and how MongoDB operates

(9:28) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(10:58) The last 9 months in tech and the pace of AI

(13:57) RIFs and staffing a modern-day tech company

(17:58) Remote, Hybrid, or back to the office

(22:25) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(25:33) Hiring and inspiring the next generation

(28:47) The trust but verify operating philosophy

(31:32) Entitlement in the tech industry

(35:52) Roots - Head to investwithroots.com/TWIST to sign up and start investing today!

(37:17) Great leadership and managing a team

(41:14) Bad management and the feedback cycle

(53:30) Recruiting talent in the U.S.

*

Check out MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com

Follow Dev: https://twitter.com/dittycheria

*

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply

Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com

Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow Jason:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

I had a mentor, a guy named Steve Walzky. One day, you know, we're talking about someone and he says,

0:04.8

Dave, I'm going to show you the meaning of life. And he goes to the whiteboard and draws two circles

0:08.9

to concentric circles. I'm looking at it and I said, like, target. I'm like, what's the meaning of life?

0:13.9

Because the outside circle is what people think who they are, the inner circle is who they actually are.

0:20.8

The best leaders are very self-aware. And I remember this for so long because when I see a leader

0:26.9

failing invariably is because they're so self-unaware that they may have good intent. But the

0:32.8

way it's coming across is really falling, you know, on deaf years of people are just tuning them

0:37.2

out and they're losing their team. When you lose your team, you've lost in this leader. And so many

0:42.0

leaders just have no sense of the fact that their team doesn't respect them. This week in startups is

0:47.1

brought to you by OpenPhone brings your team's business calls, texts, and contacts into one delightful

0:54.5

app that works anywhere. Get 20% off your first six months at OpenPhone.com slash twist.

1:01.6

Embrokers startup insurance program help start up secure the most important types of insurance

1:06.6

at a lower cost and with less hassle. Save up to 20% off of traditional insurance today

1:12.4

at Embroker.com slash twist. While you're there, get an extra 10% off using offer code twist. And

1:21.0

Roots. Invest in the only real estate investment trust that creates wealth for you and its

1:27.3

residents at investwithroot.com slash twist. All right, everybody. Welcome back to this week in

1:35.2

startups. We're having our all-star summer. Turns out a great time. Grab a CEO. And all-star

1:41.6

CEO is a summer. They got a little bit of time. And what an incredible couple of weeks we've had.

1:46.9

My friend, Dar Mesh from HubSpot. He came on the pod just the other week. Qualtrics founder,

1:51.8

Ryan Smith, who now owns the Utah Jazz. And today is no different. Dave Itucheria is here.

1:57.9

He's a serial entrepreneur currently the CEO of MongoDB. Do you like Dave where you like dev?

2:05.4

Either it's fine. I've been called worse. What is your mom calling? She calls you dev. I bet.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jason Calacanis, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Jason Calacanis and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.