VC's Garry Tan and Scott Moss on their journey to Initialized Capital | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Scott Moss, a former engineer at Netflix and CEO of a startup, shares his inspiring journey from a humble background to becoming a Principal at Initialized, offering valuable insights into engineering recruitment and the process of getting into tech.

Key Insights

• 💼 Scott Moss joined Initialized as a principal from an open search process, having found out about the company through Initialized's YouTube channel.
• 🌐 Before joining Initialized, Scott was an engineer at Netflix, where he worked on the smart TV app.
• 💼 Scott was also the CEO of a YC company focused on headless CMS.
• 🎥 Scott has his own YouTube channel where he collaborates on content, focusing on helping founders with engineering recruitment and talent questions.
• 🌍 Scott had a difficult upbringing, growing up with very little. He found solace and inspiration through technology, leading him to pursue a career in the tech industry.
• 🔎 Scott taught himself how to code and became skilled at teaching others to code as well. He developed a passion for helping others break into the tech industry, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• 💰 Scott's startup, focused on building a CMS, raised $2 million but ultimately did not succeed due to several challenges, including founder disputes and missed deadlines.
• 🚀 Scott is now focused on helping founders hire the right talent and helping individuals from diverse backgrounds enter the tech industry by challenging traditional hiring practices and emphasizing potential and cultural fit.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did Scott's upbringing influence his journey into the tech industry?

Scott's humble background and experiences growing up with limited resources sparked his curiosity and fascination with technology, leading him to pursue a career in the tech industry.

Q: How did Scott's military experience shape his mindset and confidence in pursuing a career in technology?

Scott's military experience taught him the valuable skill of learning quickly and adapting to new challenges, instilling in him the belief that he could conquer anything, including learning to code and pursuing a career in tech.

Q: What challenges did Scott and his team face while running their startup, and what lessons did he learn from that experience?

Scott and his team faced challenges in meeting deadlines and struggling with founder dynamics, ultimately leading to the closure of their startup. However, this experience taught Scott valuable lessons in managing people, product-market fit, and the importance of adapting to market changes.

Q: How does Scott approach hiring and recruiting talent for startups, and what are his views on the traditional way of assessing potential candidates?

Scott believes in focusing more on cultural fit, alignment with a company's mission, and potential for growth when hiring for startups. He emphasizes that the traditional checkbox approach to hiring may not be effective in today's dynamic job market and suggests a shift towards considering a candidate's potential alongside their skills and experience.

Q: What is the significance of Scott's YouTube channel and his collaboration with other content creators?

Scott's YouTube channel serves as a platform for sharing his knowledge and experiences with others, particularly those who are looking to break into the tech industry. His collaborations with other content creators expand his reach and allow for a broader audience to benefit from his insights and advice.

Q: Why does Scott believe there is a need for innovation in the hiring process for startups, and what are some of the changes he suggests?

Scott believes that the traditional hiring process for startups needs to change due to the shifting job market. He suggests considering factors like culture fit, alignment with company values, and the potential for growth when evaluating candidates. He also highlights the importance of reevaluating job descriptions and expectations to attract diverse talent and prioritize potential over immediate skills.

Summary

In this video, Gary interviews Scott Moss, a principal at Initialized Ventures and former engineer at Netflix. Scott discusses his journey into the tech industry, his passion for teaching, his experience as a startup founder, and his current role in helping founders with engineering recruitment and talent questions.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Scott come into the tech industry?

Scott explains that growing up with limited resources and seeing technology as something magical led to his obsession with it. His first computer was a Sony Vaio, which sparked his curiosity and desire to create technology. His time in the military also gave him the confidence to pursue a career in tech.

Q: What challenges did Scott face growing up?

Scott shares that he grew up in a family with limited resources and faced financial hardships. He did not have many opportunities and did not see any examples of success around him. This led to a lack of hope and ultimately dropping out of school for two years. However, he found inspiration in his older sister's success in basketball and realized he could do something meaningful too.

Q: How did Scott transition from the military to the tech industry?

Scott explains that his experience in the military taught him how to learn quickly, which gave him the confidence to pursue a career in tech. He was drawn to the world of business and technology after being exposed to it through magazines and seeing successful tech entrepreneurs. He learned to code and eventually moved to the Bay Area to immerse himself in the industry.

Q: What was Scott's experience as a startup founder?

Scott co-founded a startup that aimed to solve the problem of managing content on websites. They raised funding and had initial success with clients, but ultimately faced challenges with product-market fit, missed deadlines, and internal conflicts. Despite the difficulties, Scott learned valuable lessons about being a founder, working with investors, and managing a team.

Q: How did Scott become involved in teaching coding?

Scott's experience in the military, where he had to teach others new qualifications, ignited his passion for teaching. He realized that if he learned something new, there were others who could benefit from his knowledge. He started sharing what he learned with fellow learners, which eventually led to opportunities to teach coding to engineers at fortune 500 companies.

Q: How did Scott come to work at Initialized Ventures?

Scott reached out to Initialized Ventures co-founder Justin Kan on Twitter, seeking advice on applying to Y Combinator. Justin suggested he reach out to Michael, another co-founder. After applying and getting accepted into Y Combinator, Scott's startup caught the attention of Initialized Ventures, and he eventually joined the team as a principal.

Q: What motivates Scott in his current role at Initialized Ventures?

Scott expresses his passion for helping others break into the tech industry and find meaningful careers. He believes in looking beyond traditional checkboxes when hiring and focuses on potential, cultural fit, and alignment with the company's mission. He also sees an opportunity for innovation in hiring practices and wants to contribute to positive change.

Q: How does Scott define a successful hire in today's market?

Scott emphasizes the importance of cultural fit, trust, and potential in a successful hire. With remote work becoming more prevalent, trust and the ability to work effectively without constant supervision are crucial. Scott believes that hiring individuals with potential, rather than only looking for immediate skills, can lead to more economical long-term investments in talent.

Q: What challenges does Scott see in the current hiring process?

Scott believes that the current hiring process is outdated and unfit for today's market dynamics. He sees a need to change the way interviews are conducted, job descriptions are written, and expectations are set. Companies must adapt and embrace potential rather than searching for highly experienced individuals who may not align with their mission.

Q: How is Scott using his YouTube channel to help others?

Scott's YouTube channel focuses on providing advice and guidance to people interested in breaking into tech or VC. He shares his experiences, insights, and thoughts on various topics to help demystify the industry. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities present in hiring and building successful teams.

Takeaways

Scott's story highlights the power of perseverance and self-belief. Despite facing challenges and limited opportunities growing up, he found inspiration and motivation to pursue a career in tech. His experiences as a founder and passion for teaching have shaped his approach to helping others in the industry. Scott emphasizes the need for a shift in hiring practices, focusing on potential and cultural fit rather than traditional checkboxes. He aims to contribute to positive change in the industry and uses his YouTube channel to provide guidance and support to aspiring tech professionals.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Scott Moss grew up with a modest background and found his passion for technology through his first computer, a Sony Vaio, which sparked his interest in coding and building things.

• He joined the military and developed a strong sense of confidence and the belief that he could do anything, leading him to pursue a career in technology.

• Scott started teaching others how to code and eventually founded a startup, which faced challenges before closing down. He gained valuable experience in hiring and managing people during this time.

• Now at Initialized, Scott focuses on helping founders with engineering recruitment and talent strategies, while also sharing his knowledge through his YouTube channel and collaborating with other content creators.