About Sachin Jain:

Sachin Jain is the Co-founder and CEO of Requestly, the browser-based API mocking and testing platform used by over 300,000 developers worldwide. After transforming a weekend Chrome extension project into a Y Combinator-backed company (one of 414 accepted from 17,000 applications), Sachin led Requestly through a successful acquisition by BrowserStack earlier this year. His journey from Google intern and Adobe engineer to successful founder showcases the power of solving your own problems first.

About Requestly:

Requestly is a developer-first platform that simplifies API mocking, testing, and network request interception directly in the browser. Born from a frustrated developer's need to debug minified JavaScript in production, Requestly eliminates the need for bulky proxy tools by offering a simple Chrome extension that lets developers modify headers, redirect scripts, and mock API responses. The platform has become essential for frontend teams building against incomplete backends.

Show Notes:

00:00 From Developer to Founder

00:32 The P0 Bug That Sparked a Business Idea

02:52 Building an MVP in 30 Minutes

03:04 Identifying a Problem: The Birth of Requestly

05:05 From JavaScript Redirector to API Platform Evolution

05:52 The Evolution of Requestly

08:21 Organic Growth Without Landing Pages or Marketing

08:55 Open Source vs. Monetization

10:20 The Open Core Model

12:10 Navigating Y Combinator: Tips for Success

13:11 What Made Sachin's YC Application Stand Out

14:50 Building a Developer Community

16:39 Company Culture as Product Differentiation

17:57 Acquisition Insights: Choosing the Right Buyer

19:45 Customer Support as Competitive Advantage

21:01 Post-Acquisition Journey

23:53 Lessons Learned: Growth and Adaptation as a Founder

24:38 Why Optimize for Right Buyer, Not Price

27:57 Personal Growth: From Engineer to CEO