On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, hosts Boris Epstein and Alexis Munger sit down with Joshua Inkenbrandt, Pinterest's first frontend engineer and a seasoned builder. Josh shares his journey from being one of Pinterest's early engineers to transitioning into product management, and eventually co-founding startups. He also discusses the unique situation of navigating second stints with his own experience of returning to Pinterest to work on the emotional well-being app, 'How We Feel'.

Josh emphasizes the importance of relationships, adaptability, and the value of self-learning in his career. The conversation is filled with insights on navigating early-stage startups, the evolution of tech roles, and the importance of building meaningful connections in the tech industry.

Tune in to hear Josh talk about the importance of:

• Relationships: Josh's career choices, including joining Pinterest over Instagram, were heavily influenced by his relationships with and the cultural fit of the Pinterest team.  

• Adaptability: Josh's ability to wear multiple hats -- from engineering to product management -- highlights the importance of being open to new challenges and roles, especially in fast-growing startups.  

• Self-Learning: Josh's journey as a self-taught developer shows that passion, curiosity, and hands-on experience can be just as valuable as a formal CS degree in the tech industry.  

• Early-Stage Startups: Joining a startup early allows for significant impact, exposure to diverse roles, and the chance to shape the company's culture and direction.

Specifically, don't miss the part where Josh drops hints about his current stealth project - a social-focused tool which aims to foster empathy and compassion in a disconnected world.

Chapters:

00:00 Introductions & Icebreakers

07:02 On Being A Self-Taught Flash Developer

13:04 Pinterest vs Instagram And Being “Love-Bombed”

22:05 Wearing Multiple Hats: From Engineering to Product Management

30:59 Leaving Pinterest At A ‘Klutch’ Time and The Boomerang

34:03 Using Technology For Emotional Well-Being: The ‘How We Feel’ App

39:30 Josh’s Future Plans, Advice for Early Engineers, And Contact Details

Quotes:

• "I quickly realized I was the dumbest person in the room... [but] I had a huge advantage because I got to work with people who are really smart and learn from them." - Josh Inkenbrandt (11:09)

• “One of the challenges… [for transitioning from an IC role to non-IC roles is that] you have to be able to let other people do the work that you're used to doing.” - Josh Inkenbrandt (24:02)

• "The early group of people that are working on [the product] need to care about it and use it." - Josh Inkenbrandt (29:40)

• "If you kind of self-start stuff, if you make things that you can show people [...] when we're hiring people, that's literally the best heuristic to use [for us]." - Josh Inkenbrandt (42:35)

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Links:

How We Feel App: https://howwefeel.org/

Josh's Shoe-related Pins on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/joshink/shoes/

Josh’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/importantginger/

Music by Roman Senyk from Pixabay

Producer: Shrikant Joshi