How GitLab took on GitHub (and won over developers)
Want to know how GitLab grew to 30 million users and over 2000 contributors building GitLab itself...here is the story...and the 4 key things you can apply to your own business and community.
The video details the incredible journey of GitLab from its inception to becoming a global success. GitLab's growth to over 30 million users and its global community of fans is highlighted, along with key milestones and strategies that contributed to its success.
GitLab started on October 8, 2011, when Dmitri Zappa, Roja, and Valeri Coff committed the first piece of GitLab code. The project gained early traction when a Dutch Ruby enthusiast posted about GitLab on Hacker News, drawing attention from developers worldwide. This momentum led to the creation of GitLab Enterprise Edition and the incorporation of the company.
In 2014, GitLab faced stiff competition from GitHub, Bitbucket, Subversion, and Launchpad. However, GitLab's open-source nature set it apart. Unlike GitHub, which was proprietary software, GitLab was an open-source platform built on the open-source GIT project. This openness resonated with developers who valued accessible code and community collaboration.
Joining Y Combinator: In 2015, GitLab joined Y Combinator, gaining clarity on business development.
Seed Funding: They raised $1.5 million in seed funding, which fueled further development.
Conversational Development: GitLab introduced "Conversational Development" in their GitLab master plan livestream, emphasizing collaboration across the software engineering lifecycle.
GitLab's open-source model made it easier for companies to test and integrate GitLab, in contrast to the more complex process with GitHub. They rapidly implemented requested features and focused on community engagement, attending meetups, conferences, and hackathons, and supporting new developers.
GitLab's transparency was exemplified by releasing their entire company handbook online when they had just 10 employees. They also publicly debugged a major outage in 2017, demonstrating their commitment to openness.
Series D and E Funding: In 2018, GitLab raised $100 million, achieving a $1.1 billion valuation. In 2019, they raised another $268 million.
IPO: GitLab went public in 2021 with a market cap of $11 billion.
GitLab effectively built two distinct audiences: developers who used the platform and the contributor community. They maintained a strong relationship with their contributors, emphasizing openness and transparency, which built relentless trust and contributed to their success.
Key Takeaways
Audience Clarity: Understand and serve your audience effectively.
Openness: Default to open, not closed, fostering transparency and trust.
Authenticity: Maintain individuality and innovate outside the typical corporate playbook.
Collaborative Vision: Build your vision together with your community, treating them as teammates.
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