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LATEST POSTS 📚

If you’re new, not yet a subscriber, or just plain missed it, here are some of our recent editions.

🦔 Gone Hog Wild: PostHog’s Zero To One. Turning failures into features: How PostHog found its groove and made analytics fun.
💵 Pay Transparency, Careers Growth & Compensation Philosophy. An interview with Matt McFarlane, Director at FNDN.
🤩 Building The World's Most Beloved Neobank. An interview with Dom Pym, co-founder & ex-CEO at Up.

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HOUSEKEEPING 📨

Big week for me this week. I stumbled upon a new strategy for Athyna—and this newsletter to an extent—that combines my two all-time greatest strategies into one mega strategy. I sent it to my mate, Tom, who writes Strategy Breakdowns, and he said it “got his strategy bones absolutely tingling.”

Obviously, if I was to tell you what the strategy, I’d have to kill you. But I can promise to write about it in about 3 years, whilst I sit atop my throne as supreme ruler of technosphere, whole being fed wine and grapes from my loyal supplicants.

It kinda had me thinking though: how many other founders think like me? I think in terms of scale, and I see every opportunity through the lens of compounded out to one thousand. Sometimes, I think a lot of other founders go and spend a nice, safe, conservative budget on Meta and Google, while they build a few backlinks and be done with it.

Someone smart once told me as a founder, sometimes you need to be able to drive the car at 200 clicks around the tight corner, knowing that you could write the whole thing off. I never forgot that, and have always aimed to operate with that mindset. I think it keeps you fresh and excited.

Anyway, I’ll leave it there really, nothing more to add. Today’s post was requested from a few readers so I thought I’d re-introduce Lottie and James from last week. Hope you enjoy it!

ZERO TO ONE 🌱

The Creative Chaos Behind PostHog’s Success

Last week, I gave you the full scoop on how PostHog went from zero to one. This week I'm making it a bit more personal. Today, we’re diving into the unfiltered conversations with the key players behind the scenes. From the scrappy early days to the quirky brand decisions (hedgehogs, anyone?), graphic designer, Lottie, and co-founder, James, talk about their experiences with brand building and what it felt like taking PostHog from the ground up.

Lottie Coxon - Graphic Designer at PostHog

Lottie was PostHog’s first creative hire, and she’s the mastermind behind their hedgehog mascot. Yep, the one you’ve probably seen popping up everywhere. While the developers were busy coding, Lottie was bringing her weird, quirky style to the brand, which turned out to be a perfect match for PostHog’s offbeat personality. She’s proof that creativity doesn’t just make things look pretty—it gives the whole company a unique identity. Talking to Lottie was all about diving into how she turned hedgehogs into the face of a tech company, and trust me, it’s just as fun as it sounds.

When and how did you join the company?

I joined in June 2020, so right in the middle of the pandemic. I had just finished university, like two weeks before getting this job. The job market was awful, and I was pretty desperate to get any job in graphic design. So, I put my portfolio on Twitter and basically begged for a job from anyone. Funnily enough, James Hawkins DMed me within 24 hours, and that’s how I landed the job. I’ve been here ever since.

What was your initial role?

I was the fourth hire, and I think they took a big risk hiring me because I didn’t have a lot of experience. But I guess they liked the fact that my portfolio was a bit “weird,” as James described it. They didn’t really have a clear idea of what they wanted the brand to look like, which is probably why they brought me in—to help figure that out. It was a process for all of us, and we all kind of grew into our roles.

Can you describe the brand’s development?

When I joined, there wasn’t really a set vision for the brand, so we tried out a lot of different directions. At one point, we explored a retro 1970s computer theme. Then we tried this idea of realistic people with computers for heads, but that didn’t work at all. We even tried very realistic hedgehogs at one point, which ended up looking terrifying. We cycled through all these concepts, and if something didn’t work, we moved on to the next idea. Eventually, we landed on hedgehogs as a theme and stuck with it. The mascot now is this cute, relatable character that doesn’t try to be too polished or serious, which fits our vibe perfectly.

How did you think about the brand's distinctness?

Honestly, I think the distinctness of the brand was a happy accident in some ways. When I first joined, I was trying to reinvent the wheel by looking at what other tech companies had done and what worked for them. I was trying to emulate what I thought would be successful. But it wasn’t working because it wasn’t original or heartfelt. I remember having a conversation with James or Tim about how our culture is quite weird and how everyone is really open and silly in a good way. Early on, during our Zoom stand-ups, people would use random photos as their virtual backgrounds, and it became a thing.

James and Tim actually had to ban it because it was distracting us from getting any work done! But it showed how quirky and relaxed the company was, and I thought, “Why not lean into that weirdness?” That’s how the hedgehogs came about—they’re just quirky little versions of the people in the company.

We weren’t trying to create something that looked like every other tech brand out there. And that’s probably why it works so well—PostHog doesn’t look like anything else in the market. It’s a pattern interrupt. I’ve always believed that interrupting people’s expectations can be really powerful, especially in a world where everything tends to look the same. That’s what the hedgehog does for us. It’s weird, memorable, and people connect with it because it’s real, in a sense. The distinctness of the brand reflects our team’s openness and willingness to be different. And I think that’s a huge part of why it stands out.

What was the best thing that the company did in the early stages?

There were two things that really stood out in the early stages that helped us gain traction. First, we had this culture of giving honest feedback all the time. No matter who you were or what you were working on, anyone could weigh in and give their opinion. It wasn’t about stepping on people’s toes to be mean or overly critical—it was just about making things better. And everyone was really open to that. We encouraged this so much that at one point we had a mantra of “stomping on toes,” which was an extreme version of our culture of feedback. People didn’t take it personally, and I think that openness to constant critique and improvement helped us grow faster and make better decisions.

The second thing was our stand-up meetings. Back when there were only seven of us, we’d all get on a call every week and talk about what we were doing. It didn’t matter what your role was—everyone was involved. That transparency made it easier for everyone to contribute ideas and give feedback. It also kept us all connected to what the rest of the team was working on, which helped a lot in those early days. Now, there are like 50 of us, and I don’t know everyone anymore, which is wild to think about. But in those early days, those stand-ups really helped create a culture of collaboration and feedback, which was a huge part of gaining traction.

Can you share an example of something that did not go as planned in the early stages?

Honestly, one of the things that didn’t go as planned was some of the early hires. Not everyone we brought on was the right cultural fit for the company, and some people ended up leaving. It’s one of those things where you don’t really know if someone is going to fit in until they’re already part of the team. And if they don’t, it becomes pretty clear early on. I wouldn’t call it a huge failure, but it’s definitely something that didn’t work out as expected.

From a design perspective, there were plenty of things that bombed. I remember some of the early concepts for the brand were just awful. At one point, we tried making these realistic hedgehogs, and they were terrifying—like uncanny valley on steroids. People rightfully pointed out how creepy they were, and we quickly scrapped that idea. It was one of those moments where you just have to laugh at how bad it is and move on to the next thing. The key was that we didn’t get too attached to any one idea. If something didn’t work, we dropped it and tried something else.

How do you feel seeing your creative work displayed on major platforms, and do you have metrics to measure brand success?

It’s honestly surreal to see my work displayed on big platforms. A lot of designers will probably relate to this, but imposter syndrome is real. Like, I know I’m doing the work, but it’s still hard to believe sometimes that people are paying me to draw hedgehogs for a living! For example, I’m supposed to design a billboard in San Francisco in January, and it still hasn’t really hit me that this is happening. I just think, “I draw hedgehogs, and now this is going to be on a billboard?” It’s wild.

In terms of measuring brand success, we do have some ways to track it. We have a bot in Slack that pulls in mentions of PostHog from platforms like LinkedIn and Reddit, and if something is related to branding, it gets sent to our marketing group chat. Usually, the feedback is pretty positive. People really love the weirdness of the brand, and the more out-there we get, the more people seem to enjoy it. It’s not a formal metric, but we gauge success based on people’s reactions and how much they engage with the brand online. It’s more qualitative than quantitative, but it works for us.

Looking back, what do you wish you knew when you started at the company?

One thing I wish I knew when I started is that no concept or idea is ever going to turn out exactly the way you imagine it. And that’s okay. When I first started, I felt this pressure to get things perfect right out of the gate, but I’ve learned to let go of that. Now, I just embrace the process. I’ve realized that whatever I start with is going to evolve into something different, and most of the time, it ends up being better than I could have imagined. It’s all about trusting the journey and not being too precious about the outcome. If I could go back, I’d tell myself to chill out and enjoy the ride more.

Why have you continued to work at PostHog today?

I’m still at PostHog because it’s such a cool place to work. I haven’t had other design jobs to compare it to, but from what I’ve heard from other designers, the level of autonomy and creative freedom I have here is pretty rare. I get to do what I feel is right for the brief, and people trust my instincts. For example, the other day we had a few drinks at the cricket, and I came up with this idea of making a puppet hedgehog for YouTube tutorials. Now, I’m talking to a puppet maker about designing a Sesame Street-style puppet! It’s moments like that where I just sit back and think, “I get paid to do this?”

Where else am I going to come up with an idea like that and have people be excited about it and throw money at it to make it happen? That’s why I stay—because I have the freedom to be creative and weird, and I’m surrounded by people who support that. It’s just a really fun place to be, and I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it.

James Hawkins - Co-founder & CEO at PostHog

James is the brain behind PostHog, co-founding it with a mission to give engineers more power over their work. He doesn’t just talk the talk—he’s been knee-deep in product management and marketing, helping companies go from zero to hero before taking PostHog to new heights. His entire team is all about speed, transparency, and making sure everyone’s got their hands on the controls.

What role does fun play in Posthog and why the hedgehog?

Fun is crucial for two reasons. First, from a brand perspective, Posthog’s early days showed our product development limits. If asked to create something entirely new, like a glass to transport water, that wouldn't be my strength. But if given a basic glass, I excel at improving it—making it larger or more colorful. This led us to pivot five times, eventually focusing on enhancing existing product analytics for developers. Competing with billion-dollar companies, we chose simplicity and transparency over the jargon and hidden pricing our competitors favored, making us a refreshing alternative in a crowded market.

Internally, fun drives how we work. My executive coach, who’s worked with major tech founders, said the most successful ones genuinely enjoy their jobs. This shaped our decisions, guiding us toward what we enjoyed rather than what we felt obligated to do. We thought self-hosted solutions would be our focus, but our cloud product grew faster and was more enjoyable to develop, so we leaned into it. Fun has also reshaped our roles—I now focus on marketing and design, while Tim handles sales. It’s not just cultural; fun is central to how we operate and hire at Posthog.

Could you share your thoughts on why you hire ex-founders?

At PostHog, our organizational structure mirrors our product strategy and operational philosophy. Everything follows the product. We’re building a broad platform with multiple products, making it impossible to micromanage every detail. Unlike the meticulous design process of something like the iPhone, we prioritize maintaining high engineering velocity. Our company is optimized for rapid product development, focusing on design where it matters most.

As we scaled, we had to choose between more processes or more autonomy. Most companies opt for more processes, which can hinder innovation. Inspired by Y Combinator’s small, highly productive teams, we chose autonomy. We hire versatile engineers who don’t just follow a product requirements document—they’re involved in shipping, user interaction, and iteration. This approach attracts top-tier talent who thrive on seeing their work in action. Our structure, with small teams around each product, mimics a YC startup, led by ex-founders who drive features from concept to completion.

Our goal is not only to run Posthog this way but to inspire our 100,000 customer companies to do the same, boosting productivity and innovation.

Can you tell me about what was the initial idea?

We pivoted from a previous project aimed at developers when we stumbled upon the idea for our current platform. We still had meetings lined up from that venture, and during these sessions, I initially pitched a different idea, but it didn’t resonate. Mid-pitch, I shifted focus and started asking if these companies—mostly founders and VPs of Engineering at Series C tech companies—had built their own analytics systems instead of using platforms like Amplitude or Mixpanel.

Surprisingly, many had built their own. This aligned with advice from Dalton Caldwell at Y Combinator, who said if companies invest in maintaining systems they dislike, there’s an opportunity to create something better. It revealed a gap in the market for a developer-friendly analytics tool that respected data privacy and handled complex data without common issues like ad blockers.

Instead of extensive pre-launch validation, we focused on quick iteration—building a basic version and refining it based on real-world use. My co-founder started developing immediately, while I continued gathering feedback to guide our pivot. We aimed for about 20% validation upfront, knowing the real test would come once users had the product in hand. This rapid, iterative approach allowed us to adapt quickly to actual user needs, particularly among Series C and larger companies, and align our product with their frustrations.

What was the best thing that you did in the zero to one stage?

Teaming up with my co-founder was probably the most significant factor in our success. I'm a huge advocate for the approach we took—living together with zero distractions. At the time, I had a pregnant wife back in the UK, but we were completely immersed in our work. We did nothing but talk to users, build our product, and market it. That intense focus was crucial, though temporary—I couldn’t live like that forever. But during that phase, we were 100% committed to making the business work, even moving to a different country to do it.

This environment allowed us to work hard and be decisive, throwing ourselves fully into whatever idea we pursued. I believe you don’t just find inspiration; you discover what you like or dislike by doing. While building, we realized some ideas weren’t for us, but we learned by trying. For me, it's not about loving product analytics specifically, but about loving the process of building a startup as if it's a product itself. That all-in approach, working and living together with intensity, was what moved us from zero to one.

What is something you know now that you wished you knew then?

I've learned that being more ambitious can actually simplify growth. While startup advice often recommends starting small with narrow projects, leading many to follow a predictable path, we've found that expanding our scope early on has been more beneficial. Beginning with self-hosted product analytics, we added services like session replay and feature flags, eventually growing to eight products including error tracking, messaging, and a data warehouse. This broader approach has excited customers, attracted top talent, and made fundraising easier by showcasing our ambitious vision.

For example, when we considered building a data warehouse to compete with giants like Snowflake, it initially felt daunting. However, an engineer transformed his apprehension into commitment, driving the project forward. Our regular trips to San Francisco with my co-founder immersed us in an environment of big ideas and ambitious founders, fueling our creativity and drive.

In hindsight, embracing ambition earlier would have allowed us to rally more support and achieve greater breakthroughs, proving that aiming high leads to a more rewarding journey than starting small.

With so many products, how do you manage focus?

Our focus strategy is unconventional—we focus on building multiple products. While this may seem counterintuitive, breaking the traditional rule of single-minded focus has been key to our success. I believe you can break one major rule as part of your strategy, but trying to break all of them is too risky.

With the explosion of SaaS tools, we saw an opportunity to streamline. Instead of relying on ten different products like many YC startups, we offer one comprehensive solution that integrates and customizes multiple tools in one. That’s the rule we chose to break, and it’s paid off. While we follow other traditional advice, this deviation has been crucial. Another break from the norm is our sales strategy—we don’t have an outbound sales team, relying solely on inbound methods, which has allowed us to scale quickly and effectively without a traditional sales structure.

What impact has building in public had for you as a company?

Building in public was crucial for us, especially in the early days when establishing trust was our top priority. As two relatively unknown founders, we needed a way to gain the confidence of potential users, even though our software was free and open source. I believed transparency was the foundation of trust, and building in public allowed us to show exactly who we were. Instead of appearing as a polished, impersonal company, we embraced being authentic, which became central to our brand.

Our designer, Cory, once pointed out during a late-night website redesign that we were trying too hard to make it look fancy. It hit us that we’re not fancy people—we’re genuine, and that’s what we should focus on. This authenticity aligns with our mission and helps us tell our story credibly. Transparency wasn’t just a nice touch; it was essential to our growth. About 70% of our growth initially came from recommendations, with the rest driven by content marketing focused on sharing who we are and the lessons we’ve learned, not just SEO optimization.

This strategy allowed us to invest more in engineering rather than outbound sales, giving us a larger engineering team than most startups our size. Without this approach of building in public, we might have been a much smaller company, reliant on outbound efforts. Building in public transformed us, helping shape our trajectory and setting us apart from other startups.

And that’s it! You can also find James and Lottie on LinkedIn, or check out PostHog’s website to find out more about what they’re doing.

BRAIN FOOD 🧠 

Found this super interesting talk by Jared Friedman from Y Combinator, where he lays out a solid framework on snagging and evaluating startup ideas. This one’s cool cause it’s actually packed with real examples from YC-backed startups that scaled into billion-dollar businesses.

He also breaks down the common pitfalls in choosing startup ideas with a checklist of questions every founder should be asking about their concept. If you’re trying to get into the game, and aren’t really sure what steps to take, I'd give this one a listen.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK 🐣 

TOOLS WE USE 🛠️

Every week we highlight tools we actually use inside of our business and give them an honest review. Today we are highlighting Attio—powerful, flexible and data-driven, the exact CRM your business needs.

See the full set of tools we use inside of Athyna & Open Source CEO here.

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