Episode
Tracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
42:49
Published: Tue Apr 11 2023
Description
Today we're talking with the fabulous Tracy Young, one of the most successful female startup founders so far. Y Combinator funded her company, PlanGrid in the winter of 2012. PlanGrid revolutionized the construction industry by getting blueprints off paper and onto tablets. You’ll hear about how they found their idea, how they lost a cofounder to cancer in the first few weeks of YC, how they sold the company for almost a billion dollars in 2018, and how she’s now gone on to start a new startup called TigerEye, with her husband and PlanGrid cofounder, Ralph Gootee.
Chapters
Tracy Young, co-founder of construction software company PlanGrid, shares her journey from being a construction engineer to selling her company for almost a billion dollars in 2018, and starting a new startup called Tiger Eye with her husband and co-founder Ralph Gudi.
00:00 - 05:25 (05:25)
Summary
Tracy Young, co-founder of construction software company PlanGrid, shares her journey from being a construction engineer to selling her company for almost a billion dollars in 2018, and starting a new startup called Tiger Eye with her husband and co-founder Ralph Gudi.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The founders of a construction software company were inspired to keep going after they lost their co-founder to cancer.
05:25 - 12:21 (06:55)
Summary
The founders of a construction software company were inspired to keep going after they lost their co-founder to cancer. The tragedy has motivated other founders who have gone through YC and faced similar challenges.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The discussion highlights the importance of workplace safety and how workers in dangerous conditions manage to work safely and go back home to their families every day.
12:21 - 17:17 (04:56)
Summary
The discussion highlights the importance of workplace safety and how workers in dangerous conditions manage to work safely and go back home to their families every day. The conversation also touches on the early days of a profitable company that charged customers for their services.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The speaker talks about the challenges they faced while managing a team of 500 people, where they thought it was their job to tolerate oversized egos.
17:17 - 22:45 (05:28)
Summary
The speaker talks about the challenges they faced while managing a team of 500 people, where they thought it was their job to tolerate oversized egos. The speaker also reflects on how the team's pace slowed down after 10 years, giving them time to reflect.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The conversation between the hosts centered around prioritizing customer needs over product features, and how this can lead to creating loyal customers and increasing revenue.
22:45 - 28:26 (05:41)
Summary
The conversation between the hosts centered around prioritizing customer needs over product features, and how this can lead to creating loyal customers and increasing revenue. They shared their experiences of how many times they didn't build out certain features, but instead prioritized the customer's needs.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The speaker discusses the challenges of running a business while also juggling family responsibilities such as birthday parties, volunteer work and sick children.
28:26 - 35:29 (07:02)
Summary
The speaker discusses the challenges of running a business while also juggling family responsibilities such as birthday parties, volunteer work and sick children. They also express their desire for their company to set a new standard for modern enterprise software.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
The interviewee advises that having a low personal burn rate and enough expenses for at least a year can be helpful in achieving success when starting a startup.
35:29 - 39:45 (04:15)
Summary
The interviewee advises that having a low personal burn rate and enough expenses for at least a year can be helpful in achieving success when starting a startup. She also encourages women to pursue their dreams of starting a business and offers advice for those who are just starting out.
EpisodeTracy Young, Co-Founder & CEO of PlanGrid
PodcastThe Social Radars
It's important for companies to be transparent about their culture and hiring principles when looking to hire new talent, and to be confident in the decision to not hire individuals who do not align with those values.
39:45 - 42:41 (02:56)
Summary
It's important for companies to be transparent about their culture and hiring principles when looking to hire new talent, and to be confident in the decision to not hire individuals who do not align with those values.