The acquisition of a lifetime

This section discusses the serendipitous creation of Speaker Deck by John Nunemaker and his team, which started as a simple side project using ImageMagick to convert PDFs to images. They aimed to simplify slide sharing, competing with tools like SlideShare. Their approach involved casual, personal touches like generating invite codes on the spot at conferences, which helped build a user base. The project grew within their network, particularly with MongoDB, leading to its launch at conferences and eventual popularity. John reflects on how this 'happy accident' brought him recognition, including an influential meeting with GitHub's co-founder, which eventually led to his company being acquired by GitHub.

In this section, John shares the detailed story of how GitHub, led by Chris Wanstrath, acquired his company during a period of rapid growth and open source momentum. The acquisition was a strategic 'aqua hire' designed to bring a talented team into GitHub, which was expanding quickly and aiming to build a 'strike force' of skilled developers. John describes the negotiations, the emotions involved, and how the deal eventually came about after a lengthy process. He also reflects on the impact of the acquisition, the experience of working at a large company like GitHub, and how he navigated his concerns about losing control and impact, ultimately resigning after the acquisition was complete.

This section focuses on lessons learned by John from his extensive career in open source and technology. He emphasizes the importance of asking and negotiating, having side projects for diversification, and focusing on long-term value. John advocates for experiencing both large companies and startups to understand what aligns best with one’s passions and impact. He highlights the value of building relationships through conferences and networking, sharing how those connections have shaped his trajectory. Additionally, John discusses his ongoing projects, like Fewer and Faster and Boxed Out, illustrating how collaborative friendships and local proximity (living close to Steve Nunemaker) foster ongoing innovation and business development.

This section explores the broader context of open source’s growth and its central role in the software industry, especially with the rise of GitHub. John shares his observations on how open source has become the backbone of societal and technological progress, exemplified by NASA’s use of open source for Mars missions. He reflects on the responsibilities and challenges for companies like Microsoft acquiring GitHub, emphasizing the stewardship and job of balancing corporate interests with community and open source values. John also talks about his personal connection to GitHub artifacts and swag, symbolizing his deep involvement and ongoing passion for open source culture.