Robinhood SWE Turned $1B+ Founder on Non-Linear Careers, Being Jaded About Promos, Startup Learnings

Jayendra Jog left Robinhood and raised $35m to start his own crypto startup (Sei Labs). Before he left, he got jaded about software engineering career ladders yet was coasting through promotions at Robinhood. I asked him about how he did that along with a bunch of questions about when to leave your job, how to raise money, and what to expect as a founder.

𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀:
• Transcript: developing.dev/p/quitting-robinhood-and-raisin…
• YouTube: youtu.be/f4eeoetb8t4
• Apple: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-peterman-pod…

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘀:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:54 - Big tech internships
00:04:51 - Joining Robinhood
00:07:58 - Big tech vs startups discussion
00:10:16 - Getting jaded about Robinhood career growth
00:16:04 - Coasting and getting promoted
00:18:54 - Gamestop stories from the inside
00:22:34 - Leaving Robinhood
00:30:25 - Learnings from raising $35m
00:34:07 - What value does crypto provide?
00:37:47 - Learnings and when to leave
00:40:41 - Advice for his younger self
00:41:58 - Outro

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗮𝘆:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jayendrajog
• X/Twitter: x.com/jayendra_jog
• His Company: x.com/Sei_Labs

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻:

• Newsletter: developing.dev
• X/Twitter: x.com/ryanlpeterman
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryanlpeterman
• Threads: threads.com/@ryanlpeterman
• Instagram: instagram.com/ryanlpeterman
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@ryanlpeterman