S2 #9 Josh Inkenbrandt

Building with Heart: Josh Inkenbrandt on Startups, Culture, and Following Passion

On this episode of the 1st10 Podcast, Alexis and I sat down with Josh Inkenbrandt, a true builder in every sense of the word. We spoke about a wide variety of things - from his early days as Pinterest's first front-end developer to co-founding ventures like Klutch and contributing to the emotional well-being app How We Feel.

Josh's career is a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in tech careers, startup culture, and the power of relationships in shaping professional journeys.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our conversation.  

The Power of Relationships in Career Decisions  

When Josh was deciding between joining Pinterest and Instagram early in their trajectories, it wasn't just about the companies' potential or the roles themselves - it was about where he felt he could build meaningful connections.  

Pinterest sending him flowers and a card during the recruiting process was seen by him as a small but impactful gesture. It resonated with him as a father and someone looking for a balanced work environment. This "love bomb," as we call it in recruiting, wasn't just a tactic - it was a reflection of Pinterest's culture, which prioritized respect and collaboration. For Josh, that culture made all the difference.  

To me, this lesson is a reminder that where you work isn't just about the product or the paycheck. It's about the people you'll be working with and the environment you'll be stepping into. As Josh put it, "Where do I feel like my relationships will foster the best work and experience?" That's a question worth asking yourself at every career crossroads.  

The Value of Adaptability and Continuous Learning  

At Pinterest, Josh started as a front-end developer, transitioned into product management, and later took on data engineering roles - all within the same company. What stood out to me was his willingness to dive into areas he wasn't initially familiar with, like data-science, simply because he saw an opportunity to learn and grow.  

He admitted that transitioning from an individual contributor to a product manager wasn't always smooth. He struggled with delegating and scaling himself, which is a common challenge for many engineers moving into leadership roles. But through it all, Josh embraced the learning curve, and that mindset allowed him to thrive in multiple domains.  

If you are someone who's early in their career, Josh's story is a reminder that you don't have to be pigeonholed into one role or skill set. If you're open to learning and willing to take on new challenges, you can carve out a unique and fulfilling career path.  

Advice for Aspiring Builders  

But, IMHO, one of the most valuable moments of the episode was when Josh shared his advice for those trying to break into tech or pivot their careers. And it was, simply, "Build things." Whether it's a prototype, a side-project, or something you're just passionate about, showing what you can do is often more powerful than a resume or a degree.  

And this makes sense, coming from Josh. Because Josh himself is largely self-taught, and his early projects were what helped him land his first roles in tech. "If you make things that you can show people, that's the best heuristic," he said.

In today's world, there exist plenty of AI tools and online resources that make it easier than ever to create and share your work. If *you* are not leveraging them, believe me, someone else defintiely is!

Closing Thoughts  

Josh Inkenbrandt's journey is a reminder that success in tech isn't just about technical skills or being in the right place at the right time. It's about building relationships, staying adaptable, and working on things that matter.

Whether you're an engineer, a founder, or someone just starting out, there's a lot to learn from his approach to life and work!

Until next time, keep building - with heart. 

About Us: 

1st10 was founded on the simple philosophy that there is nothing more important to the success of your startup than the first ten engineers you hire. Because the first ten will impact the next ten and any wrong misstep can be the difference between success and failure. 1st10 works with visionary founders and exceptional engineers to build world class engineering teams.

1st10 was founded by Boris Epstein, original founder of Binc, the firm best known for pioneering embedded recruiting in Silicon Valley. Binc built early teams for Pinterest, Ripple, Stripe, Square, Airbnb, Reddit, Tesla and many more. Binc was acquired by Robinhood in 2021.