Oh boy, this podcast with Ross Mason came out great. I will get right to it.
Here is the link to listen on Spotify and Apple.
Ross is an inspirational founder and has an incredible ability to explain complex issues which means he will make a great venture investor. I really enjoyed learning about Mulesoft and his take on the software revolution.
Guest: Ross Mason
Profile: Founder of DIG Ventures, MuleSoft
Where to Find Him: LinkedIn, Twitter
Fun Fact: If you want a further look into what goes on in Ross’s head — and crash course on all things software — check out his blog on MuleSoft’s website.
What’s the Panic About:
I was excited to get Ross Mason on the phone from his home in Switzerland to continue the conversation we’ve been having on the podcast about open source software. Ross and I share mutual friends and board seats, and I’m also a big fan of all his innovative work in tech and entrepreneurship. Ross explains oftentimes convoluted and confusing tech concepts in a way that is easy to understand, even comparing APIs to ordering food at a restaurant and open source software to a popstar signing onto a label. Although, his British accent makes anything he says sound smart and sophisticated. Beyond dumbing down tech for me, Ross and I had a great conversation about his first entrepreneurial venture (which involved Legos), the origin stories of his companies, skincare, distribution of wealth, public markets, and the future of tech.
The Takeaway:
The API economy and open source software industry are still in the early innings. As we experience this digital transformation and these types of industries expand, we need to start looking at money more as a language and means to communicate in this new digital landscape.
Favorite Quotes:
“I’ve had the entrepreneur bug since birth.”
“I think you always think you have something. Because if you don’t, you start questioning whether you should be doing this in the first place.”
“As everything goes digital, everything interacts through some sort of API. There’s just no other way of doing it.”
“The reason I do what I do is because I love hearing about how other people are solving the next wave of problems.”
Food for Thought:
The software sector has really been top of mind for me lately. If you want to learn along with me, revisit my post about my conversation with Benchmark Capital’s Chetan Puttagunta and this fascinating sector. I included some interesting op-eds and links in the aforementioned post, but I’m always open to learning more about this sector, so send me anything you find helpful.
PS – I am now doing two ‘Panic With Friends’ podcasts per week. Thanks for listening and make sure you subscribe over on Spotify or Apple.
