Bootstrapping·Peter Wang, Ananconda

Anaconda: From Bootstrapped Startup to 40M Users

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Peter Wang is the co-founder and Chief AI & Innovation Officer of Anaconda, a platform that offers essential open-source Python packages for AI, data science, and machine learning.

In 2011, Peter and his co-founder, Travis, saw an opportunity to make Python mainstream in data science and analytics, but they faced a tough road ahead.

At the time, Python wasn't widely accepted in enterprise, with most companies heavily invested in Java-based tools like Hadoop. Convincing them to switch to Python for big data analysis was a big challenge.

The founders bootstrapped Anaconda by offering consulting and training services while investing heavily in building an open-source community.

They also had to take on well-established competitors in industries that had been relying on the same outdated tools for decades, and prove that their modern, open-source solution could deliver better results.

In 2015, they launched their first enterprise product, offering corporate clients a more secure, controlled version of their open-source tools. This was great for monetization and revenue growth.

However, it also led to internal challenges, as employees struggled to balance the needs of open-source users and enterprise clients, causing confusion around resource prioritization and aligning the company's vision with its business model.

Today, Anaconda serves over 40 million users, generates 8-figure ARR from its enterprise solutions, and employs over 350 people. The company has also raised $45 million in funding.

This episode is part of our Bootstrapping series.

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