Some news to share – I’m moving on from SlideShare. After an amazing nine year journey since its launch from New Delhi in 2006, I think now is the right time to pass on the baton and focus on the next stage of my professional life. My co-founders – Rashmi & Jon moved on a few months ago, so this marks the exit of the entire founding team.
All these nine years – there’s never been a dull day at work. Building a consumer internet platform that millions of professionals across the world use in their daily working lives has been a truly humbling experience. This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of SlideShare’s vibrant community.
SlideShare is in great shape. Its now an integral part of LinkedIn, has capable leadership and the team is completely killing it. Nov’14 saw the highest traffic numbers ever, and it is poised to break into the world’s top 100 websites. To a founder, this gives confidence that SlideShare is progressing steadily on its mission of empowering the world’s professionals through knowledge.
The LinkedIn experience was insightful… it has helped me connect the dots. I’ve always felt that it takes a combination of art and science to build a world class product. Startups are best at the art of creating something from nothing, but it takes a rigorous scientific approach to make the product high quality and scale it. Thats what LinkedIn taught me.
Looking back at the journey, there are things we got right and some others where we could have done better. I’ll share my key learnings in subsequent posts. Having built a company with the word “share” in its name, there’s one learning that stands tall over everything else – If you acquire some knowledge, don’t keep it to yourself. Share with others so they can benefit from it and improve on it… the ecosystem grows and some of that karma will flow back to you as a reward. To borrow a phrase – the real power of knowledge is the power to give it away.
I’ll take this opportunity to thank the super talented SlideShare team spread across two offices – San Francisco & New Delhi. There are changes going forward – SlideShare is getting consolidated into the San Francisco office. Not what the founders would have done, but LinkedIn is a large organization with its own structure and priorities – its best for SlideShare to fit into LinkedIn in a way that ensures its long term success.
Goodbye SlideShare! I’ll always be your most ardent evangelist… just that I’m no longer part of the team that’s building you.
What’s next for me – some plans are work-in-progress… will share when the appropriate time comes:) Stay tuned.
All the Best Sir (Y)
Hi Amit,
All the Best for the next phase of journey.
Best,
Dipesh
All the best for your future endeavors. I met you and Rashmi first time when you launched Slideshare. The Slideshare story is inspiring and amazing.
All the best, and thank you for giving best knowledge sharing platform ever.
All the best
Slideshare is one of the few Indian products which we all are proud of , Thank you and All the Best
Wish you the very best Amit. You created something great & inspired many of us. The karma will flow back in whatever next you do
All the very best, We as an organization in Mind Dots, always love Slideshare for marketing and technical. You are the real inspiration to all of us, we look forward to see more such innovative products from you…
Wishing you an innovative journey ahead.
Would love to know your work-in-progress when available.
That’s a bit of shock to me but anyway all the very best for future endeavors and a big thanks
Praveen
Bound to be mixed feelings – leaving a thing that you have built from scratch with the other two.
As an active user of Slideshare in its first years I am nervous how it will fare w/o you three. But then organisations are built to stand independent of their founders.
I must thank you for the speed alacrity and courtesy with which you responded and helped us in those formative years. I am sure that will stand you good in your future endeavors in much more challenging environments.
Wish you all the very best for the future! 🙂
Thanks Amit. I was very active in SS once and it helped me get hundreds of friends around the globe and still in contact with them though I withdrawn from SS for many reasons including some policy changes in SS.It was a vibrant and wonderful community committed to sharing their knowledge.
I wish you bright future and hope that you will start a new venture with unique ideas.
Bye
Thankachan
Hi Amit,
You did really awesome job at SlideShare. Best of Luck for the next chapter in life !!!
Thanks & Regards,
Jagmohan Singh
Love the way slideshare have evolved. It is one of the best sharing services out there with the most amazing content.
All the best for your future endeavors.
All the best Amit!
Wish You Good Luck and all the very Best Amit to lead the upcoming project for opening all Government Technology Systems, as it looks to speed up Creation of Apps that can be deployed across the Country !!!
The Word SHARE definitely is Powerful! Keep Sharing!! Keep Growing!!! 🙂
All the best Amit ! Awesome job with SlideShare…
Thank you for giving us Slideshare. Life goes on and so thus we all have to. Wishing you luck for all the steps ahead…
Thanks so much Amit for building Slideshare. It’s one of my favorite products out there. Best of luck for your next venture.
All the best Amit. I’m sure whatever you do, will create impact on every single one of us. Just like last time.
Cheers!
Amit Sir,
Thanks for giving us such nice product which is loved by world and helpful. Expect much more innovative and new product in future.
Wish you success.
All the best, Sir. Cheers to the years that passed and so on to greater heights.
All the very best Amit!
You have been an inspiration to Entrepreneurs here in India, keep raising the bar.
Wish you all the best in your next adventure!
I wish you the very best!
All The Best Sir!!
Good luck to you as you move onto the next stage in your life. Without a doubt, you will continue to have success in all areas!