Jun 24, 2024

Coffee with Developers - Adam Wiggins

Adam Wiggins, creator of Heroku, argues that developers are people too. This simple idea revolutionized how we build tools for engineers.

#1about 5 minutes

Learning to code before the internet existed

Early programming experiences involved limited resources like Atari computers and physical manuals, making learning a treasure hunt for knowledge.

#2about 5 minutes

Solving the pain of web app deployment

Heroku was created to solve the frustration of deploying web apps, which previously involved FTPing files or physically installing servers in a data center.

#3about 7 minutes

Pivoting the product vision and joining Y Combinator

Heroku's initial vision was a web-based IDE, but it pivoted to a pure deployment platform before joining Y Combinator's 2008 winter batch.

#4about 3 minutes

Popularizing the concept of developer experience (DX)

Heroku championed the idea of developer experience (DX), applying user experience principles to developer tools and recognizing that developers are people too.

#5about 7 minutes

Building Muse as a digital canvas for thinking

Muse was created as a digital tool to replace physical whiteboards and sketchbooks, providing a dedicated space for ideation within the computer.

#6about 3 minutes

Founding an independent industrial research lab

Ink & Switch was founded to fill the gap between academic research and commercial startups, inspired by historical labs like Xerox PARC and Bell Labs.

#7about 4 minutes

Taking a long-term view on techno-optimism

Technology is a neutral tool, but a long-term historical view shows that human ingenuity generally leads to a more prosperous and kinder world.

#8about 5 minutes

Bridging the gap between academia and industry

The process of "technology transfer," moving ideas from academic theory to real-world software, is a critical but often disconnected step in innovation.

#9about 4 minutes

Current projects in version control and AI

Current interests include creating a universal version control system for all productivity software and applying AI language models to accelerate scientific literature review.