This week we sit down with Sachin Jain, Co-founder and CEO of Requestly. You'll hear about turning a 30-minute hack into a YC-backed developer tool, why he chose the open core model over pure monetization, how Stack Overflow and GitHub became their entire GTM strategy, and the acquisition framework that prioritizes the right buyer over the right price.
About Sachin Jain:
Sachin Jain is the Co-founder and CEO of Requestly, the browser-based API mocking and testing platform used by over 300,000 developers worldwide. After transforming a weekend Chrome extension project into a Y Combinator-backed company (one of 414 accepted from 17,000 applications), Sachin led Requestly through a successful acquisition by BrowserStack earlier this year. His journey from Google intern and Adobe engineer to successful founder showcases the power of solving your own problems first.
About Requestly:
Requestly is a developer-first platform that simplifies API mocking, testing, and network request interception directly in the browser. Born from a frustrated developer's need to debug minified JavaScript in production, Requestly eliminates the need for bulky proxy tools by offering a simple Chrome extension that lets developers modify headers, redirect scripts, and mock API responses. The platform has become essential for frontend teams building against incomplete backends.
Show Notes:
00:00 From Developer to Founder
00:32 The P0 Bug That Sparked a Business Idea
02:52 Building an MVP in 30 Minutes
03:04 Identifying a Problem: The Birth of Requestly
05:05 From JavaScript Redirector to API Platform Evolution
05:52 The Evolution of Requestly
08:21 Organic Growth Without Landing Pages or Marketing
08:55 Open Source vs. Monetization
10:20 The Open Core Model
12:10 Navigating Y Combinator: Tips for Success
13:11 What Made Sachin's YC Application Stand Out
14:50 Building a Developer Community
16:39 Company Culture as Product Differentiation
17:57 Acquisition Insights: Choosing the Right Buyer
19:45 Customer Support as Competitive Advantage
21:01 Post-Acquisition Journey
23:53 Lessons Learned: Growth and Adaptation as a Founder
24:38 Why Optimize for Right Buyer, Not Price
27:57 Personal Growth: From Engineer to CEO
