In Conversation with an Icon - Jesse Farmer Founding CTO of Everlane

In this episode of CTO Talk, John Davison and Jesse Farmer dive into the experiences that shaped Jesse’s journey as a co-founder and CTO. If you’re into startups, tech leadership, and navigating the complexities of growth, you’ll find plenty to unpack here.

Key moments:

• Jesse shares early career insights: Self-taught in programming, Jesse talks about his tech journey starting in 2006 and emphasizes working at smaller startups, highlighting his 0-to-1 focus.

• Founding Everlane: Jesse co-founded Everlane, one of the first companies to focus on transparency in the supply chain. He shares how they built their own e-commerce platform and how they balanced technology choices with business goals.

• Building vs. Hiring: One key theme is the tension between building products yourself and knowing when to hire others. Jesse reflects on how waiting too long to hire can slow growth, but at the same time, making the right first hires can shape a company’s future.

• Transparency in e-commerce: Everlane’s success came from focusing on transparency, with a focus on supply chains and responsible pricing, which resonated with customers early on.

• Lessons in scaling: Jesse recounts how early decisions shaped Everlane’s growth trajectory, from hiring the right people to sticking with off-the-shelf technology solutions until it became necessary to innovate.

If you’re curious about the behind-the-scenes of scaling a business from scratch or balancing technical decisions with business needs, this episode is a must-watch.