# From Pivot Hell To $1.4 Billion Unicorn

**Author:** Y Combinator
**Type:** Video
**URL:** https://www.ycombinator.com/library/NA-from-pivot-hell-to-1-4-billion-unicorn
**YouTube ID:** 5WN8bfG06Hk

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In just a few years, James Hawkins took PostHog from an idea hacked together right before YC's W20 deadline to a unicorn
powering product analytics for thousands of teams.

In this episode of Founder Firesides, he sits down with YC's Brad Flora to talk about surviving six months of "pivot
hell," why open-source analytics was the breakthrough, and how PostHog grew from fighting for its first users to
launching full product lines. James also shares what he's learned about momentum, staying close to customers, and using
transparency and humor to build a company that stands out.

