Will Larson

Chief Technology Officer, Carta
San Francisco, California,United States
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Who Is Will Larson?

Total Experience17 years
CompanyCarta
CountryUnited States

Will Larson is a highly respected engineering leader, strategist, and author known for his influential work in scaling technology organizations. With a career spanning key leadership roles at companies like Stripe, Uber, Calm, and Digg, he has extensive experience in managing and growing engineering teams through periods of intense hypergrowth. He is particularly recognized for his thoughtful approach to engineering strategy, organizational design, and career development. Larson has codified his knowledge in two critically acclaimed books, 'An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management' and 'Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track,' which have become essential reading for tech leaders and senior individual contributors worldwide. His blog, 'Irrational Exuberance,' is a long-standing resource for the industry, offering deep insights into the complex challenges of modern software development and leadership.

How Did Will Larson's Career Path Shape Their Journey?

Will Larson's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Carta - Chief Technology Officer(2023 to Present)
Calm - Chief Technology Officer(2020 to 2023)
Stripe - Head of Foundation Engineering(2016 to 2020)
Uber - Senior Engineering Manager, Infrastructure(2014 to 2016)
Digg - VP of Platform Technology @ SocialCode(2012 to 2014)
Yahoo! - Technical Yahoo!(2008 to 2010)
Monocle Studios LLC - Cofounder(2008 to 2009)

What Are Will Larson's Key Achievements?

Author of 'An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management'

Authored a foundational book on engineering management that applies systems thinking to solve the challenges of scaling engineering organizations, covering topics like sizing teams, managing technical debt, and designing effective organizational structures.

Author of 'Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track'

Wrote the definitive guide that demystifies the Staff Engineer role, providing a framework and real-world stories to help engineers navigate the path to senior technical leadership and make a broad impact as individual contributors.

Scaled Engineering at High-Growth Companies

Held pivotal leadership positions at Stripe (CTO), Uber, and Calm, where he was instrumental in scaling the engineering organizations, infrastructure, and processes to support massive user growth and product expansion.

Creator of 'Irrational Exuberance' (lethain.com)

Maintains a highly influential and long-running blog that is a go-to resource for engineering managers and leaders, sharing in-depth essays on management, strategy, systems design, and career growth.

What's Will Larson's Educational Background?

BS, Computer Science

Centre College - Year 2003

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Company Overview

Carta
Total employees2500
HeadquartersSan Francisco
Founded2012

Carta is an ownership and equity management platform trusted by founders, investors, and employees. The company specializes in capitalization table management, valuations, and equity plan administration, helping private and public companies, as well as investment funds, to manage their equity, compensation, and ownership structures.

Carta Funding Information
Unknown - Total Funding Raised
$500M - Most recent funding amount
10 - Number of funding rounds
August 12, 2021 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
Andreessen Horowitz
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Silver Lake
Menlo Ventures
Tribe Capital
Thrive Capital

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