Building in Defense Tech and Sovereign AI with Mattermost's Ian Tien

Founders in Arms

Ian Tien is the co-founder and CEO of Mattermost, an open-source collaboration platform that has evolved from a Slack alternative to essential infrastructure for government and defense organizations worldwide. Starting from a failed HTML5 gaming platform at Y Combinator, Mattermost now serves over 4,000 contributors, employs 120 people, and operates profitably while powering sovereign collaboration for national security agencies.

What you'll learn:

1. How Mattermost pivoted from gaming to defense tech through bottom-up adoption
2. The concept of "sovereign collaboration" and why governments need independent AI systems
3. Ian's framework for hiring executives with "scar tissue" from diverse experiences
4. Why he regrets spending $270,000 on internal swag after taking VC money
5. The unique language and procurement challenges of selling to government customers
6. How open source enables PLG motion in highly secure environments
7. The difference between "butts and seats" contracting vs. commercial off-the-shelf solutions
8. Why most successful founders are in their 30s and 40s, not college dropouts
9. Ian's "daddy daughter days" approach to work-life balance as a CEO
10. The emerging landscape of sovereign AI and national security technology

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction and Ian's Tools for Tech Leaders podcast

(04:05) Mattermost's evolution from Slack alternative to sovereign collaboration

(08:09) Bottom-up adoption in national security environments

(14:23) Learning to sell to government customers and navigate defense acronyms

(24:49) Executive hiring philosophy and building long-term relationships

(30:47) The sovereign AI landscape and government investment trends

(38:53) Defense tech opportunities and getting started in the space

(42:57) Palantir's business model and government contracting dynamics

(51:18) Rapid fire: Walt Disney as tech founder inspiration and personal lessons