How GitLab scaled to 30M users with transparency, remote work, and the ultimate employee handbook | Sid Sijbrandij
In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I’m joined by Sid Sijbrandij, co-founder and Executive Chair of GitLab—one of the world’s most radically transparent and values-driven software companies.
Sid shares how GitLab evolved from an open-source side project into a publicly traded DevOps platform, all while remaining deeply aligned with its values. From turning down a $10 million offer to maintaining control through dual-class shares, Sid walks us through the principles and systems that have shaped GitLab from the start.
We also delve into GitLab’s renowned, live, and public 2,000-page handbook—how it functions not only as documentation but also as a recruiting tool, cultural backbone, and governance mechanism.
In our conversation today, we talk about the following topics:
• Why Sid once cold-pitched a submarine inventor—and got hired
• What led GitLab to turn down a $10M buyout and pursue an IPO
• Why GitLab favors “boring solutions” by default—and avoids reinventing the wheel
• The role of GitLab’s live, public handbook in building transparency and trust
• Why every change at GitLab must be made in the handbook first
• How the handbook supports hiring, alignment, and radical transparency
• GitLab’s approach to decentralized decision-making
• Why “customer results” sits at the top of GitLab’s values hierarchy
• Sid’s case for open core as the future of software
•How GitLab encourages informal connection in a remote-first culture—and the role of in-person meetups
• And much more
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Where to find Sid Sijbrandij:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sijbrandij/
• X: https://x.com/sytses
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Where to find Eric:
• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/
• Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/
• YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow
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In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:52) The origins of GitLab
(04:15) The MVP of GitLab and how it has evolved to a DevOps platform
(05:09) Sid’s internships and why he chose to work with submarines after
(08:57) How Sid became a submarine engineer
(11:10) How Ruby sparked Sid’s interest in programming
(12:28) Why GitLab said no to $10M and chose YC and decided to go IPO
(17:45) How GitLab kept control including granting 10x voting shares before going public
(22:25) GitLab’s extreme commitment to their values
(28:29) GitLab’s Handbook and how changes are made
(33:11) How GitLab handles pushback and how the handbook builds trust
(37:38) An explanation of buyer-based open core at GitLab
(38:35) The challenges implementing a lean startup approach
(45:26) Keeping the organization aligned: How GitLab reinforces their values
(53:51) Why GitLab updates values
(55:57) Why senior engineers have an easier time securing budget
(57:21) Putting customers first: GitLab’s value hierarchy explained
(59:08) The case for decentralized decision-making—and how GitLab makes it work
(1:03:24) The handbook’s role in recruiting and building alignment
(1:06:25) Maintaining transparency after IPO
(1:10:55) The three phases of GitLab’s all-remote operating policy
(1:17:04) How GitLab developed its open core business model
(1:20:19) The trust-building power of open source and Sid’s case for open core
(1:25:20) Protective governance measures GitLab helps companies take
(1:29:28) How Sid has been doing on his cancer journey, and his work to help others
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Referenced:
- Turning down $200 million and the big bets that led to powering 40% of the internet: https://www.ericriesshow.com/Matt-Mullenweg/
- Dmytro Zaporozhets on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dzaporozhets/
- GitLab: https://about.gitlab.com/
- Procter and Gamble: https://us.pg.com/
- IBM: https://www.ibm.com/
- Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/
- The GitLab Handbook: https://handbook.gitlab.com/
- Howard Schultz on X: https://x.com/howardschultz
- Waterfall Methodology: https://www.atlassian.com/agile/project-management/waterfall-methodology
- Founder Mode: https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
- Enshittification: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification
- GitLab Values: https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values/
- Robin Schulman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinschulman/
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Production and marketing by Pen Name.
Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
