Advith Chelikani

Yo, have you heard of Advith Chelikani? Dude’s a straight-up tech prodigy and one of those guys who just jumps into the deep end and crushes it. He’s part of YC W23 – yeah, that’s the latest cohort – and he’s already making waves with his startup, Pylon.

So, here’s the lowdown: Advith’s been around the block a few times. He’s worked at big names like Slack, Samsara, Coursera, Nutanix, and even NASA JPL – no joke, NASA! That’s like NASA-level serious science and engineering. Plus, he’s had gigs at Kleiner Perkins, which is a top VC, and he’s deep in the startup scene, having been part of YC.

What’s cool is that he’s all about building stuff that actually changes the game. He co-founded Pylon just last year, and these guys are focused on helping customer support teams stay connected across modern chat platforms like Slack, Discord, and Teams. Basically, he’s riding the wave of how we communicate today. And guess what? They just closed a $17 million Series A led by a16z – that’s some serious investor cred.

Looking at his background, it’s clear he’s all about pushing the boundaries of tech. He’s got a solid CS degree from Caltech – no surprise, that’s a top-tier school – and he’s always been curious, diving into research at NASA JPL and working on backend infrastructure at Coursera. He’s done performance infra at Slack, so he knows how to make systems fast and reliable, and he’s also worked on developer ecosystems at Samsara. Basically, he’s been everywhere serious tech happens.

What does that say about him? I think it’s pretty clear he’s driven by a real passion to solve big problems with tech. He’s not just in it to build cool apps – he wants to solve real-world issues, especially around how teams communicate and support customers. His process shows he’s all about innovation, pushing the envelope, and not being afraid to jump into new areas. The NASA gig? That’s a clue. Dude loves tackling tough, complex problems – that’s what fuels him.

And honestly, his story is a reminder that starting something big isn’t just about ideas – it’s about the grind, the experience, the relentless pursuit of better. He’s been in the trenches at top companies, learned what works, and now he’s applying all that to make a real impact with Pylon.

Bottom line? Advith Chelikani is one of those rare guys who’s got the tech chops, the startup hustle, and the vision to really shake things up. Keep an eye on him – this is just the beginning.