Jacob Gillespie

Real talk, let me break down Jacob Gillespie – this guy’s the real deal in the startup and dev world. He’s a YC W23 alum, which already says a lot, but his story is even more fire.

So, Jacob’s been around the block, right? He’s worked at some pretty solid places – Webflow, Playlist, Thorn, EraDB, and even Chloe + Isabel. All solid names, and you can tell he’s been deep in the trenches of web dev, full-stack stuff, and building tools for developers. Dude’s got legit experience making apps, infrastructure, all that good tech.

But what really sets him apart is what he’s doing now with Depot – he co-founded it, and he’s CTO. Depot’s this killer startup backed by YC that’s all about turbocharging software build times. Think about how slow Docker builds can get – Depot’s got a solution that’s way faster, supporting both Intel and Arm, and it’s open-source and self-hosted. Basically, they’re making life easier for devs and companies who need to spin up stuff quick without the bullshit. That’s some advanced stuff, especially in a world where speed is everything.

What’s super interesting is that Jacob’s process isn’t just about building things – it’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for developers. He’s all about making tools that actually work better, faster, smarter. And he’s not just doing it for the hobby – he’s gotten recognized for it, even got a Tier 1 Special Promise visa in the UK, which is no joke. He’s based in London now, but his impact is global.

And get this – he maintains Styled Icons, an open-source project, and he’s super into compiled languages like Rust. That’s some serious geek cred. It’s clear he’s not just about chasing the startup hustle; he’s genuinely passionate about tech, making things better, and pushing the boundaries.

Honestly, what his story says to me is that he’s the kind of founder who’s driven by real problems. He’s not just jumping into startups to get rich – he’s solving stuff that matters for developers and the tech community. His process from working at big dev-focused companies to building Depot is like a perfect example of how real passion and expertise can turn into innovation that changes the game.

So, yeah, Jacob Gillespie? He’s a tech wizard, a startup builder, and a guy who’s crushing it because he genuinely cares about making software faster and better. No Cap, this guy’s gonna be one to watch.