James Zhang

Yo, so let me tell you about James Zhang, this dude’s a straight-up tech wizard and a total rockstar in the startup world. He’s been around the block, crushed it at major companies, and now he’s leading the charge at Notion. No cap, he’s the real deal.

So, James jumped into the scene back in YC S17, that’s where he got his start with startups. Before that, he was grinding at Wistia, messing around with video analytics and data processing, pretty niche but super important. This early gig showed he’s all about understanding how data moves and making stuff better behind the scenes.

Then he co-founded some startups in the music and social space, basically jumping into the deep end, trying to build something fresh. That’s where you see his real motivation: not just riding the wave but actually creating new shit. He’s all about innovation, taking risks, and making things that matter.

After that, he spent about five years at Stripe, one of the most legit fintech giants out there. Leading teams on Stripe Checkout and Billing, that’s huge because he helped improve global payment systems for over 100k businesses. Think about how many people rely on Stripe, that’s serious impact. That stint shows he’s got mad skills in scaling tech and solving complex problems on a global level.

Fast forward, now he’s at Notion, running the engineering team since March 2023, and he’s deep into their Calendar feature. That’s a big deal because Notion is a tool millions rely on daily. It’s like he’s the guy making productivity tools even better, pushing the envelope on how we organize our lives. He’s not just about working with big companies; he’s all about making everyday tech smarter and more useful.

What’s crazy about James isn’t just his resume, it’s his process. Started from the trenches, building startups, then jumping into big tech to scale solutions that reach hundreds of thousands. Dude’s got the hustle, the brains, and the vision to turn ideas into real shit that impacts a lot of people.

Bottom line? James Zhang isn’t just some engineer, he’s a builder, a leader, and a guy who’s always pushing forward. He’s proof that if you’re passionate, relentless, and not afraid to take risks, you can go from startup founder to leading major tech products that shape how we work and live. That’s why he’s so important, he’s the embodiment of that startup grind, turned into real impact.