MongoDB, founded in 2007, cut back its original platform-as-a-service concept to focus on a scalable open source database for the internet era, leading the NoSQL revolution. Under Dev Ittycheria’s leadership since 2014, MongoDB transitioned to Atlas, a cloud-based service now generating 70% of revenue. Key decisions in scaling, licensing and cloud strategy transformed MongoDB into an almost $2B company.

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‍Summary:
‍MongoDB founder and former CEO Dwight Merriman led the company through a pivot from a platform-as-a-service to a focused database product they’d originally built for internal purposes, setting the stage for its eventual success as an open source developer data platform. CEO and President Dev Ittycheria took the reins in 2014 and led the company from $40M revenue to almost $2B. Their journey offers many lessons for entrepreneurs:

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‍Be willing to radically change course early
‍Just a year into building their original platform-as-a-service vision, MongoDB’s founders realized the scope was too broad—and Google App Engine came out, threatening to steamroll over their initial idea. Despite positive user feedback, they made the difficult decision to scrap most of their code and pivot to focus solely on the database component. Having the courage to dramatically change direction—even when things seem to be going well—can be critical to long-term success.

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‍Technical founders are not always well-suited to hyper-scaling operations
‍Dwight Merriman built a product that developers loved, but the organization he led was somewhat dysfunctional and the company was badly missing plan. The decision to bring in Dev Ittycheria unlocked the operational excellence MongoDB needed to become an exceptional company.

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‍Proactively address existential threats
‍MongoDB recognized an increasingly cloud-based world posed an existential threat to their business model, which was based on downloadable software. Rather than wait for this to play out, they proactively developed Atlas, their own cloud database service. Anticipating and addressing potential disruptions to your business model is crucial.

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‍Make bold moves to protect your business
‍When MongoDB feared the cloud hyperscalers would “strip mine” their open-source product, they made the controversial decision to change their licensing model to SSPL. Despite some backlash from open-source purists, this move protected their ability to build a sustainable business around their technology. Sometimes protecting your company’s future requires making unpopular decisions.

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‍Build for developer love, but don’t neglect business fundamentals
‍MongoDB’s success was built on creating a database developers loved to use. However, translating that popularity into a sustainable business required developing strong go-to-market capabilities and transitioning to a cloud service model. Technical excellence alone is rarely enough—you need to pair it with solid business execution.

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‍Maintain strategic clarity through growth and transitions
‍As MongoDB grew, there were internal disagreements about leadership and direction. Maintaining alignment on strategy and having clear decision-making processes became crucial. As your company scales, ensuring the leadership team and board are aligned on vision and execution is vital.

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‍Be willing to radically expand your vision over time
‍While MongoDB started by narrowing its focus from a platform to a database, its success has allowed it to expand back towards its original platform vision. As you achieve success in one focused area, seize opportunities to expand your product’s scope to capture more customer value over time.