25 Feb 2026

1h 57m

Mitchell Hashimoto’s new way of writing code

The Pragmatic Engineer

The podcast explores the journey of Mitchell Hashimoto, co-founder of HashiCorp, from his early days as a self-taught web programmer to building tools that power modern cloud infrastructure. Hashimoto recounts HashiCorp's origins, stemming from a failed university research project and a notebook of unsolved problems, to his co-founder's pivotal email. He shares his unfiltered experiences working with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses as partners. Hashimoto also discusses his adaptation to AI coding tools, emphasizing the importance of running an AI agent in the background to optimize workflow and the need for engineers to embrace AI agents. He also touches on the changing dynamics of open source due to AI contributions.

Outlines

Part 1: Origins and Early Passion

Part 2: The Birth of HashiCorp

Part 3: Scaling Products and Business Strategy

Part 4: IPO, M&A, and Cloud Dynamics

Part 5: Systems Programming and Ghostty

Part 6: AI Agents and Modern Engineering

Part 7: Future Outlook and Personal Advice

Continue

Preview

How to Get Rich: Every EpisodeNaval

Mitchell Hashimoto’s new way of writing code

The Pragmatic Engineer

Part 1: Origins and Early Passion

00:00AI's Impact on Open Source and the Craft of Engineering

AI's Impact on Open Source and the Craft of Engineering

00:57From Video Games to Open Source: Hashimoto's Early Programming Journey

From Video Games to Open Source: Hashimoto's Early Programming Journey

02:24Early Web Development, Online Friends, and a Hidden Passion

Early Web Development, Online Friends, and a Hidden Passion

04:55A Ruby on Rails Opportunity and the Introduction to Infrastructure

A Ruby on Rails Opportunity and the Introduction to Infrastructure

Part 2: The Birth of HashiCorp

07:27The Seattle Project Failure and the Genesis of HashiCorp's Vision

The Seattle Project Failure and the Genesis of HashiCorp's Vision

10:40From a Notebook of Problems to a Startup Proposition

From a Notebook of Problems to a Startup Proposition

12:14Vagrant's Origins: Solving Development Environment Challenges

Vagrant's Origins: Solving Development Environment Challenges

14:55The Dawn of Cloud Computing and the Multi-Cloud Vision

The Dawn of Cloud Computing and the Multi-Cloud Vision

17:34From Mobile Ads to Startup Mingling: The Birth of HashiCorp

From Mobile Ads to Startup Mingling: The Birth of HashiCorp

19:20Cloud-First Companies and the Realization of a Market Need

Cloud-First Companies and the Realization of a Market Need

Part 3: Scaling Products and Business Strategy

21:55Bootstrapping and the Decision to Seek Venture Capital

Bootstrapping and the Decision to Seek Venture Capital

24:34Packer, Consul, Terraform, and Vault: The First HashiCorp Products

Packer, Consul, Terraform, and Vault: The First HashiCorp Products

27:35Vault's Focus on Production Secrets and Security Audits

Vault's Focus on Production Secrets and Security Audits

29:46Nomad, the Scheduler, and the Lack of a Business Model

Nomad, the Scheduler, and the Lack of a Business Model

32:50Managing Investors and the Importance of Open Source Traction

Managing Investors and the Importance of Open Source Traction

34:39Atlas: A Failed Attempt at Commercialization

Atlas: A Failed Attempt at Commercialization

37:04A Weekend Pivot: Embracing Enterprise and Open Core

A Weekend Pivot: Embracing Enterprise and Open Core

39:57A Clear Direction and the Power of Listening to Customers

A Clear Direction and the Power of Listening to Customers

42:08The Enterprise Buyer and the Power of a Focused Product

The Enterprise Buyer and the Power of a Focused Product

44:15Terraform's Rise and the Importance of Travel and Community Engagement

Terraform's Rise and the Importance of Travel and Community Engagement

Part 4: IPO, M&A, and Cloud Dynamics

47:19Preparing for an IPO and the Culture of Secrecy

Preparing for an IPO and the Culture of Secrecy

50:59VMware's Acquisition Offer and the Early Days of HashiCorp

VMware's Acquisition Offer and the Early Days of HashiCorp

53:30The Letter of Intent and the First Verbal Offer

The Letter of Intent and the First Verbal Offer

55:07Cold Feet, Regret Minimization, and a $100 Million Ask

Cold Feet, Regret Minimization, and a $100 Million Ask

57:49Honest Views on Cloud Providers: AWS's Arrogance

Honest Views on Cloud Providers: AWS's Arrogance

1:00:07Open Source Weaponization and AWS's Reluctance to Help

Open Source Weaponization and AWS's Reluctance to Help

1:02:03Microsoft's Competence and Google Cloud's Technical Brilliance

Microsoft's Competence and Google Cloud's Technical Brilliance

Part 5: Systems Programming and Ghostty

1:03:38AI's Impact on Open Source: A Noisy Signal

AI's Impact on Open Source: A Noisy Signal

1:06:08Ghostty: A Terminal Born from a Desire to Learn

Ghostty: A Terminal Born from a Desire to Learn

1:07:38Zig: A Better C and the Allure of Desktop Development

Zig: A Better C and the Allure of Desktop Development

1:09:12The Complexity of Terminals: More Than Meets the Eye

The Complexity of Terminals: More Than Meets the Eye

1:11:15Ghostty's Architecture: Threads and Rendering

Ghostty's Architecture: Threads and Rendering

1:13:46Performance and Craftsmanship: The Love of the Game

Performance and Craftsmanship: The Love of the Game

Part 6: AI Agents and Modern Engineering

1:15:17AI's Unexpected Boost to Terminal Usage

AI's Unexpected Boost to Terminal Usage

1:17:39AI as a Revolutionary Tool: Choosing What to Think About

AI as a Revolutionary Tool: Choosing What to Think About

1:19:15Running Multiple Agents and Cleaning Up Their Work

Running Multiple Agents and Cleaning Up Their Work