Slope over Intercept

“A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of Y-intercept.” - John Ousterhout

The rate of a function is more important than its starting point. We value growth rate over initial advantage.

Source: Professor John Ousterhout’s lecture at Stanford CS140 

Why slope matters

• Knowledge fades, but the ability to learn compounds
• A fast learner will outpace someone with more initial experience over time
• Slow, steady improvement outperforms quick starts with no growth

What it means day-to-day

• Don’t hesitate to try something new, even if you start clueless. Learning speed matters
• Mistakes are expected. Learning from them is required
• We’ll invest in helping you grow, but the drive has to come from you
• Your trajectory is more important than where you begin

Why we believe in this

• Building something lasting requires patience and commitment to improvement
• We’re not interested in shortcuts. We value the work that compounds quietly until it becomes obvious
• If Menlo’s greatest impact is helping people and ideas grow steadily over time, that’s the kind of success we stand for

Wherever you are in the world, if this feels like you, apply here .