Mentor Moment – Eoin Hinchy, co-founder of Tines – The Power of Simplicity

In the 'Mentor Moment' episode of 'The Entrepreneur Experiment' podcast, Gary Fox introduces Eoin Hinchy, co-founder of Tines, a company that has made significant strides in the tech industry since its inception in 2018. The episode delves into the power of simplicity in starting and growing a business, a principle that Eoin Hinchy exemplifies through his journey with Tines. Hinchy shares his experience of assuming that people would be interested in his venture, only to realize that garnering attention requires more than just having an idea; it demands engagement and demonstrating value. He highlights the importance of getting feedback and achieving product-market fit as the primary goal for any founder, above all else. Hinchy recounts the early days of coding Tines' product, an unopinionated automation tool likened to Microsoft Excel for its versatility, and his approach to building it to scratch his own itch as a non-professional software engineer. He emphasizes the significance of releasing a product early to obtain user feedback, even if it is not yet perfect. Hinchy's narrative unfolds with a pivotal moment when Tines, still in its infancy, was invited to compete in a 'Bake Off' against major companies like ServiceNow and Splunk, marking a turning point in the company's trajectory.

Hinchy's account of Tines' growth is marked by his willingness to showcase the product in its raw form, seeking feedback and iterating quickly. He shares the excitement of seeing real users employ the product in ways he hadn't anticipated, validating the product's flexibility and utility. This user-driven development approach has been integral to Tines' success, as evidenced by the product's adoption by security teams and analysts who have used it to automate a vast array of processes. The episode encapsulates Hinchy's entrepreneurial mindset, focusing on the necessity of simplicity, customer feedback, and the readiness to pivot and adapt as key drivers of innovation and growth.