How GitHub is building a platform and supporting open source (podcast)

We’re investigating the nature of these Innovation Engines in a series of What To Think podcasts, sponsored by Pivotal Tracker, and columns by VentureBeat editor at large Dylan Tweney. Tune in here to learn the secrets behind the tech world’s most successful platforms.

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In this week’s episode, we talk with Kakul Srivastava, the VP of product management for GitHub.

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We caught up with her recently to talk about how GitHub has evolved into a platform (and what it means to be a platform), how the company figures out which new features and products to build, and the role of open source software in stimulating innovation.

Plus, we tell you what to think about:

• The year in tech-company unicorns (and the idea that 2016 might see a “unicorn death march“)
• Microsoft’s big — and largely successful — launch of Windows 10 in 2015 (and its recent acquisition of Talko) and
• What happened with virtual reality in 2015, from the New York Times distributing a million Google Cardboard headsets to the launch of Samsung’s Gear VR kit.

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The What to Think Innovation Engine podcast is brought to you by Pivotal Tracker, the Agile tool that’s been organizing software teams since 2006. Tracker’s simple drag-and-drop interface and structured workflow have allowed developers, product managers, and designers alike to build and manage better software, one story at a time. Is your team ready to get on track? Go to www.pivotaltracker.com to sign up for your 30-day free trial and start delivering better software now.