Amplitude Founders’ Award Winner: Brian Giori

At Amplitude, we believe great businesses are built by empowering great people. The Founders’ Awards represent our company's highest recognition, celebrating the Ampliteers who embody what it means to think and act like a founder.

As the late, great Steve Jobs once quipped, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell US what to do.” That ethos is at the heart of Amplitude’s beginnings, and since day one, we’ve strived to foster an environment where our people don’t simply excel in their jobs—they take a step back, see the big picture, and boldly tell us what needs to happen to drive the business forward. In other words, they think—and act—like a founder.

Today, we recognize one such Ampliteer who has risen to the challenge and is shaping Amplitude’s future with the same relentless vision and drive that built it.

Brian Giori, Manager, Software Engineering

Brian Giori is the driving force behind Amplitude Feature Experimentation, a scalable solution that tests, analyzes, and optimizes products. When Brian stepped into his managerial role in 2024, he spearheaded efforts to enhance Experiment's evaluation servers, reducing SDK errors by an astounding 95% and eliminating incidents from spiky traffic. Thanks to his leadership, Experiment now supports its previous volume by more than three times, solidifying its place as a pillar of Amplitude’s success. Brian also took on the ambitious Amplitude Web Experimentation project, wearing multiple hats as product manager, engineering manager, individual contributor, and frontline support. He conducted more than 100 customer research calls in this, ensuring a well-defined product vision and a technically sound architecture. Even as he learned what was needed to accelerate the product’s launch, Brian played a pivotal role in securing 18 customers and $700K in ARR in just one quarter—a remarkable feat for a brand-new product.

Brian’s impact extends far beyond Experiment. When the Amplitude Guides and Surveys team needed backend support on an aggressive timeline, he stepped in without hesitation, delivering results with precision and speed. Brian’s hunger for impact, proactive problem-solving, and unwavering dedication to Amplitude’s mission embodies the very essence of the Founders’ Award. He constantly pushes beyond defined responsibilities, championing innovation and ownership at every turn. Brian Giori is not just an exceptional leader—he is a true founder at heart.

Congratulations, Brian!

Tell us about yourself and what brought you to Amplitude

Amplitude stood out to me because I had the opportunity to work on the Experiment product, a brand-new yet-to-be-released product back in 2021. It’s very rewarding and a lot more fun to build something new and grow a product from the ground up than to start on an already successful product. Finally, all the people I interacted with during the interview process were amazing, which sealed the deal for me.

What does acting like a founder mean to you?

To be honest, I’m not completely sure since I’ve never actually been a founder! (Editor’s note: Our value of humility in action!) That said, in my mind, being a founder means taking full responsibility. As a founder, the buck stops with you, and success or failure is directly tied to your behaviors, decisions, and actions. I try to have this mentality in my work.

What motivates you to step beyond your defined role, and how do you approach tackling new challenges?

I am motivated by the people around me. When I see someone having trouble, I try to help, and by helping, I expand my horizon to new problems and challenges both internally and externally. Once I understand a problem, I feel compelled to do something about it, which often requires taking on a larger scope of responsibility. Doing something for the first time and stepping outside your comfort zone is challenging, but it’s also the most rewarding when it pays off.

How do you identify areas for improvement, and how do you drive meaningful change?

I consistently ask for feedback from my manager, team, and peers for personal improvement. This is especially important when stepping into a new role, where bad habits are easier to fix and good habits compound.

Product improvements almost always come through using your own product and talking to customers to identify pain points. I feel it’s especially important to talk to unsuccessful users and customers.

In my opinion, the easiest way to drive meaningful change is through a well-researched and well-written one-pager to start. You may have a great idea, but that great idea, if novel, is usually based on a mountain of context and experience that your peers and your superiors may not have. Putting the problem statement, possible solution, and impact in writing is a great way to pressure test your argument and, when done well, is an effective way to get alignment and kick off initiatives to create outsized impact.