Sid Sijbrandij
Co-founder and Executive Chair of GitLab
Sid Sijbrandij is the co-founder and executive chair of GitLab, the DevOps platform he ran as CEO from 2012 until December 2024. He took the company through Y Combinator in 2015 and onto Nasdaq in 2021. Before GitLab he worked on recreational submarines at U-Boat Worx and on lawmaking software for the Dutch Ministry of Justice. He also founded Open Core Ventures.
- Open source
- DevOps
GitLab
Open Core Ventures
- Now
- Executive Chair, GitLab2
- GitLab CEO
- Aug 2012 – Dec 20241
- Education
- MSc Management Science, University of Twente1
- Based
- United States1
In their words
Sid Sijbrandij (pronounced “see-brandy”) is the Co-founder and Executive Chair of GitLab Inc. … He also served as CEO from 2012-2024. … He first saw Ruby code in 2007 and loved it so much that he taught himself how to program. In 2012, as a Ruby programmer, he encountered GitLab and discovered his passion for open source.
1
Experience
- Founder and General Partner12025 – now
- Founder and General Partner2020 – now
Open Core Ventures starts companies around open-source projects that have traction, instead of waiting for founders to pitch.1
- President and Director12022 – now
- Board Member2022 – now
The foundation helps people raise their lifetime earnings through education, training and access to opportunities.1
- FounderJan 2008 – Aug 2012
An app store for web applications, once hosted at appappeal.com; he handled software development and business administration.1
- Lead ArchitectAug 2009 – Jan 2012
Worked in The Hague on the Legis project, which built web applications to support lawmaking.1
- Operational DirectorNov 2003 – Dec 2007
Chose a submarine-design job there over a technology consulting offer and stayed more than four years.10
- InternJun 2003 – Oct 2003
Took part in IBM's Extreme Blue internship program.1
- Thesis Intern1Aug 2002 – Apr 2003
Education
Recognition
Award · University of Twente7
Milestones
- Joins U-Boat Worx as operational director after his IBM internship1
- Becomes lead architect on the Dutch Ministry of Justice's Legis project1
- Asks Hacker News whether people would use GitLab.com; hundreds sign up for the beta5
- Teams up with Dmitriy Zaporozhets to build GitLab Enterprise Edition5
- GitLab is incorporated as a company5
- GitLab graduates from Y Combinator with nine team members5
- Founds Open Core Ventures1
- GitLab prices its IPO at $77 a share and starts trading on Nasdaq as GTLB4
- Steps down as CEO and becomes executive chair; Bill Staples takes over as CEO3
- Founds Even One Ventures1
- Named a laureate of the University of Twente's first Van den Kroonenberg Lifetime Achievement Awards, presented on August 317
Writing
Skills
Volunteering
First Rails Girls workshop in Basel, Switzerland1