The Business of Open Source

Amanda Brock, CEO of Open UK, joins me for an engaging conversation on best practices in founding an open-source company. In this episode, Amanda and I chat about the various business models available for building a company around open-source technology, the common pitfalls and crossroads open-source founders find themselves facing, and how to do open-source in a way that leads to long-term success and profitability. Highlights:What is Open UK? (00:40)The various business models for building a company around open-source technology (04:09)Which business models Amanda feels work best and why (08:07)The importance of founders prioritizing open-source communities (14:07)How and why to do open-source the right way (17:04)What is the true cost of founding an open-source company compared to traditional business models? (26:44)Who are you building for, and how do you get to profitability? (30:35)Links:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandabrocktech/Twitter: www.twitter.com/amandabrocktechOpen UK www.twitter.com/openuk_ukCompany: www.openuk.uk

Wes McKinney, CTO & Co-Founder of Voltron Data, joins me for an in-depth conversation on how his quest to develop Python as an open-source programming language led him to creating the pandas project and founding four companies. In this episode, Wes and I dive into his unique background as the founder of the pandas project and he describes his perspective on the early days of Python, his journey into the world of open-source start-ups, and the risks and benefits of paying developers to work on open-source projects. Highlights:Wes introduces himself and describes his role (00:46)Wes’ role in elevating Python to a mainstream programming language (02:15)How working with Python led Wes to co-founding his first two companies (09:01)Apache Arrow’s critical role at Voltron Data and their focus on accelerating Arrow adoption (12:52)How did the team at Voltron Data decide on an open-source business model? (18:54)Wes speaks to the risk that can come from having developers work on an open-source project (22:31)Wes’ perspective on the real-world applications and benefits of paying developers to work on open-source projects (27:44)Links:WesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesmckinn/Twitter: https://twitter.com/wesmckinnCompany: https://voltrondata.com/

Braden Hancock, Co-founder and Head of Technology at Snorkel AI, joins me to talk about his path from academia to start-up co-founder and his vision to make AI more accessible to both traditional and no-code development. In this episode, Braden and I explore the journey he and his co-founders took to go from having an interesting idea to forming a company and the strategic business decisions they made along the way, such as why they opted not to use an open-source business model and the educational marketing strategy they’ve adopted. Highlights:Braden discusses his role as co-founder of Snorkel AI. (00:25)An introduction to Snorkel Flow, Snorkel AI’s data-centric AI development program and the challenges they solve for. (01:49)Snorkel AI’s relationship with open source. (06:30)Why Snorkel AI decided not to use an open-source business model in order to lower the barrier to entry. (09:01)Snorkel AI’s trajectory coming from academia to the world of start-ups. (12:50)The unexpected challenges of building Snorkel AI. (17:50)Taking an educational approach to the marketing at Snorkel AI. (22:27)Braden discusses the meaningful applications of AI as well as where he sees AI being used as more of a buzzword. (27:27)Links:BradenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradenhancock/Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradenjhancockCompany: snorkel.ai Snorkel AI Twitter: https://twitter.com/SnorkelAI

Anna Filippova, Director of Community & Data at DBT Labs, joins me to chat about the fundamental role community plays in the world of open source and her role helping to create a thriving community. In this episode, Anna and I dive into the concept of a community: why it’s essential for open-source development, how to create business value through community, and how to track community health above and beyond user count. Highlights:Why community is mission critical at DBT Labs (02:07)The fundamental role open source played in creating DBT Labs as its known today (05:57)The approach DBT Labs uses to create business value through community (08:13)Anna’s framework for the three buckets of communities (09:42)Why measuring and tracking community health is a more valuable metric than just user count (11:34)What do people get out of communities, and why are they so valuable? (19:06)Common misconceptions around building communities as a business strategy (24:19)Links:Anna LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annafilippova/Twitter: https://twitter.com/anna_filDBT Labs: getdbt.com/communityCoalesce Conference: https://coalesce.getdbt.com/

Highlights:Open source software at the department of defense (1:36)Is there risk associated with using open source software in the department of defense? (5:30)Does the public sector contribute to and participate in open source communities? (9:13)Rob’s background and work experience (14:25)What led Rob to found Defense Unicorns (16:35)Rob’s focus on a specific niche in the founding of his company (17:33)How working with a fixed budget affects an open source company (19:33)Links:RobLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcslaughter/Company: https://www.defenseunicorns.com/

Ricardo Mendoza, founder and CEO of Pantacor, joins me for a chat at the Open Source Summit in Austin. Ricardo shares why he started Pantacor and describes the differences between IoT, edge, connected, and embedded devices. I ask him how Pantacor fits into the edge continuum, and he explains how Pantacor helps bring embedded devices into the future. Ricardo talks about the open source arm of Pantacor’s strategy, we discuss Pantacor’s unique interest in hardware versus primarily dealing with software, and Ricardo wraps up by sharing his advice for aspiring business owners! Highlights:Why Ricardo started Pantacor (1:19)Difference between IOT edge devices, connected devices, and embedded devices (2:17)How Pantacor fits into the edge continuum (4:49)Why are embedded systems lagging behind and how does that manifest? (6:22)How open source is part of Pantacor’s strategy (9:40)How aware are manufacturers of their operating systems and how Pantacor could help them? (13:35)Pantacor’s relationship with hardware (16:45)What was the inspiration for the founding of Pantacor? (20:11)The difference between cloud developers and their relationship with open source versus the relationship between embedded devices and open source (22:46)Is there a disadvantage to being based in Europe? (24:51)Advice for someone who wants to start a company or work with embedded devices (26:28)Links:Pantacorhttps://pantacor.com/https://pantavisor.io/Twitter: @pantahub

Live from the Open Source Summit in Austin, I sit down with Jeff Shapiro, the License Scanning Manager for the Linux Foundation. Jeff begins by explaining what he does at the Linux Foundation, including ensuring that open source licenses are compatible and compliant. We discuss what license issues start-ups should be aware of, how to educate yourself on open source licensing, and when you should consult an expert. Jeff clarifies some confusion around dual licenses and explains the challenges of changing licenses on an open source project. Finally, we discuss the possibilities of disallowing specific uses through licensing and who can write a license. Highlights:Jeff talks about the legal and business risks of non-compliant open source licenses (3:09)License issues start-ups should be aware of (7:16)DCO (Developer certificate of origin) and understanding where code comes from (12:10)Educating yourself and others about open source licenses (13:04)Jeff talks about when you need to consult an expert (15:36)Jeff explains how he got into licensing as an engineer (17:23)Jeff discusses dual licenses (18:18)How hard is it to change licenses on an open source project (20:23)Jeff explains if it’s possible to disallow specific uses with your license (23:39)Links:JeffLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcshapiro/Company: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/

Today I sit down with Webb Brown, CEO and cofounder of Kubecost. Kubecost provides real-time cost visibility and insights for teams using Kubernetes. Webb tells the story of building Kubecost, starting with the pain points that inspired the open source tool. He talks about the transition from an open source project to becoming a commercial company, and explains the decision to build a company with the same name and branding as the open source tool. Webb talks about Kubecost’s newest initiative, OpenCost, and concludes by offering some lessons and advice for anyone in the early days of an open source startup. Highlights:Webb explains what Kubernetes cost is (1:27)How the pain points addressed by Kubecost usually manifest (3:04)What the impetus was for building the Kubecost open source tool (5:30)The transition from open source to commercial (6:54)The relationship between a cost-cutting tool and open source (10:48)Kubecost’s new initiative, OpenCost (13:40)The decision to have a company with the same name as the open source project (18:55)Pros and cons that are unique to building an open source company (22:08)Advice for anyone in the early stages of an open source startup (25:22)Links:WebbEmail: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/webbbrown/Twitter: https://twitter.com/webb_brownCompany: https://www.kubecost.com/

Today I sit down with Ev Kontsevoy, the CEO and co-founder of Teleport, a software company that began as an open source project. Teleport is an identity aware multi protocol access proxy that Ev was inspired to create because of the inherent frustrations with security he experienced in his career. Ev talks about how Teleport began as an open source tool and then grew into enterprise. I ask Ev what things he has done differently from his first start-up, Gravity, and we discuss how the open source community culture has bled into the company culture at Teleport. We end by talking about the SaaS version of Teleport and the ways in which the open source version funnels business into the commercial version. Highlights:Security frustrations that led to the founding of Teleport (1:17)Ev talks about Teleport’s vision and how it began as an open source project (6:33)Ev talks about Teleport’s first customer and a separate open source project, Gravity (12:09)How Ev’s experience with a prior start-up changed his approach to Teleport (18:24)Ev discusses the culture and community at Teleport (21:16)How Teleport chooses which features to keep open source and which ones to offer as commercial (24:38)The SaaS version of Teleport (26:55)The different audiences for the different iterations of Teleport (28:08)Links:Ev KontsevoyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kontsevoy/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kontsevoyCompany: goteleport.com

Today I’m joined by Cillian Kieran, the CEO and co-founder of Ethyca, to talk about the privacy challenges that served as the impetus to found Ethyca. In our chat, he explains the overarching goals of the privacy engineering platform. We discuss the decision to begin Ethyca as an open source tool and why that was critical to the mission. Then we talk about the decision to move to a commercial product and how to decide which features to offer as paid versus free. Cillian reviews the differences in his process between his two start-ups, discusses lessons he learned from prior mistakes, and provides advice for aspiring founders of open source start-ups. Highlights:How Cillian decided to found Ethyca (00:50)Awareness of developers and engineers around privacy issues (3:46)Cillian talks about why he went the open source route (8:15)Moving from open source to commercial product (14:02)Privacy as a human right and how that influences development of features (16:32)How Ethyca manages relationships between engineer and legal teams (19:40)What Cillian did differently at his two start-ups (21:58)We discuss open source start-up success and whether it’s necessary to have a larger world-changing vision (24:52)Cillian discusses mistakes he has learned from (27:56)Cillian offers advice to aspiring founders in the open source community (30:49)Links:Fides open source platform: fid.esCillianTwitter: @CillianCompany: https://ethyca.com/

Today I’m joined by CEO and founder of LeanIX, André Christ. André begins by describing his business, and then explains how his experiences working in large enterprise inspired him to build a product that would help businesses catalogue their software and optimize their portfolios. André offers advice for companies desiring to sell primarily to enterprise and expounds on the his experience with the differences between traditional enterprise and large enterprise. We discuss LeanIX’s transition to become a global company based in Europe, and conclude our talk with some advice from André to potential founders. Highlights:André describes his his company LeanIX (00:48)The experiences that led André to found LeanIX (2:50)LeanIX’s decision to focus on enterprise customers (7:45)Advice for companies that want to focus on selling to enterprise (9:47)The difference between traditional enterprise and very large enterprise like Amazon (15:19)Transitioning to becoming a global company based in Europe (19:49)The surprisingly fragmented world of global tech (24:50)LeanIX’s decision to expand into other products (26:30)André’s advice for anyone considering starting a company (27:57)André shares about scaling mistakes and how LeanIX has learned from them (31:48)Links:AndréLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrechrist/Twitter: https://twitter.com/christ_andreCompany: https://www.leanix.net/

Today I chat with Keith Basil, GM of Edge Computing at SUSE. We begin by reviewing the definition of edge: Keith explains how SUSE breaks edge computing down into 3 categories, and then talks about the shared understanding of edge by the industry at large. I ask Keith about the overlap of edge products with non-edge products, and then we discuss the maturity of the edge landscape and Keith explains how SUSE helps clients with infrastructure. We wrap up by talking about managing feature bloat and SUSE’s decision to have their entire code base be open sourced. Highlights:Keith breaks down the 3 categories of “edge” as defined at SUSE (1:14)We discuss the industry understanding of edge technology (5:34)Keith defines “edge watching” (8:44)We discuss the relationship between cloud native and edge native (10:22)The overlap of edge products and non-edge products (14:25)The maturity of the edge landscape and how SUSE help clients with infrastructure (17:04)How SUSE manages feature bloat (23:37)SUSE’s decision to have their entire code base be open sourced (26:15)Links:KeithTwitter: @noslzzpCompany: https://www.suse.com/

Today I talk with Shaun O’Meara, the global field CTO at Mirantis. We begin by discussing the integration of Docker Enterprises with Mirantis approximately three years ago. We discuss the challenges of integrating companies, including incorporating new technology, processes, and customers and merging two very different work cultures. Shaun offers his advice for anyone considering selling to enterprises and emphasizes the role of partnering with customers and becoming part of their process. Shaun talks about the expectations and realities of merging Docker and Mirantis, including the challenges of a licensing model change. We conclude our time by discussing the differences between selling to small companies versus selling to enterprises. Highlights:How integrating Docker Enterprises with Mirantis affected Shaun’s role as CTO (1:09)How incorporating Docker technology helped Mirantis build different value for customers (3:39)We talk about the effects of combining the work cultures of Docker and Mirantis (5:40)Shaun offers advice for people considering start ups or selling to enterprise, including the importance of partnering with customers (8:47)Shaun talks about his expectations of merging Docker and Mirantis versus reality (12:56)We talk about the licensing model change through the transition (14:34)Shaun talks about outsourcing versus what Mirantis does in augmenting and supporting teams (17:55)We discuss the differences between selling to small companies and enterprise (20:06)Links:ShaunLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-omeara/Company: https://www.mirantis.com/

Today I sit down and chat with John McBride, senior software engineer at VMware. We begin by talking about John’s address at KubeCon, “Risks of Single Maintainer Dependencies and How to Mitigate Those Risks.” We discuss the definition of security and then John identifies some of the other non-security risks posed by single maintainer dependency. We talk a little bit about mitigating the risks and about building trust and community around single maintainer projects. We conclude our time by speculating on the extinction of single maintainer dependencies. Highlights:John introduces himself and talks about his interest in mitigating the risks of single maintainer dependencies (00:55)We have a conversation about the definition of security (4:54)John talks about the other, non-security risks of single maintainer dependency (10:00)We discuss how to mitigate the risks of single maintainer dependency (12:04)John talks about building trust and building community around single maintainer projects (16:48)John answers my question “Do you think being a single maintainer is ultimately an anti-pattern, a non best practice?” (23:56)Links:JohnTwitter: @johncodezzzCompany: https://www.vmware.com

Today I talk with Catherine Paganini, Head of Marketing and Community at Buoyant. We begin by discussing the Cloud Native Glossary and how it is helping to make cloud native concepts more accessible for people around the world. Catherine talks about nurturing community in open source projects, and about the function of documentation. Catherine and I discuss pitfalls in building open source communities, and Catherine talks about her strategy for recovering from mistakes. Catherine concludes the conversation by talking about balancing her roles as head of marketing and community at Buoyant.Highlights:Catherine talks about how the Cloud Native Glossary started, how it has grown, and how it helps to make education about the cloud accessible and easy to understand (1:00)Catherine discusses about how the Cloud Native Glossary is being used (5:47)Catherine and I talk about nurturing community in an open source project (8:22)Catherine discusses empowering end users through efforts like the Linkerd Anchor Program (11:28)Catherine talks about the function of documentation (14:05)I ask Catherine, “What do you see people getting wrong when it comes to nurturing community?” (15:29)Catherine talks about recovering from mistakes (18:49)Catherine discusses walking the line between being head of marketing and head of community (23:47)Links:Cloud Native Glossary: https://glossary.cncf.io/Linkerd: https://linkerd.io/Linkerd Anchor Program: https://linkerd.io/community/anchor/CatherineLinkedIn: Catherine PaganiniTwitter: @cathpagaCompany: https://www.buoyant.io

Today I talk with Yann Léger, CEO of Koyeb, the serverless developer platform that allows businesses to safely and easily deploy applications. We begin by talking about Yann’s decision to base the company on serverless, and the true meaning of cloud native. Yann then discusses Koyeb’s relationship with Kuma, and Koyeb’s posture towards open source projects. The conversation concludes with Yann sharing mistakes he’s learned from in the process of building Koyeb and offering advice to other potential technical founders. Highlights:Yann talks about the decision to leave his position at Scaleway and start his own company (1:44)Yann discusses choosing to base his company on serverless (3:14)Emily and Yann talk about the meaning of cloud native (6:00)Yann talks about Koyeb’s relationship with Kuma (9:40)Yann discusses Koyeb’s open source projects (11:46)Yann shares mistakes he has learned from in the process of building Koyeb (15:25)Yann answers the question “What are the disadvantages of being a technical founder?” (18:06)Emily and Yann discuss the challenges of remote working (22:00)Yann’s advice for anyone considering becoming a technical founder (23:15)Links:YannLinkedIn: Yann LégerTwitter: @yann_eu, @gokoyebCompany: https://www.koyeb.com/

Today I chatted with Dirk Hohndel, chief open source officer at the Cardano foundation. We begin by defining an open source ecosystem, and then talk about what different open source ecosystems might look like and how they are maintained. Dirk talks about best practices for steering an open source ecosystem, and then we discuss the role of foundations in open source projects. I ask “how do you define success for an open source project” and we end with a discussion on the best practices for running open source project foundations.Highlights:We talk about the meaning and maintenance of an open source ecosystem (1:31)The differences between an open source ecosystem and a community (11:06)Dirk talks about best practices for steering an open source ecosystem (13:00)The role of a foundation in an open source project (18:04)Dirk discusses other iterations of open source projects that can be successful (22:19)Dirk answers the question “how do you define success for an open source project?” (24:43)We discuss best practices for running an open source project foundation (27:49)Links:Dirk Twitter: @_dirkhCompany: cardanofoundation.org

Today I sit down with Romaric Philogène, CEO and founder of Qovery, a platform that helps developers build, deploy, run, and scale applications. Romaric begins by talking about his first two start-ups, both social networks, and then we discuss the difference between creating consumer-facing products and products for developers. We then talk about marketing in the US as it compares to the global market. We discuss Qovary’s relationship to open source and the idea of fostering community around a company’s culture. Romaric concludes by offering advice to developers on the value of being a skilled communicator. Full Description / Show NotesHighlights:Romaric talks about his first two startups that preceded Qovery (3:26)The differences between building a consumer facing product and creating a product for developers (5:55)Romaric talks marketing in the US vs marketing in Europe (11:50)Romaric answers the question “what are things you’re doing differently now that you’ve learned from previous efforts?” (17:00)The value of community building in marketing to developers (19:28)Qovary’s relationship with open source (20:46)Building community around your company vs just a product (25:00)The importance of communication as an engineer (28:47)Links:RomaricTwitter:@rophilogeneCompany: https://www.qovery.com/

Today I’m chatting with Avery Pennarun, CEO of Tailscale. Tailscale is a VPN service that makes devices and applications accessible anywhere in the world by enabling encrypted point-to-point connections using the open source WireGuard protocol. Avery begins by talking about his experience building a start-up while he was a college student and how things have changed as he leads his current start-up. Avery recommends the book “Crossing the Chasm” and we discuss market segmentation as it relates to creating a successful start-up. Avery explains how Tailscale has been successful in implementing market segmentation strategies. We conclude our conversation by talking about goal setting and the importance of quality.Highlights:Avery talks about his first start-up experience as a college student (1:10)Avery recommends “Crossing the Chasm” and discusses how it influenced his start-ups (7:54)We discuss market segmentation strategy (13:29)Specific marketing strategies used at Tailscale (18:41)Avery talks about mistakes he’s made while building his start-ups (22:24)Goal setting in start-ups (24:42)We talk about the importance of quality in building word of mouth success (29:49)Avery answers the question “How do you maintain an identity as an engineer when you are also a serial entrepreneur?” (33:23)Links:AveryTwitter: @apenwarr @tailscaleCompany: https://www.tailscale.com

Today I chat with Kiersten Gaffney, CMO of Codefresh, a software delivery platform. Kiersten begins by defining her role as CMO. We then discuss the unique challenges of product strategy with open source projects. Kiersten talks about the importance of maintaining both a top-down and bottom-up approach when taking a project from open source to enterprise, and then explains some of the most common mistakes she’s seen when companies undergo this process. We discuss how technical a team should be when marketing open source and conclude the conversation by talking about analysis paralysis in start-ups and how to avoid it. Highlights:Kiersten answers the question “What do CMOs do all day?” (1:49)Product strategy with open source products (2:58)How open source projects fit into marketing efforts (6:10)Kiersten’s advice on how to maintain both a top-down and bottom-up approach (11:28)Is there a magic formula for taking a project from open source to for profit? (13:02)Biggest mistakes when taking a project from open source to enterprise (15:54)Emily asks how technical a marketing team should be for an open source project (22:53)Kiersten and Emily discuss the tension between engineering and marketing (24:24)Analysis paralysis in startups (26:35)Links:KierstenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kierstengaffney/Twitter: @kierstengaffneyCompany: https://codefresh.io/

In this short summation episode, I talked a little more about why I think Deepfence's open source strategy is so genius.

Today I sat down with Sandeep Lahane, founder and CEO of Deepfence, a security preventive and detective solution for cloud and container native environments. Sandeep began by explaining both the open source and enterprise components of Deepfence. Threatmapper is a multi-cloud platform for scanning, mapping, and ranking vulnerabilities in running containers, images, hosts, and repositories, and Threatstryker is a commercial product that offers runtime attack analysis, threat assessment, and targeted protection for infrastructures and applications. We then talk about the inexhaustibility and the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity. Sandeep explains the impetus for launching Deepfence and the process of getting to Threatmapper and Threatstryker, and then talks about his journey from working as a systems programmer to launching a tech startup. We discuss the tense relationship between security and development in the industry, and end the conversation with some words of advice for engineers considering the entrepreneurial plunge.Highlights:What is the difference between Threatmapper and Threatstryker at Deepfence? (00:55)Sandeep explains how the Deepfence commission product builds upon the open source one (2:14)Discussing the inexhaustibility of the cybersecurity landscape (11:40)The genesis of Deepfence (13:58)Sandeep discusses the business benefits of having an open source project (14:57)Sandeep talks about his journey from systems programmer to tech startup (17:20)Emily and Sandeep discuss the tense relationship between security and development (21:19)Sandeep gives advice to engineers considering entrepreneurship (33:57)Links:Sandeephttps://deepfence.io

Some short thoughts on marketing in the open source ecosystem, drawn from my conversation with Eric on Wednesday.

Today I sit down with Eric Hendricks, the technical marketing director at Red Hat. Red Hat delivers open source solutions that make it easier for enterprises to work across platforms and environments. Eric begins the conversation by discussing his start as a technologist and how he decided to make the move to marketing. Eric then discusses the challenges of bringing marketing savvy into the devops space, including the unintended consequences of marketing buzzwords. I ask Eric about the relationship between marketing and open source, and Eric talks about how many of Red Hat’s community marketing efforts are driven through upstream communities. We then discuss the concept of the buyer in open source versus start ups, and how the difference is that the “big ask” in open source projects is emotional investment. Eric concludes the conversation by talking about the impact of his current role as a technical marketer as compared to the impact of a founder or IC. Highlights:Eric answers the question “At what point did you start to see yourself and did other people see you as a marketer?” (5:53)The stigma around marketing and the problem with marketing buzzwords in devops (10:22)Emily and Eric discuss the shared vocabulary problem that can arise with newer concepts in tech (14:35)Eric talks about equipping his product’s “champions” with all the resources they need to communicate need and efficacy to potential buyers (15:39)Emily asks Eric about the relationship between marketing and open source (19:50)Emily and Eric discuss the concept of “the buyer” with open source (25:14)Eric answers the question: “how are you able to have more of an impact in your current role than you would as an IC?” (29:30)Links:Personal website: www.itguyeric.comCompany website: www.redhat.comTwitter: @itguyericCompany: @rhelPodcasts: RHEL Presents, Into the Terminal

I'm trying something new this week — adding an extra episode with some key takeaways from the interview earlier in the week. In this one, I talked about the education battle many cloud native companies face, the problem of open source projects that are too good and understanding pain points for different personas.

Today I’m joined by Omri Gazitt, founder of Aserto, an authorization company that offers cloud native authorization as a service. We discuss the differences between ID authorization and authentication and the problems associated with educating developers on the distinctions. Omri also talks about the evolution of authorization from server software all the way to cloud native authorization. He then expounds on the strategic nature of the decision to open source or not, and offers advice to developers based on his experience as both an engineer and an executive. Highlights:The beginnings of Aserto (7:50)Omri talks about what it was like to be part of a startup, Neon, in the 90s (10:49)Emily and Omri discuss what authorization was like pre-cloud native (13:32)How integration became the strategy used by Aserto to begin to solve authorization problems (17:10)The decision to open source and how organizations should be strategic when considering open source (18:55)Omri discusses his unique perspective as both a former tech engineer and executive in forming his start-up (25:08)Omri talks about a missed opportunity in the early stages of Aserto (28:56)Links:OmriLinkedIn:TwitterCompany

I’m joined by Mark Grover, one of the founders of Stemma, a data catalogue for building decentralized data informed cultures. In essence it is a “Google Search” built for data scientists, data analyst, business leaders, and more. Stemma is striving to solve data documentation and relevance issues by keeping data cataloguing up to date and current.In this episode Mark covers his transition from the data team at Lyft to establishing Stemma. He discusses how he identified the need for a source of truth for ETA data, and how the data scientist in these teams should be the end all for this knowledge. Starting with building Amundsen, Stemma expands on the groundwork laid there to bring data to the user and open-source community’s needs.Highlights:An introduction to Mark and Stemma (00:00)The history of Stemma (00:45)How open source helped solved data cataloguing problems (4:40)The decision to found Stemma (07:40)How Stemma’s relationship with Amundsen has evolved (13:20)The unexpected challenges and unexpected eases (18:35)Navigating the co-founding experience (23:35)Mark’s vision for Stemma’s future (28:54)Mark’s tips for aspiring founders (32:54)Links:MarkLinkedInTwitterCompany

I’m joined by Matt Leray, co-founder and CTO Speedscale, an API testing product that applies “real world” stresses to “collect and replay traffic without scripting, simulate load and chaos, and measure performance.” With a history steeped in various aspects of tech, and with time spent in the startup space and cloud native space, Matt brings to the table some encompassing perspectives.Matt’s career has carried him from monitoring satallite earth stations, to fiber optics, and more recently into cloud native. Matt began in startups, then went to larger companies, then back to startups, which he offers some insight on. Matt has a lot of wisdom to share on entrepreneurship, how the startup space has changed, and how to best navigate that. Matt discusses how Speedscale works as an “traffic replay” platform for APIs and his role there both technically and as a co-founder. Check out the conversation for a list of startup how-tos!Highlights:Introduction to Matt and Speedscale (00:00)When Matt decided to become an entrepreneur (02:10)Deciding to jump into startups (06:00)What has stayed the same, and what has changed for Matt’s entrepreneurship (10:00)Being selective (14:00)Nailing down the timing and finding the right moment for Speedscale (20:26)Matt’s most controversial view about the cloud native startup space (26:25)Matt’s final thoughts (30:18)Links:MattLinkedInTwitterCompany

Kit Merker, co-founder and COO at Nobl9, a software reliability platform. Through software-defined SLO’s Nobl9 helps developers, DevOps and reliability engineers deliver more reliable features faster. Kit has had a storied career in tech, and as a result is a great source of wisdom and know how. Especially in regard to navigating the various sides of any given business. In this episode, Kit offers up some anecdotes from his long history in the software space, and how he transitioned from engieenering to the “business side” of things. He tears down some stereotypical misrepresentations of both sides, and expands on how empathy helps alleviate many of these issues. Kit discusses his partnership experiences, work in M&A, building a “coalition” in open space, and more! Tune in for our conversation for Kit’s emphatic and valuable insight.Highlights:Introduction to Kit and Nobl9 (00:00)Why Kit decided to transition to the “business side” (03:55)Kit’s reflections on partnerships (06:30)The importance of building a coalition around Kubernetes (10:00)Alleviating developer burnout (18:15)Nobl9 and how it came to be and how they work (20:15)The challenges of being a consultant first (27:00)Recognizing the margins (33:30)Links:KitLinkedInTwitterNobl9

Michael Guarino, founder of Plural, a unified platform for open-source management platform entirely hosted on Kubernetes which creates a fully functional ecosystem around deploying Airflow. Though working in Kubernetes and more, Plural can be used across a wide spectrum of open source projects. Many of which Plural is specifically targeting to make their product appealing to users.In this episode, Michael talks about how Plural works within the open-source space, and how in using it with Airflow they’ve helped to elminate much of the work needed there. Michael lays out how using Plural makes using Airflow easier on the user, versus taking a DYI approach. Michael discusses avoiding lock-in, the various open source tools they use, working through the early days in COVID, the history of building Plural, and more!Highlights:Introduction to Michael and Plural (00:00)The open source projects that work with Plural and its advantages (01:30)How using Plural is easier than DYI and avoiding lock-in (04:06)How Plural came to be (08:26)The unexpected difficulties, and the unexpected ease (15:06)Plural and open-source (18:40)Navigating potential roadblocks to community building (23:09)Monetization (26:20)Michael’s thoughts on the future of open-source (28:11)Links:MichaelLinkedInPlural

Today’s guest is Michael Tanenbaum, CEO and co-founder of Mycelial, an edge data platform for distributed local first applications that is built with developers in mind. Myceclial takes the accomplishments of the cloud native movement to bring data that exists outside the data center into the hands of the developers themselves. With a focus on data from the “edge”, which Michael defines as anything from a smart thermostat, to a 5g tower, applications, and more.In this episode Michael lays out how he and his partners captilized on the oppurtunity of recent innovations in cloud native, and in turn commercialize the need to “get applications out of the data center to work harmoniously with applications in the data center.” He and his co-founders are striving to build complex edge native applications and local native data. Michael breaks down the “three pillars” of edge native to provide some crucial definitions, how he identified the needs Mycelial addresses, the diverse range of obstacles they’ve already surmounted, and more! Highlights:An introduction to Michael and Mycelial (00:00)When Michael recognized the need for a product like Mycelial (02:32)The “Three Pillars” of edge native (05:11)Disovering an “unsexy” problem and deciding to solve it (09:00)The unforseen difficulties of Mycelial (15:15)The unforseen easy parts of Mycelial (20:32)Some important takaways from the founding experience (26:45)Links:MichaelTwitterMycelial

Lyon Wong, CEO and co-founder of Blameless, a complete reliability engineering platform that brings together AI-driven incident resolution, blameless retrospectives, SLOs/Error Budgets, and reliability insights reports and dashboards that enable businesses to optimize reliability and innovation. Lyon has a history steeped in founding and investing in start ups and company building, which has lead a heavy involvement in Blameless where he can apply the many lessons learned.In this episode, Lyon breaks down his background and how it influenced his decision to become a founder at Blameless. Over the course of his career he noticed trends in other companies where teams were prevented from learning opportunities because they were worried about catching the blame. As a result Lyon identified the need in the market for a way to synthesize the cultural tensions around blame. Lyon’s insight on building trust, partnership, and communications on learning are deep and worthwhile. Check out the full conversation!Highlights:An introduction to Lyon and Blameless (00:00)Jumping back into being a founder after time as a VC (2:28)Creating a blameless culture (05:50)What Lyon does different as a founder and investor and his early experiences (09:50)The importance of credibility (16:10)The “core skillsets” needed in start ups and some crucial beliefs (18:55)The larger and smaller pictures, and balancing short and long term (25:34)Lyon’s parting words and wisdom for founders (32:51)

Haseeb Budhani, co-founder and CEO of Rafay Systems, a Kubernetes operations company joins the conversation. What a Kubernetes operation company is as companies use Kubernetes across their organizations they need the right automation, security, visibility and more. These are needs that come from multiple teams working across multiple applications, and it creates a lot of work. This is where Rafay Systems is looking to cover down.Haseeb introduces us to the work at Rafay systems, and his own discovery of the problems they want to address. Haseeb discusses the history of Rafay’s establishment, and how they are striving to create a fluid and robust workflow engine. He reflects on how his previous experience has reinforced the lessons he brought to Rafay, how to connect to the customers, and more! Check out the conversation!Highlights:An introduction to Haseeb and Rafay Systems (00:00)Lessons learned at other companies and staying the course (6:12)Successfully connecting with the customers needs (12:29)The lessons learned already at Rafay and some helpful advice (15:36)Where the Kubernete’s ecosystem is headed (25:22)Links:HaseebLinkedInTwitterCompany

Andrew Rynhard, Founder and CTO of Sidero Labs, joins the show today to discuss his work and Sidero Labs. Sidero is a Kubernetes lifecycle management reimagined from the operating system to entire stack. Andrew has origins steeped deeply in open source, and it has become a central focus to his entire ethos and drive.Andrew breaks down his own trajectory that lead to Sidero and the passion he leveled for the endevour from the onset. Andrew’s passion for open source served as the impetus founding the company, and he shares his love for open source and the pathways that it created for him through his career. Andrew shares Sidero Lab’s successful initial funding, the shift to it being his full-time job, and their meteoric rise.Highlights:An introduction to Andrew and Sidero Labs (00:00)The early days of Sidero Labs and their current position (03:10)The moment Sidero became Andrew’s primary focus and the companies journey (08:05)Sidero’s focus on distributed systems (17:48)The challenges of a project that is far down the stack (22:15)Some final thoughts from Andrew (31:35)Links:AndrewLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrynhard/Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewrynhard?lang=enCompany:https://www.siderolabs.com

Today’s episode is a round table with Morgan McClean, Ben Sigelman, and Alolita Sharma, the maintainers of Open Telemetry. Open Telemetry is a high-quality, ubiquitous, and portable telemetry to enable effective observability with a mission to make telemetry as approachable and applicable as possible. Open Telemetry’s values center on compatibility, reliability, resilience, and performance. With these objectives in hand, our maintainers are making waves in open space.In this episode Morgan, Ben, and Alolita breakdown their individaul involvement in Open Telemetry. They discuss the paths each of them took to end up there, and the varied skillsets the bring to the project. Open Telemetry’s vision and mission is unique in its clarity and precision, and they share some insight as to why. Open Telemetry’s collaboration allows the space for their mission statement to shine through, and as a project before a product, give to the open source community. Check out the conversation for Morgan, Ben and Alolita’s excellent perspectives!Highlights:Introductions to our three maintainers and their invovlement in Open Telemetry (00:26)Why and how Open Telemetry has such an explicitly clear mission and vision (03:44)Making it clear what Open Telemetry is not (08:20)Thinking as a project, not product (10:45)The pros and cons of working with “frenemies” (17:55)Why Open Telemetry has been successful (27:22)Closing comments on Open Telemetry (32:35)Links:Open TelemetryTwitter: @opentelemetry, Ben (@el_bhs), Alolita (@alolita)Company: https://opentelemetry.io

Tyler Jewell, Managing Director at Dell Technologies Capital, joins me for a deep conversation about the intersection of capital and technology. As a managing director, Tyler harnesses a focus on developer lead companies and the push he makes for those companies when it comes to funding. For Dell Technologies Capital, the focus is on providing the financial support and backing for the market that is developing around the developers themselves.Tyler breaks down how he honed his focus on backing developers. He refers to the rise of software developers as a “talent class” where he could cultivate investments and partnerships. Tyler shares his parameters for how he categorizes companies and software into four “buckets,” which facilitates the focus he lends to these companies. From identification, to the intersection with capital, check out this conversation for Tyler’s in-depth and exacting definitions.Highlights:Introduction to Tyler and Dell Technologies Capital (00:00)Defining what it means to be “developer lead.” (02:15)Tyler defines his differences between DevTools and DevPlatforms (4:50)Who is a developer? What is the difference between developer lead companies and the rest? (08:20)Tyler provides insight for those who want to found a developer centric company (14:35)Tyler’s predictions for the coming year, and some advice (21:45Links:TylerLinkedInTwitterDell Technologies Capital

Rob Hirschfeld, CEO of and co-founder of RakN, joins the show to discuss their work in the world of automation. Notably so, automation of data centers using infrastructure code principles to create “infrastructure pipelines.” Rob’s honest and open story provides a great example of how to identify areas that need a product, to developing the product itself.In this episode, Rob gives us the history of RakN from the earlier inception when he was at Dell, to where they stand today. Rob shares some insight on the challenges of DevOps when it comes to dealing with the various “silos” that organizations have created. He reflects on their transition away from Dell, and how they realized they needed to be table to talk to customers about how they used their products.Highlights:Introduction to Rob and RakN, a focus on automation, and their origins (00:00)The differences between building and shipping instead of just building on site (04:40)The transition away from Dell and RakN’s early growing pains (08:20) The hardest parts of the technology/commercial balance (14:45)Some critical lessons from the transition (23:25)Reflecting on the early days and lessons (30:25) Links:RobTwitterLinkedIn

Sam Bhagwat, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Gatsby, joins me for a conversation about his work. Gatsby is an open source project using React with a focus on building web sites, and not just web apps. As CSO Sam tracks the trends in the modern web development space and helps Gatsby to stay on the innovative edge. From the origin of the open source project in 2015, to the establishment of the company in 2017, Sam and Gatsby’s contributions have only grown exponentially since then.Sam talks about the history of Gatsby’s rise to prominence and their shift from open source into a proper business. Sam dives into how and why they’ve leaned on investment into the company to help them better address the needs of the web site development ecosystem. From the first service they charged money for, Sam’s take on open source and commercial crossing paths, to Gatsby’s global focus, Sam offers up a lot for consideration! Highlights:Introduction to Sam and Gatsby (00:00)Moving from purely open source into a business (03:20)Sam’s perspectives on open source and commercial offerings (08:20)Open source as not only a DevTool (12:03)Building websites and brining multiple parties on board (15:16)Sam’s advice to others starting open source projects (21:06)Where to find Sam (25:40)Links:SamLinkedInTwitterhttps://www.gatsbyjs.com/

Avi Press, CEO and Co-Founder of Scarf, joins me for an in depth conversation about Scarf and the work they are doing in transparecny in open source maintainers. Avi’s career and the tools he built lead to a decision to capitalize on his tools. Now Scarf is an extension of his work into a commercial opportunity to change the open source ecosystem. Avi addresses the general maintaner issues that Scarf wishes to solve. Avi expands on his processes that have landed on a data forward approach and the importance of making that data is a viable capital value. Avi also breaks down the uses of Scarf for maintainers and the suite of tools they are implementing. Importantly so, Avi talks about the ways that the open source space can change to stay innovative and relevant. Highlights:Introduction to Avi and Scarf’s work (00:00)Shaping his own tools for use (03:50)Scarf’s suite of tools and engaging with the metrics (06:14)Some highlights and information for Scarf users (12:41)Areas where Scarf is building (17:00)How Scarf is working to guard privacy (22:12)Making registry lock in a conversation (27:30)Avi discusses the open source world and some changes that can be made (30:00)Links:AviLinkedInTwitter: @avi_pressScarf

Alex Chircop, CEO of Ondat.io, joins me to talk about his company and their recent rebrand to reflect their shift to focus on some fundamental changes in the industry. With a changing persepective that mirrors the changes happening in cloud data and its uses, Alex and the teams at Ondat.io are staying ahead of the curve and implementing some institutional changes.In this episode Alex goes into the details of their rebranding, and he discusses how they are shifting to answer what Alex calls the “infrastructural dilemma.” With the massive shift to cloud native that developers are making, and the requirements that are demanded by the adoption of these infrastructural demands, Alex and his team are staying in step with the larger community. Alex also discusses the “why” behind their drive to rebrand, and their determination to maneuver the concept of storage as server based into data services that are application centric.Highlights:Alex’s introdcution and the rebranding of Ondat (00:29)What was happening inside Storage OS that drove them to rebrand (05:00)What it took to follow through a succesful rebranding (09:33)The feedback from the rebranding and branding as a personal choice (14:10)The teams coalescence around the new brand and landing on a name (18:57)Some advice for others who are looking to rebrand (22:33) What is next for Ondat and thier coming services (24:30)Links:AlexLinkedInTwitterwww.ondat.io

Matt Yonkovit, Head of Open Source Strategy at Percona, joins me for a conversation about Percona’s work and their robust history in open source. Percona has been at it for 15 years now and Matt’s work there is both prolific and sets him up to be very well informed about open source strategy at large.In this episode, Matt discusses what exactly his job means within the context of Percona, and how he covers down to help both the higher echelons of the company, but also the community. Matt provides an excellent bird's eye view of what is going on in the world of open source. His experience highlights many of the challenges that the open source model is currently facing, and can expect to face in the near future. Highlights:Introduction to Percona and the work Matt does there (00:00)Open source strategy and Matt’s take on its role in an organization (04:20) Choosing where to place priorities and where open source is going (08:00) The ins and outs of pricing models/Percona’s contributions (12:00)Who doesn’t fit the Percona mold? (17:09)Maintaining integrity and staying malleable (21:30) “Shooting [the] sacred cows” of growth (30:45)Links:Connect with MattLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myonkTwitter: https://twitter.com/myonkovitPercona: https://www.percona.com

Dawn Foster, Director of Open Source Community Strategy at VMware, joins me to chat about open sourcing and the potential risks to consider. With 20+ years of experience in business technology, Dawn lends great insight not only as a leader in the realm of open source, but as a champion for measuring project health.In this episode, Dawn discusses key risks to consider when open sourcing a project and what startups and small companies should think about as they embrace open source technologies. We also explore trust as a currency of open source, donating to neutral foundations, the CNCF Project Health Measurement Guide, and more.Highlights:What companies should consider when open sourcing a project. (00:24)Risks associated with open sourcing and the advantage of contributing projects to foundations. (03:59)Dawn explores the interrelation between using and contributing to an open source project. (07:26) A discussion about evaluating and prioritizing a large number of projects - and why smaller companies should be deliberate about the open source technologies they embrace. (11:49) A look at contributor risk with examples of how the risks can vary depending on the project. (17:09) The value of trust in the open source - and Kim’s final thoughts on measuring project health. (22:35) Links:Connect with Dawn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnfoster/Twitter: https://twitter.com/geekygirldawnFast Wonder Blog: https://fastwonderblog.com/VMware: https://www.vmware.com/

Joe Bignell, the Kubernetes recruiter at InterQuest Group, joins me for an interesting conversation about the current job market in the Kubernetes space and his role and vision as a talent seeker.In this episode, Joe and I go into the rabbit hole as we explore the global talent shortage and its impact on the Kubernetes ecosystem. Joe shares invaluable insight and perspective on recruiting for startups, what founders can do to attract talent, and why transparency from all sides (company, recruiter, and candidate) is vital. We also discuss remote work and its increased value and how companies can leverage their Kubernetes talent.Highlights:What is Joe’s responsibility as the Kubernetes recruiter? (00:19)The current hiring challenges in the Kubernetes talent space. (01:00)Joe’s perspective on recruiting best practices - and his thoughts on companies that seek Kubernetes experts. (06:30)A look at the founder/recruiter relationship, how founders can enhance their recruiting positioning, and the evolution of remote work. (12:31)The pros and cons of recruiting for a startup – and why certain hires can ruin a startup. (19:33)What companies can do to create Kubernetes experts and the role InterQuest plays in closing the talent market gap. (23:06)Links:Joe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joebignell/?originalSubdomain=ukJoe’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/joe_bignellDevOps for Everyone: https://www.meetup.com/DevOps-For-Everyone/InterQuest Group: https://www.interquestgroup.com/

Jonathan Ellis, CTO and co-founder of DataStax, has always had a startup mindset. In this episode, Jonathan joins me to discuss his journey and entrepreneurial roadmap thus far.In our conversation, Jonathan shares how he became involved with the Apache Cassandra project and his transition to founding DataStax. He also shares insight on the importance of hiring a go to market team, why hiring executives proves to be more challenging than engineers, building a company based around an open-source project, and more.Highlights:Jonathan’s views on his identity as a founder and scratching his coding itch through art. (00:23)A look at Jonathan’s journey from Mozy to the Apache Cassandra project. (05:40)The history of DataStax - and Jonathan explores the benefits of building a company around open source. (11:33) Lessons learned: the importance of implementing a go-to-market team, DataStax Kubernetes adoption, and why hiring executives is a challenge. (15:58)Jonathan’s advice to technical founders - and his perspective and insight on remote work. (27:39)Links:JonathanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbellis/Twitter: https://twitter.com/spycedDataSTax: https://www.datastax.com/

Guy Podjarny, co-founder and President of Snyk, has seen the world of startups through the lens of an employee and as a founder. With two companies under his belt, Guy has excelled as an entrepreneur as Snyk proves to be a leader in developer security. In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, Guy shares insight on his first startup, Blaze (acquired by Akamai), and his current company, Snyk. He lends perspective on key traits to master when building a successful company and why it’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur. We also explore why there are major gaps in security, what it will take to fix them, and how Snyk is helping close the gap by decentralizing security. Highlights:Guy’s interesting evolution from working at startups to finally founding his own. (00:14)Exploring the differences between two worlds: security and DevOps. (05:40)Why Guy sold his first company, Blaze - and lessons learned along the way. (10:27) Guy’s perspective on embracing Snyk’s “failures” - and he reflects on the journey towards identifying their opportunities within the market. (17:27)A discussion about major gaps in security and how Snyke aims to be a solution. (27:39) Links:GuyLinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/guypo Twitter: https://twitter.com/guypod Podcast: The Secure DeveloperSnyk: https://snyk.io/

For Vidya Raman, technology has always been close to her heart. As an investor at Sorenson Ventures, Vidya is guided by this passion and plays an impactful role in helping technical founders build and grow successful businesses. Vidya serves as a leader in early-stage startup investing and thrives on optimizing companies.In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, Vidya talks about her transition from engineering to venture capital investing, important criteria to consider when evaluating companies, what founders should look for in VCs, her lessons learned, and more. Highlights:A look at Vidya’s background and the journey that lead to her leap into venture capital investing. (00:11)Exploring Vidya’s role, her passion for partnering deeply with founders, and misconceptions that founders often have about VC. (05:37)What to identify when evaluating companies - and how Viyda measures good fit. (10:41) From the lens of a founder, Vidya shares top criteria founders should consider when seeking VC. (18:58) A discussion about conflicts of interest and managing disagreements between investors and companies. (23:09)Vidya shares her top three lessons learned. (29:23) Links:VidyaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidya-raman/Twitter: https://twitter.com/veenormous Sorenson Ventures: https://www.sorensoncapital.com/

Glasnostic is a cutting-edge observability solution that enables DevOps, SRE and security teams to effectively control emerging disruptive behaviors. In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, I chat with Glasnotic’s co-founder and CEO, Tobias Kunze.As a trailblazer in the world of cloud-native technologies and a two-time startup founder, Tobias brings a wealth of insight. Prior to Glasnostic, Tobias founded Makara, which was later acquired by Red Hat Open Shift. In our conversation, we explore his journey from Makara to Glasnostic and his shift from engineering to entrepreneurship. We also discuss why sales and people management are core skills needed to become an entrepreneur, the importance of actively stepping out of your comfort zone, and the staggering pace of technology.Highlights:A look at how Tobias shifted his focus from engineering to entrepreneurship. (00:15)Tobias’ perspective on applying lessons learned from his first startup the second time around – and the similar challenges he faced with both companies. (09:00)A discussion about the first dollar and why it is important to step outside of your comfort zone as an entrepreneur. (14:16)Why sales and people management skills are core traits of a successful entrepreneur and startup founder – and why these skills are more difficult for engineers to cultivate. (18:19)Tobias uses air traffic control to illustrate his journey towards founding Glasnostic – and shares insight on current challenges in the technology sector. (26:31)Links:TobiasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tkunzeTwitter: https://twitter.com/tkunze Glasnostic: http://glasnostic.com/

Laurent Gil is by no means a novice when it comes to founding companies. As the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at CAST.AI, Laurent marks this as his fourth company. As a repeated entrepreneur, Laurent comes with valuable insight, which he brings to this conversation on Cloud Native Startup.In this episode, we discuss Laurent’s entrepreneurial journey, which has taken him across the globe and he shares his opinion on why entrepreneurs should hear the word “no.” We also discuss the importance of simplifying product features, the bond he’s built with his co-founders, product-market fit, and more.Highlights:Laurent shares his entrepreneurial resume and what led to the founding of CAST.AI. (00:12)How a conversation over coffee in France led to building a company in Ukraine – and why rejection should fuel entrepreneurs to keep going. (03:31)Challenging moments Laurent faced while building startups – and how he has been able to work with the same co-founders throughout different companies. (08:58)Laurent explains why simplicity is CAST.AI’s leading principle. (12:49)A discussion about CAST.AI’s pivot to optimizing the one single cloud. (17:16)Defining and measuring product-market fit. (23:21)Links:LaurentLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentgilEmail: [email protected]: https://twitter.com/laurentgilCAST.AI: https://cast.ai/

As the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Kong Inc., Marco Palladino takes great pride in the company he has built from the ground up. Marco’s story begins with his move from Italy to San Francisco with no money and a 3-month visa. Today, he and his fellow Co-Founder, Augusto Marietti, have undoubtedly earned that pride.In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, we explore Marco’s life journey, and he reflects on how his obsession with building Kong led to its innovative success. We also discuss why Kong’s pivot was a risk worth taking, compare building companies around open source, dive into the importance of releasing trust as a technical founder, and more.Highlights:An overview of Marco’s role as Co-Founder and CTO, how it has evolved, and the origin of Kong. (00:10)Why Kong pivoted from an API marketplace to a technology vendor – and Marco looks back on the wins and challenges in the early days of Kong. (05:56)A discussion about building a company around open source – why Marco embraces mistakes as he reflects on Kong’s global impact. (13:20)Key pieces of advice for technical founders (22:15)Marco talks about his experience as a young entrepreneur and provides insight into why this journey has defined him as a leader. (27:49)Links:MarcoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcopalladino/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekonginc Kong Inc.: https://konghq.com

In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, Ihor Dvoretskyi, Developer Advocate at Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), joins me for a conversation about contributing a project to CNCF. We discuss the benefits of contributing an open source project and Ihor shares insight on the key metrics for success. Ihor also defines each of the three project stages; sandbox, incubating, and graduated, and takes a deep dive into the history of this fascinating open source foundation. Highlights:A closer look at the history of CNCF and the benefits of contributing a project for both contributors and end-users. (00:18)What it means to donate a project and the responsibilities and continuing services CNCF provides. (08:11)Exploring the different maturity levels of CNCF’S projects – sandbox, incubating and graduated. (12:41)How the CNCF Technical Oversight Committee evaluates projects in consideration for contribution – and Ihor provides insight on the stage that requires the most time and commitment. (18:23)Understanding what a successful open source project looks like and how it is measured. (22:42)Links:IhorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idvoretskyi/Twitter: https://twitter.com/idvoretskyiCNCF: https:// www.cncf.io/