In this episode of the Infra Pod, hosts Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (CEO of Keycard) sat down with Lucas Thelosen, founder of Gravity and former head of product for data and AI at Google. Lucas shares his journey from leading teams at Google and Looker to launching Gravity, a company focused on bridging the gap between business users and data through generative AI.
The conversation dives deep into the challenges of data analysis in modern organizations, the evolution of AI-powered tools like Orion, and how generative AI is transforming the way companies leverage their data. Lucas discusses the importance of semantic layers, onboarding AI agents, and the future of data teams in a world where AI can automate complex analysis and reporting.
Join host Tim Chen (Essence VC) and Ian Livingston (Keycard.sh) as they sat down with Ivan Burazin, CEO and co-founder of Daytona to explore the cutting edge of agent-native infrastructure. From the origins of Daytona to the challenges and opportunities of building for autonomous agents, this episode dives deep into the tools, use cases, and visionary thinking shaping the next generation of infrastructure. Whether you’re a developer, founder, or tech enthusiast, you’ll gain insights into the trends, pivots, and bold ideas driving the future of AI and cloud platforms.
Ian (Keycard) and Tim Essence VC) engage in an insightful discussion with Hunter Leath, CEO of Archil.
The episode delves into the motivations behind Archil, a new data startup focused on revolutionizing data storage for cloud applications. Hunter explains the limitations of existing data storage paradigms like S3 and traditional block storage, advocating for a new approach that leverages SSDs and custom protocols to offer high-performance, infinite storage that can support modern workloads, including AI and CI/CD applications. The conversation also touches on the trust and complexity of implementing such a system, the future vision for file storage, and practical use cases ranging from serverless Jupyter notebooks to large-scale CI/CD operations.00:17 The Gap in Cloud Data Storage01:48 Understanding Unstructured Data02:41 Building Modern Data Systems04:15 Challenges and Innovations in File Storage11:12 Targeting CI/CD and AI Workloads23:00 The Future of File Storage
Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) sat down with Aditya, CEO of Blacksmith, to explore the inception and innovative approach of Blacksmith in the CI/CD space. Blacksmith utilizes gaming CPUs and NVMe SSDs to deliver high-performance, serverless CI compute. They discussed the challenges faced by large companies with CI systems, why GitHub Actions was chosen as their primary CI system, and how AI-induced code generation is pushing the need for faster and more efficient CI solutions. Adya also highlighted the future potential of CI observability and other improvements Blacksmith is focusing on to maintain their edge in the market.00:29 Founding Blacksmith: The Origin Story01:16 Understanding Blacksmith's Serverless CI Compute02:21 Challenges in CI/CD and Blacksmith's Solutions05:14 Technical Deep Dive: Performance and Optimization06:53 Why GitHub Actions?08:08 Innovative Hardware Choices for CI10:06 Scaling and Managing CI Workloads19:14 Future of CI/CD and AI Integration28:02 Spicy Futures: Predictions and Hot Takes
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard.sh) delve into the fascinating world of AI memory with Charles, the CEO and co-founder of Letta. They explore the intricacies of memory in AI, its current state, how it’s implemented in various applications, and its potential to revolutionize productivity tools such as coding assistants. Charles shares insights on how Letta is leading the way by creating platforms for agents with long-term memory, the future implications of shared memory systems, and the concept of 'sleep time compute.'
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of why memory could become more valuable than the models themselves in the future of AI.00:24 The Concept of Memory in AI02:04 Expanding on AI Memory02:17 Implementing Effective AI Memory01:55 Current and Future State of AI Memory11:37 The Challenges and Opportunities of AI Memory11:37 Real-World Applications and Limitations35:14 Introducing Letta's Solutions36:35 Future Trends and Predictions
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) hosted DBOS building a reliable backend service, with guests including CEO Jeremy and cofounder Qian. The discussion delves into the company's motivation, their research work making software durable and reliable by default, their choice to be betting on Postgres, and how they integrate AI with traditional systems.
00:51 DBOS: Mission and Origins01:37 Creating Reliable and Durable Software11:13 Leveraging Postgres for Durability27:06 Spicy Takes: The Future of Postgres and Development
Join Tim from Essence VC and Ian from Keycard as they sit down with Gilad Kleinman (CEO of Epsio), to explore the next generation incremental query engine they're building. Gilad shares his journey from a software developer focusing on low-level Linux kernel development to identifying fundamental gaps in data processing. They delve into the philosophical questions regarding data complexity and redundancy, discuss the theoretical advancements propelling their project, and highlight the practical issues faced by companies in achieving efficient, scalable data queries.00:35 Journey to Building Epsio03:33 Tackling Incremental Processing10:08 User Experience in Data Systems17:24 Scaling and Integration Challenges18:43 AI and the Future of Database Management32:21 Spicy Hot Take!
In this episode of the Infra Pod, hosts Tim from Essence VC and Ian from Keycard, are joined by Gil, CTO and co-founder of Merge.dev. They discuss the inception and mission of Merge, its growth, and how the company is solving complex integration problems for businesses. The conversation covers the challenges of integration, the future of APIs, and the impact of AI and MCP on the industry.00:37 The Integration Nightmare07:09 Common Data Models and Syncing Data16:09 MCP and AI-Driven Integrations42:10 Future of MCP in the Industry
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) are joined by Branden Wagner, Head of Information Security at Mercury. They delve into the nuances of Information Security, discuss the interplay between human and technical controls, and explore the evolving role of AI in security. Wagner shares insights on fostering a collaborative culture and building secure systems, providing valuable advice for both engineers and security professionals.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:07 The Importance of Security Culture
04:40 Building Collaborative Security Programs
10:54 Integrating Security into Business Practices
21:30 The Role of AI in Information Security
32:22 Spicy Future: The Impact and Limitations of AI
Ian and Tim host a conversation with Hamel Husain, an AI influencer and consultant who has worked with major tech companies like GitHub and Airbnb. They delve into Husain's journey to becoming an independent consultant, his insights on the common struggles with AI evaluation and data literacy, and his pragmatic approach to improving AI systems. The discussion also covers the importance of error analysis, measuring AI performance, and the evolving role of AI engineering in enhancing software development.00:23 Hamel's Background in AI and Machine Learning01:18 Challenges in AI and Machine Learning02:15 Importance of Data Literacy in AI04:02 Common Struggles in AI Development05:05 The Role of AI Engineers08:39 Focus on Processes Over Tools11:10 Error Analysis and Practical Examples15:52 Case Study: Improving AI Products26:05 The Role of Agents in AI
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim and Ian sit down with Jake, CEO of Railway, to explore how Railway is reinventing cloud deployment.
Jake shares the origin story of Railway, their unique approach to simplifying cloud deployments, and the innovations that separate Railway from traditional cloud providers. With a focus on developer experience, cost efficiency, and leveraging hard-to-build technologies, Jake outlines Railway's journey from supporting small projects to attracting large-scale enterprises. The discussion delves into organizational strategies, technical challenges, and the potential future impact of AI on cloud infrastructure management.00:22 Railway's Mission and Approach22:45 Deep Dive into Orchestration and Kernel-Level Work30:07 Leveraging AI and In-House Tools31:55 The Spicy Future: Hot Takes and Predictions
Tim from Essence and Ian dive deep into why Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) is now getting hot with special guest Jon Morehouse, CEO of Nuon. The discussion traverses Jon's journey to founding Nuon, the significance and complexities of BYOC, and the emerging trends shaping the future of software deployment. Jon shares insights on the shifting paradigms in SaaS, the integration of AI in BYOC models, and the evolving conversations in the boardroom that are driving these changes.00:00 Introduction00:27 John Morehouse's Journey03:14 Understanding Bring Your Own Cloud12:55 Challenges in BYOC Implementation17:40 Pricing and Packaging of BYOC28:33 The Future of BYOC and AI
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim from Essence and Ian Livingston host Paul Klein, CEO of Browser Base, to discuss the intricacies and future of browser automation, the challenges of running headless browsers, and the emergence of AI-driven web agents.00:29 What's Browserbase?01:20 Challenges with Headless Browsers02:57 AI Agents and Headless Browsers09:21 The Future of Browser Automation13:26 Technical Challenges in Browser Automation18:10 Differences between Browserbase and Other Tools21:12 Addressing Use Cases and Developer Experience
In this episode of Infra Pod, Ian and Tim chat with Simon, the CEO of Turbopuffer, about his journey from working at Shopify to building the fastest vector store known to man. They delve into the intricacies of scaling infrastructure, the challenges with traditional databases like Postgres and MySQL, and why Simon believes in building databases on top of object storage. They also explore the trade-offs Turbo Puffer has made, including its unique approach to consistency and high write latency.00:36 Scaling Shopify's Infrastructure01:56 Challenges with Postgres02:19 Building Turbo Puffer16:30 Trade-offs and Performance of Turbo Puffer22:32 Importance of Consistency in Databases26:29 BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud) Option32:03 Customer Use Cases and Integration35:11 Spicy Future!
In this engaging episode of the Infra Pod, Tim and Ian dives deep into the world of real-time audio and video infrastructure with Russ D'sa, CEO of Livekit. Russ shares the story of how Livekit evolved from an open-source project into a company and discusses the challenges it tackles, including scaling real-time communication, building AI infrastructure, and the future of human-computer interaction. They also explore LiveKit's role in transforming various industries, from customer support to robotics and AI-powered applications.00:22 The Origin and Evolution of LiveKit02:47 Challenges in Real-Time Audio and Video06:18 LiveKit's Impact and Use Cases18:52 AI and Real-Time Infrastructure29:43 Future of Human-Computer Interaction
In this episode of the Infra Pod, hosts Tim Chen and Ian Livingston welcome Joao, CEO and founder of Crew AI. The discussion dives deep into the world of AI agents, exploring the journey of Crew AI, the intricacies of multi-agent systems, and the future possibilities of automation using AI. Joe shares his personal journey, founding stories, and hot takes on the evolving landscape of AI, including the rise of open-source solutions like DeepSeek.00:00 Introduction to the Infrapod00:28 Meet Joe, CEO of Crew AI00:31 The Journey of Crew AI's Early Days02:15 From Closed-Source to Open-Source05:07 Joe's Passion for AI Agents07:03 Defining Agents and Crew AI's Vision09:39 Successful Use Cases of AI Agents14:01 Cutting-Edge Agent Applications17:49 How Multi-Agent Systems Work22:23 Designing Effective Agent Flows24:33 Control and Flexibility in Agent Operations30:29 Future of Generalized Agent Platforms37:02 Quality Assurance in Agent Outputs40:46 Spicy Takes on AI's Future
In this episode of the Infrapod, Tim and Ian sat down with Ian Nowland (ex-SVP of Datadog, co-author of Platform Engineering book), a platform engineering expert and co-founder of Junction Labs. They dive deep into the nuances of platform engineering, discussing the evolution of roles like sysadmin, DevOps, and SRE, and the current state and future of platform engineering. Ian shares his journey from Amazon to Datadog and talks about his new company, Junction Labs, which aims to simplify microservices networking. Tim and Ian explore the challenges and solutions in platform engineering, and Ian provides insights on building effective, user-friendly platforms. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:21 Ian Noland's Background and Journey 01:49 Understanding Platform Engineering 04:03 Challenges in Platform Engineering 19:56 Effective Strategies and Common Pitfalls 25:02 Insights on Buying Software for Platforms 39:48 Conclusion
In this episode of 'The Infra Pod,' Tim and Ian delve into a deep, insightful conversation with a special guest, Chris Chris Riccomini. As an acclaimed author and inventive mind in the realm of infrastructure, Chris shares his spicy takes on durable execution, BYOC, and modern infrastructure trends. They also discuss the evolving roles of analytics engineers, data pipelines, and the complex web of modern application architecture. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:52 BYOC and Security Perspectives 03:04 Confluent, Warpstream, and Future Insights 17:06 Challenges in Building BYOC Infrastructure 17:25 Waves in Current Infrastructure Trends 23:21 Challenges & Usability of Distributed Architectures 30:01 Final Thoughts and Spicy Takes on Analytics Engineers
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim and Ian are joined by guest Elliot Durbin, General Partner at Bold Start Ventures. They dive deep into the world of inception-stage investing, the evolution of venture capital, and shed light on the complexities of backing infrastructure companies. 00:00 Introduction 00:14 Guest Introduction 00:53 Investing Across Technological Waves 02:02 What to Look for in Founders 29:58 Premature Scaling and Failure Modes 37:54 Future of AI and Venture Capital 45:50 Closing Remarks
Future of Data in Climate and Earth Sciences In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim and Ian sat down with the cofounders of Earthmover Ryan and Joe to discuss the cloud native multi-dimensional data lake they're building for climate and geospatial data. They delve into the role of advanced data handling methods, multidimensional array data, the impact of cloud-native technologies, and how these influence various sectors ranging from insurance to environmental resilience. 00:00 Introduction 00:09 Excitement for Earthmover 00:44 Ryan's Background 03:46 Joe's Involvement 07:54 Definition and Value of Earth Science Data 10:08 Industry Applications 14:37 Challenges and Traditional Methods 19:19 Cloud-Native Solutions 27:09 Data Management in the Cloud 35:05 Spicy Future! 40:46 Contact and Conclusion