Challenging Norms in Web Development: Embracing Change and Complexity

In this episode of the Modern Web Podcast, recorded at All Things Open in Raleigh, NC, Rob Ocel talks with Tobie Morgan Hitchcock, co-founder and CEO of SurrealDB, about redefining databases. SurrealDB consolidates the complexity of using multiple database models—relational, graph, document, and more—into a single platform, enabling advanced queries and features like time travel. Toby shares insights on its innovative approach to separating storage and compute layers, the challenges of building from scratch, and the enthusiastic adoption by developers and enterprises.

Chapter

00:00 - Introduction and Setting the Stage

01:46 - Why Create Another Database?

04:31 - How SurrealDB Works

07:36 - The Developer Experience with SurrealDB

11:01 - Time Travel in Databases

16:21 - Challenges and Opportunities in Database Innovation

20:01 - Educating Developers on SurrealDB + Community and Adoption

Follow Tobie Morgan Hitchcock

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiemorganhitchcock

Twitter: https://x.com/tobiemh