#292 Jake Moshenko on the Frontlines of Tech: Building, Scaling, and Innovating with Purpose

Join us as we sit down with Jake Moshenko, the dynamic CEO of AuthZed and co-founder of Quay, and chart his impressive journey from Michigan's engineering halls to the cutting edge of tech entrepreneurship. As we dissect his early career at Boeing and subsequent roles at Amazon and Google, Jake gives us an insider's glimpse into the genesis of his groundbreaking projects. The stories of developing Quay, the pioneering private Docker registry, and its evolution through acquisitions by CoreOS, Red Hat, and IBM, are testament to the power of engineering-driven solutions to real-world problems.

In the ever-changing realm of software deployment, Jake brings to light the transformation from manual server management to the marvels of Kubernetes, revealing how such advances have fundamentally altered the global tech landscape. This episode is not just about deployment; it's an in-depth look at the challenges of scalable authorization, particularly through the lens of Jake's latest venture, AuthZed. Listeners will find Jake's insights into balancing security with scalability invaluable, especially those navigating the fintech sector or handling sensitive data.

As our conversation ventures into the entrepreneurial spirit that propels innovators like Jake, we discuss the roles of risk tolerance, perseverance, and adaptability in the startup ecosystem. Looking to the horizon, we then probe the potential impact of AI on cloud-native technologies, differentiating between buzzword automation and genuine machine learning advancements. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone curious about the future of tech, the journey of a serial entrepreneur, and the intricate dance of innovation and customer satisfaction that shapes successful ventures.

About Jake:

Jake Moshenko has been an innovator in the cloud-native ecosystem for over 15 years. After engineering roles at Amazon and Google, Jake founded Quay, the first private Docker registry, which was acquired by CoreOS. Jake then became an engineering leader at CoreOS, which was acquired by Red Hat (and then IBM). He is now the co-founder and CEO of AuthZed, the company commercializing SpiceDB, the industry-leading cloud-native permissions database.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-moshenko-381161b

https://authzed.com

00:46 Introduction and Guest Background

01:19 Jake's Journey from Michigan to Boeing

02:36 Transition into the Tech World: Amazon and Google

03:57 Venturing into Entrepreneurship: DevTable and Quay

04:38 The CoreOS Experience and Acquisition by Red Hat

05:17 From Red Hat to IBM and the Decision to Start Again

08:36 The Birth of AuthZed: Solving Authorization Challenges

12:14 The Role of AI and Future Trends in Cloud Native Ecosystems

20:00 The Journey from Engineer to Leader

25:58 The Art of Building and Scaling High Tech Startups

36:05 The Future of AuthZed and Final Thoughts