The MAD Podcast with Matt Turck

Building The Database That Can Do It All | Tobie Morgan Hitchcock, CEO of SurrealDB

Oct 3, 2024

Tobie Morgan Hitchcock, founder and CEO of SurrealDB, dives into the cutting-edge world of databases designed for modern developers. He discusses how SurrealDB merges document, graph, and time-series data to streamline backend processes. Tobie reveals the advantages of separating storage from compute for scalability and the decision to rewrite the platform in Rust for enhanced performance. He also highlights SurrealDB's capabilities for real-time analytics and AI integration, offering insights into the future of data management.

53:05

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Episode guests

Tobie Morgan Hitchcock

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Quick takeaways

SurrealDB consolidates multiple database types into a unified platform, simplifying data management and enhancing efficiency for developers.

The innovative architecture of SurrealDB, including functions like 'time travel' and AI integration, advances real-time analytics and data processing capabilities.

Deep dives

Embrace Multimodal Data Management

05:20

Intro

2min

The Journey of SurrealDB

11min

Unlocking SurrealDB: A Multimodel Database Revolution

23min

Innovative Features of SerialDB 2.0

4min

Seamless Transition to Cloud and Advanced Data Management

2min

Reimagining the Database Market: The Rise of CeruleDB

3min

Navigating Growth: A Founder's Journey

8min

In this episode, we sit down with Tobie Morgan Hitchcock, the founder of SurrealDB, to dive deep into the evolving world of databases and the future of data storage, querying, and real-time analytics. SurrealDB isn’t just another database — it’s a multi-model database that merges document, graph, and time-series data, making it easier for developers to consolidate their backend without sacrificing performance. You'll learn how SurrealDB separates storage from compute for scalability, its innovative take on graph databases, and the radical decision to rewrite the entire platform in Rust. Tobie also shares how SurrealDB is designed to handle real-time analytics and integrate AI/ML models directly inside the database. If you're curious about the future of databases, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. SurrealDB Website - https://surrealdb.com Twitter - https://x.com/SurrealDB Tobie Morgan Hitchcock: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiemorganhitchcock Twitter - https://x.com/tobiemh FIRSTMARK Website - https://firstmark.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/FirstMarkCap Matt Turck (Managing Director) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattturck

(00:00) Intro
(02:03) What is SurrealDB?
(02:53) How did SurrealDB get started?
(09:10) The Challenges of Building a Database from Scratch
(10:36) Why SurrealDB Chose Rust
(12:54) A Deep Dive into SurrealDB’s Unique Features
(19:30) Why Now?
(26:32) What Sets SurrealDB Apart from Other Databases
(30:01) SurrealDB’s Role in the Future of AI and Machine Learning
(32:45) Why Developers Are Choosing SurrealDB
(36:14) What’s New in SurrealDB 2.0?
(40:10) SurrealDB Cloud: Scalability Meets Simplicity
(42:21) How SurrealDB Fits into the Competitive Database Landscape
(45:37) Early Lessons from Building SurrealDB
(48:34) Co-Founding SurrealDB with His Brother

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