Ali Ghodsi, Co-founder and CEO of Databricks, shares his insights on the challenges of scaling companies and executive hiring. He discusses the importance of identifying when to part ways with underperforming leaders and the fine balance between micromanagement and autonomy. Ghodsi highlights the impact of a new executive on company culture and the significance of quick wins for establishing credibility. Additionally, he explores effective onboarding strategies and the pivotal role communication plays in navigating the complexities of a growing organization.

In this discussion, Ali Ghodsi, co-founder and CEO of Databricks, dives into his journey from AI researcher to leading a $61B company. He breaks down the AI hype cycle, discussing both the challenges and the future landscape of AI technology. Ali emphasizes the importance of robust data strategies before venturing into AI and shares pivotal lessons from his leadership experiences. He also covers innovative hiring practices and the transformative potential of AI in various industries, highlighting successfully navigating enterprise sales in a rapidly evolving market.

Join Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, and Ali Ghodsi, CEO of Databricks and a leader in open-source data technologies, as they dive into the challenges of integrating AI in enterprises. They discuss the internal politics and data ownership issues large organizations face. The duo also explores the tug-of-war between large language models and specialized models, emphasizing efficiency and accuracy. Ethical implications weave throughout the conversation, reflecting on historical missteps and the need for balance in future AI advancements.

Ali Ghodsi, Founder and CEO of Databricks and expert in big data, dives into the evolution of data infrastructures and its transformative impact on businesses. He shares insights on the creation of Apache Spark, discussing its role in solving data processing challenges. Ghodsi emphasizes the importance of leveraging vast datasets for predictive analytics and the collaboration behind groundbreaking innovations at Berkeley's AMP Labs. He also reflects on the future of AI and data management, particularly in healthcare, underscoring its potential to revolutionize early cancer detection.

In this engaging conversation, Ali Ghodsi, CEO of Databricks, shares his journey from Iran to tech leadership, emphasizing resilience and adaptability. He discusses the significance of Conway’s Law in organizational structure and how it impacts company success. Ghodsi explores the cultural divides tech founders face in hiring sales leaders and the importance of aligning sales and marketing teams. He sheds light on the evolving role of CEOs in shaping company culture and the strategic importance of brand recognition in the B2B space.

Ali Ghodsi is the Founder & CEO @ Databricks, bringing together data engineering, science and analytics on an open, unified platform so data teams can collaborate and innovate faster. To date, Ali has raised over $897M for the company including from the likes of a16z, NEA, Microsoft, Battery, Coatue, Greenbay and more. Prior to Databricks, Ali was one of the original creators of open source project, Apache Spark, and ideas from his research have been applied to Apache Mesos and Apache Hadoop. In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How Ali made his way from fleeing Iran as a refugee to living in a Swedish ghetto? What was the founding moment for Ali with Databricks? 2.) How does Ali think about and evaluate risk today? Why does Ali always make his team do downside scenario planning? How does Ali think about his relationship to money today? Why does Ali disagree with gut decisions? What is his process for making decisions effectively? 3.) Stage 1: The Search for PMF: What are the core elements included in this phase? What types of leaders thrive in this phase? What type struggle? How can leaders sustain morale in the early days when it is not up and to the right? Who are the crucial hires in this phase? 4.) Stage 2: Scale Go-To-Market: What are the core roles needed to expand GTM fast and effectively? Why should you hire sales leaders before marketing leaders? Why is hiring finance leaders so crucial here? What mistakes are most often made here? How do the board resolve them? 5.) Stage 3: Process and Efficiency: What are the first and most important processes that need to be implemented? How does Ali need to change the type of leader he is to fit this stage? How does one retain creativity and nimble decision-making at scale and with process? Item’s Mentioned In Today’s Episode Ali’s Favourite Book: Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters As always you can follow Harry and The Twenty Minute VC on Twitter here! Likewise, you can follow Harry on Instagram here for mojito madness and all things 20VC.

In a thought-provoking discussion, Ali Ghodsi, CEO of Databricks, shares insights on the company’s strategic AI partnership with SAP, aiming to enhance data utilization for businesses. The dialogue also touches on JD Vance's critique of Europe’s approach to democratic values, alongside revelations about undocumented labor in Elon Musk’s factories that highlight the complexities surrounding immigration and workforce issues. The conversation is a blend of technology advancements and socio-political commentary.

“I literally thought to myself, I probably made the biggest mistake of my life taking this job.” That’s what Ali Ghodsi recalls about his decision step up the CEO role at Databricks, which would mean leaving a desirable post at UC Berkeley. He wasn’t sure if the company would make it, and some of Databricks’ board agreed that as an academic, he wasn’t right for the job. But they all wound up being wrong: Ali has led the company from $3 million ARR to $800 million, and the data-analytics company was valued at $38 billion after raising $2.5 billion last year.In this episode, Ali and Joubin discuss fleeing Iran in the 1980s, immigrating to Sweden,  coding as an escape, order out of chaos, learning how to value work, right place right time, Ben Horowitz, whole genome sequencing, Turing Tests, academics as CEOs, leveling up executives, what great leaders look like, the communication needed to raise, and the problem with “data-driven” cultures. In this episode, we cover:What Ali remembers from before his family left Iran (01:00)Moving to Sweden and Ali’s first jobs (04:00)What if your wealth and privilege suddenly disappeared? (10:01)Finding time for family and oneself while working insane hours (14:04)Over-working, panic attacks, and PTSD (18:08)Researching cloud computing at UC Berkeley, and the start of Databricks (26:06)What Databricks does for companies with lots of data (31:22)The anxiety of competing against an incumbent as a 10-person team (36:03)The concerns of the Databricks board — and Ali himself — about him becoming the CEO (42:42)Learning from more experienced CEOs and other executives (48:27)Approving new hires and what Ali looks for when grilling job candidates (52:02)Deposits, withdrawals and how much time he spends on hiring (56:08)What it means to have a culture of “truth-seeking” (01:00:03)Links:Connect with AliTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

Ali Ghodsi, CEO of Databricks, discusses trust among co-founders, transitioning from open-source to enterprise, building a cohesive team, going public, and navigating company growth stages. He emphasizes diversity, shared values, and prioritizing company success over personal preferences.

Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi and MosaicML Founder Naveen Rao discuss the $1.3 billion acquisition of MosaicML. They explore the importance of considering economics, the risks of highly intelligent AI models, trade-offs in AI company budgeting and IPOs, and insights on successful deal making.