The Business of Open Source

Laurent Gil is by no means a novice when it comes to founding companies. As the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at CAST.AI, Laurent marks this as his fourth company. As a repeated entrepreneur, Laurent comes with valuable insight, which he brings to this conversation on Cloud Native Startup.In this episode, we discuss Laurent’s entrepreneurial journey, which has taken him across the globe and he shares his opinion on why entrepreneurs should hear the word “no.” We also discuss the importance of simplifying product features, the bond he’s built with his co-founders, product-market fit, and more.Highlights:Laurent shares his entrepreneurial resume and what led to the founding of CAST.AI. (00:12)How a conversation over coffee in France led to building a company in Ukraine – and why rejection should fuel entrepreneurs to keep going. (03:31)Challenging moments Laurent faced while building startups – and how he has been able to work with the same co-founders throughout different companies. (08:58)Laurent explains why simplicity is CAST.AI’s leading principle. (12:49)A discussion about CAST.AI’s pivot to optimizing the one single cloud. (17:16)Defining and measuring product-market fit. (23:21)Links:LaurentLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentgilEmail: laurent@cast.ai.Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurentgilCAST.AI: https://cast.ai/

As the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Kong Inc., Marco Palladino takes great pride in the company he has built from the ground up. Marco’s story begins with his move from Italy to San Francisco with no money and a 3-month visa. Today, he and his fellow Co-Founder, Augusto Marietti, have undoubtedly earned that pride.In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, we explore Marco’s life journey, and he reflects on how his obsession with building Kong led to its innovative success. We also discuss why Kong’s pivot was a risk worth taking, compare building companies around open source, dive into the importance of releasing trust as a technical founder, and more.Highlights:An overview of Marco’s role as Co-Founder and CTO, how it has evolved, and the origin of Kong. (00:10)Why Kong pivoted from an API marketplace to a technology vendor – and Marco looks back on the wins and challenges in the early days of Kong. (05:56)A discussion about building a company around open source – why Marco embraces mistakes as he reflects on Kong’s global impact. (13:20)Key pieces of advice for technical founders (22:15)Marco talks about his experience as a young entrepreneur and provides insight into why this journey has defined him as a leader. (27:49)Links:MarcoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcopalladino/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekonginc  Kong Inc.: https://konghq.com

In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, Ihor Dvoretskyi, Developer Advocate at Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), joins me for a conversation about contributing a project to CNCF. We discuss the benefits of contributing an open source project and Ihor shares insight on the key metrics for success. Ihor also defines each of the three project stages; sandbox, incubating, and graduated, and takes a deep dive into the history of this fascinating open source foundation. Highlights:A closer look at the history of CNCF and the benefits of contributing a project for both contributors and end-users. (00:18)What it means to donate a project and the responsibilities and continuing services CNCF provides. (08:11)Exploring the different maturity levels of CNCF’S projects – sandbox, incubating and graduated. (12:41)How the CNCF Technical Oversight Committee evaluates projects in consideration for contribution – and Ihor provides insight on the stage that requires the most time and commitment. (18:23)Understanding what a successful open source project looks like and how it is measured. (22:42)Links:IhorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idvoretskyi/Twitter: https://twitter.com/idvoretskyiCNCF: https:// www.cncf.io/

In this episode of Cloud Native Startup, Justin Borgman, Chairman and CEO of Starburst Data, takes us through Starburst’s evolution as it speedily makes its mark in the enterprise software space. As a two-time startup founder, Justin illustrates his journey towards founding Starburst, alongside his fellow co-founders, and we explore how they built this unique company. He also shares his advice and lessons learned and we discuss what’s in store for Starburst as the company ventures into its next phase.Highlights:Exploring how Starburst came into being and what led to the realization that a business would be built around Presto. (00:14)Why Starburst has 12 co-founders and the factors that contribute to the strength of the founding team. (05:53)Starburst’s journey towards raising venture funding. (08:19)The evolution of PrestoSQL and how it became Trino – and Justin shares advice for anyone developing an open source project. (13:49)More on Starburst’s shift towards venture funding and how the founders came to that decision. (21:15)Differences between Justin’s first and second experience as a startup founder and how he applies what he’s learned. (24:53)A look at Starburst’s transition into its third phase. (28:13)Mistakes and lessons learned. (32:02)Links:JustinLinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinborgman/        Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinborgmanStarburst: https://www.starburst.io/

This week on Cloud Native Startup, I’m joined by Tobi Knaup, CEO & Co-Founder of D2iQ.In this episode, Tobi provides insight on how D2iQ helps its customers change the world through open source and how it is reflected in their core mission. We also explore what led to the creation of this pioneering technology company and how the cloud native space has changed since. Highlights:Tobi provides an overview of D2iQ and how it came to be - and he walks through their pivot from Mesos to Kubernetes. (00:11) More on the core mission of D2iQ - and how solving technology challenges at Twitter and Airbnb led to the creation of D2iQ. (04:05) How DQI2 partnered with companies in its early days - and the common mistake that D2IQ and most companies make early on. (13:30) Tobi reflects on his journey from an engineer to founder and CEO - and shares his perspective on the evolution of the cloud native ecosystem. (18:44)Tobi’s advice to the younger version of himself and his fellow co-founders. (28:17)   Links:TobiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiasknaup/Twitter: https://twitter.com/superguenterD2iQWebsite: https://d2iq.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/D2iQ

HashiCorp’s Co-Founder and CTO, Armon Dadgar, joins me for a conversation on Cloud Native Startup.In this episode, we focus on open source and how it serves as the core to HashiCorp’s identity. We also explore Armon’s journey towards founding HashiCorp with Mitchell Hashimoto and what the future holds as they both lean into their respective passions. Learn a few keys to cultivating a successful open source community, why some companies don’t rely on this success, his lessons learned, and more.Highlights:A  look at Armon’s role as Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer and what sparked the decision to build HashiCorp alongside Mitchell Hashimoto. (00:13)Armon shares why HashiCorp began as open source and how that developed into a company. (4:46)How an open source community compares to a paid community - and Armon’s take on bootstraping an open source company. (11:23)Why creating an open source project directly from a closed source project is not the best strategy. (14:43)Keys to building a successful open source community and why this is vital to HashiCorp.(18:14)Armon shares lessons learned during the early days of HashiCorp - and his thoughts on the complexities of being a founder. (23:15)How Mitchell’s decision to step back as an individual contributor allows him to focus on his passion - and more on why they chose to monetize HashiCorp. (29:30)Links:ArmonTwitter: https://twitter.com/armonGitHub: https://github.com/armonLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armon-dadgar/HashiCorpWebsite: https://www.hashicorp.com/Twitter: www.twitter.com/hashicorp

Neil Cresswell, co-founder of Portainer, joins me this week on Cloud Native Startup. In this episode, we talk about the evolution of Neil’s fascinating career, which began at age 17, and how it led to Portainer. We also discuss Portainer’s core ethos of simplicity, open source product, Neil’s predictions on Kubernetes, and more.Highlights:Neil recounts how he went from self-employed to co-founding Portainer. (00:19)A look at who Portainer was originally built for and the moment he realized it would be a commercial entity. (08:09).Neil dives into the three elements to success in open source product. (11:56)Neil’s advice for someone working on an open source - and a look back at his consulting experience. (14:54)Neil’s shares his lessons learned along his journey - and breaks down some differences in his past and present roles. (20:08)How Neil’s team ensures simplicity - and his Kubernetes predictions. (25:09)Neil shares some of the everyday challenges and advantages of working across different timezones. (29:19)Links:NeilLinkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ncresswellTwitter: twitter.com/neilc_cloudPortainerWebsite: Portainer.io Twitter: twitter.com/portainer.io

Michael Hyatt joins me on this episode of Cloud Native Startup. Not only is Michael a leading tech investor and philanthropist, but he also ranks as one of Canada’s top entrepreneurs. In this episode, Michael provides a wealth of knowledge as he shares invaluable tips for aspiring, new, and current founders. We also discuss the early stages of founding companies with his brother Richard, the mentality behind hiring your weakness, the phenomenal impact of computing, and much more. In this episode, we cover:Michael’s take on why starting a company with his brother was a powerful and successful business move. (00:15)The power of computing - and the awful truth about technology. (4:12)The importance of being able to pivot and hire your weakness. (8:18)What Michael looks for when he is investing in a company. (17:27)The impact computing has on new companies now vs 20 years ago. (20:24)Michael reflects on the moment he knew success was on the horizon - and how his inferiority complex played a role. (26:07)The challenges of creating a company built around technology. (28:49)Why you need marque customers. (32:24)Michael’s advice to founders. (35:47)Links:Michael HyattLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhyatt1Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhyattoffice

J.J. Guy, Co-founder and CEO of Sevco Security, joins me this week on Cloud Native Startup. In this episode, J.J. breaks down Sevco Security and the IT security ecosystem. We also discuss challenges, lessons learned, building a solid team culture and more.Highlights:Introduction to Sevco and how it fits into the security product ecosystem. (:0016)What creates friction across the entire IT organization and why it is taken for granted. (5:05)J.J. shares ideas that he considered but then ultimately rejected and what he would have done differently. (10:39)The fascinating challenges around enterprise products in security. (17:44)Key lessons learned and how J.J. applies them to Sevco Security. (22:50)The challenges of developing a new product in a new market segment. (27:23)Links:J.J. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjguy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jjguy Sevco SecurityWebsite: https://sevcosecurity.com/

This week on Cloud Native Startup, I am joined by William Morgan, CEO of Buoyant, Inc. In this episode, William talks about his beginnings as a software engineer at Twitter and his transition towards starting and running his own company. We also discuss how rewriting Linkerd enhanced its core value of simplicity, the blessing and curse of open source, his advice to his younger self, and more.In this episode, we cover:Who is the CEO of Buoyant? William Morgan shares his background. (00:14)The story behind Linkerd and how it came into existence. (1:40)Building a company around Linkerd - and monetizing an open source project. (3:43)William’s thoughts on the open-core model. (7:52)The evolution of Buoyant: Building the long-term future of the business. (9:08)Lessons learned and advice to William’s younger self. (13:48)Deep dive into the process of simplifying Linkerd to reach its core value. (17:34)Istio or Linkerd? William’s take on deciding what is right for you. (23:26)The blessing and curse of open source. (27:03)William reflects on his journey as an engineer to starting and running a company:  (32:00)Links:William MorganLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmorganTwitter: https://twitter.com/wmBuoyantWebsite: https://buoyant.io Twitter: https://twitter.com/BuoyantIOLinkerdWebsite: https://buoyant.io/linkerd/Linkerd Twitter: https://twitter.com/Linkerd