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The Infra Pod brings you insightful and thought-provoking discussions on the world of infrastructure software. This podcast is started by two engineers, Ian Livingstone (tech advisor for Snyk) and Tim Chen (General Partner at Essence VC), team up with a rotating cast of guests to dive deep into the latest trends and hot topics in the software infrastructure space.
49 Episodes
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Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) sat down with Aditya, CEO of Blacksmith, to explore the inception and innovative approach of Blacksmith in the CI/CD space. Blacksmith utilizes gaming CPUs and NVMe SSDs to deliver high-performance, serverless CI compute. They discussed the challenges faced by large companies with CI systems, why GitHub Actions was chosen as their primary CI system, and how AI-induced code generation is pushing the need for faster and more efficient CI solutions. Adya also highlighted the future potential of CI observability and other improvements Blacksmith is focusing on to maintain their edge in the market.00:29 Founding Blacksmith: The Origin Story01:16 Understanding Blacksmith's Serverless CI Compute02:21 Challenges in CI/CD and Blacksmith's Solutions05:14 Technical Deep Dive: Performance and Optimization06:53 Why GitHub Actions?08:08 Innovative Hardware Choices for CI10:06 Scaling and Managing CI Workloads19:14 Future of CI/CD and AI Integration28:02 Spicy Futures: Predictions and Hot Takes
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard.sh) delve into the fascinating world of AI memory with Charles, the CEO and co-founder of Letta. They explore the intricacies of memory in AI, its current state, how it’s implemented in various applications, and its potential to revolutionize productivity tools such as coding assistants. Charles shares insights on how Letta is leading the way by creating platforms for agents with long-term memory, the future implications of shared memory systems, and the concept of 'sleep time compute.' Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of why memory could become more valuable than the models themselves in the future of AI.00:24 The Concept of Memory in AI02:04 Expanding on AI Memory02:17 Implementing Effective AI Memory01:55 Current and Future State of AI Memory11:37 The Challenges and Opportunities of AI Memory11:37 Real-World Applications and Limitations35:14 Introducing Letta's Solutions36:35 Future Trends and Predictions
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) hosted DBOS building a reliable backend service, with guests including CEO Jeremy and cofounder Qian. The discussion delves into the company's motivation, their research work making software durable and reliable by default, their choice to be betting on Postgres, and how they integrate AI with traditional systems. 00:51 DBOS: Mission and Origins01:37 Creating Reliable and Durable Software11:13 Leveraging Postgres for Durability27:06 Spicy Takes: The Future of Postgres and Development
Join Tim from Essence VC and Ian from Keycard as they sit down with Gilad Kleinman (CEO of Epsio), to explore the next generation incremental query engine they're building. Gilad shares his journey from a software developer focusing on low-level Linux kernel development to identifying fundamental gaps in data processing. They delve into the philosophical questions regarding data complexity and redundancy, discuss the theoretical advancements propelling their project, and highlight the practical issues faced by companies in achieving efficient, scalable data queries.00:35 Journey to Building Epsio03:33 Tackling Incremental Processing10:08 User Experience in Data Systems17:24 Scaling and Integration Challenges18:43 AI and the Future of Database Management32:21 Spicy Hot Take!
In this episode of the Infra Pod, hosts Tim from Essence VC and Ian from Keycard, are joined by Gil, CTO and co-founder of Merge.dev. They discuss the inception and mission of Merge, its growth, and how the company is solving complex integration problems for businesses. The conversation covers the challenges of integration, the future of APIs, and the impact of AI and MCP on the industry.00:37 The Integration Nightmare07:09 Common Data Models and Syncing Data16:09 MCP and AI-Driven Integrations42:10 Future of MCP in the Industry
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim (Essence VC) and Ian (Keycard) are joined by Branden Wagner, Head of Information Security at Mercury. They delve into the nuances of Information Security, discuss the interplay between human and technical controls, and explore the evolving role of AI in security. Wagner shares insights on fostering a collaborative culture and building secure systems, providing valuable advice for both engineers and security professionals.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:07 The Importance of Security Culture04:40 Building Collaborative Security Programs10:54 Integrating Security into Business Practices21:30 The Role of AI in Information Security32:22 Spicy Future: The Impact and Limitations of AI
Ian and Tim host a conversation with Hamel Husain, an AI influencer and consultant who has worked with major tech companies like GitHub and Airbnb. They delve into Husain's journey to becoming an independent consultant, his insights on the common struggles with AI evaluation and data literacy, and his pragmatic approach to improving AI systems. The discussion also covers the importance of error analysis, measuring AI performance, and the evolving role of AI engineering in enhancing software development.00:23 Hamel's Background in AI and Machine Learning01:18 Challenges in AI and Machine Learning02:15 Importance of Data Literacy in AI04:02 Common Struggles in AI Development05:05 The Role of AI Engineers08:39 Focus on Processes Over Tools11:10 Error Analysis and Practical Examples15:52 Case Study: Improving AI Products26:05 The Role of Agents in AI
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim and Ian sit down with Jake, CEO of Railway, to explore how Railway is reinventing cloud deployment. Jake shares the origin story of Railway, their unique approach to simplifying cloud deployments, and the innovations that separate Railway from traditional cloud providers. With a focus on developer experience, cost efficiency, and leveraging hard-to-build technologies, Jake outlines Railway's journey from supporting small projects to attracting large-scale enterprises. The discussion delves into organizational strategies, technical challenges, and the potential future impact of AI on cloud infrastructure management.00:22 Railway's Mission and Approach22:45 Deep Dive into Orchestration and Kernel-Level Work30:07 Leveraging AI and In-House Tools31:55 The Spicy Future: Hot Takes and Predictions
Tim from Essence and Ian dive deep into why Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) is now getting hot with special guest Jon Morehouse, CEO of Nuon. The discussion traverses Jon's journey to founding Nuon, the significance and complexities of BYOC, and the emerging trends shaping the future of software deployment. Jon shares insights on the shifting paradigms in SaaS, the integration of AI in BYOC models, and the evolving conversations in the boardroom that are driving these changes.00:00 Introduction00:27 John Morehouse's Journey03:14 Understanding Bring Your Own Cloud12:55 Challenges in BYOC Implementation17:40 Pricing and Packaging of BYOC28:33 The Future of BYOC and AI
In this episode of the Infra Pod, Tim from Essence and Ian Livingston host Paul Klein, CEO of Browser Base, to discuss the intricacies and future of browser automation, the challenges of running headless browsers, and the emergence of AI-driven web agents.00:29 What's Browserbase?01:20 Challenges with Headless Browsers02:57 AI Agents and Headless Browsers09:21 The Future of Browser Automation13:26 Technical Challenges in Browser Automation18:10 Differences between Browserbase and Other Tools21:12 Addressing Use Cases and Developer Experience
In this episode of Infra Pod, Ian and Tim chat with Simon, the CEO of Turbopuffer, about his journey from working at Shopify to building the fastest vector store known to man. They delve into the intricacies of scaling infrastructure, the challenges with traditional databases like Postgres and MySQL, and why Simon believes in building databases on top of object storage. They also explore the trade-offs Turbo Puffer has made, including its unique approach to consistency and high write latency.00:36 Scaling Shopify's Infrastructure01:56 Challenges with Postgres02:19 Building Turbo Puffer16:30 Trade-offs and Performance of Turbo Puffer22:32 Importance of Consistency in Databases26:29 BYOC (Bring Your Own Cloud) Option32:03 Customer Use Cases and Integration35:11 Spicy Future!
In this engaging episode of the Infra Pod, Tim and Ian dives deep into the world of real-time audio and video infrastructure with Russ D'sa, CEO of Livekit. Russ shares the story of how Livekit evolved from an open-source project into a company and discusses the challenges it tackles, including scaling real-time communication, building AI infrastructure, and the future of human-computer interaction. They also explore LiveKit's role in transforming various industries, from customer support to robotics and AI-powered applications.00:22 The Origin and Evolution of LiveKit02:47 Challenges in Real-Time Audio and Video06:18 LiveKit's Impact and Use Cases18:52 AI and Real-Time Infrastructure29:43 Future of Human-Computer Interaction
In this episode of the Infra Pod, hosts Tim Chen and Ian Livingston welcome Joao, CEO and founder of Crew AI. The discussion dives deep into the world of AI agents, exploring the journey of Crew AI, the intricacies of multi-agent systems, and the future possibilities of automation using AI. Joe shares his personal journey, founding stories, and hot takes on the evolving landscape of AI, including the rise of open-source solutions like DeepSeek.00:00 Introduction to the Infrapod00:28 Meet Joe, CEO of Crew AI00:31 The Journey of Crew AI's Early Days02:15 From Closed-Source to Open-Source05:07 Joe's Passion for AI Agents07:03 Defining Agents and Crew AI's Vision09:39 Successful Use Cases of AI Agents14:01 Cutting-Edge Agent Applications17:49 How Multi-Agent Systems Work22:23 Designing Effective Agent Flows24:33 Control and Flexibility in Agent Operations30:29 Future of Generalized Agent Platforms37:02 Quality Assurance in Agent Outputs40:46 Spicy Takes on AI's Future
1In this episode of the Infrapod, Tim and Ian sat down with Ian Nowland (ex-SVP of Datadog, co-author of Platform Engineering book), a platform engineering expert and co-founder of Junction Labs. They dive deep into the nuances of platform engineering, discussing the evolution of roles like sysadmin, DevOps, and SRE, and the current state and future of platform engineering. Ian shares his journey from Amazon to Datadog and talks about his new company, Junction Labs, which aims to simplify microservices networking. Tim and Ian explore the challenges and solutions in platform engineering, and Ian provides insights on building effective, user-friendly platforms.
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:21 Ian Noland's Background and Journey
01:49 Understanding Platform Engineering
04:03 Challenges in Platform Engineering
19:56 Effective Strategies and Common Pitfalls
25:02 Insights on Buying Software for Platforms
39:48 Conclusion
In this episode of 'The Infra Pod,' Tim and Ian delve into a deep, insightful conversation with a special guest, Chris
Chris Riccomini. As an acclaimed author and inventive mind in the realm of infrastructure, Chris shares his spicy takes on durable execution, BYOC, and modern infrastructure trends. They also discuss the evolving roles of analytics engineers, data pipelines, and the complex web of modern application architecture.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:52 BYOC and Security Perspectives
03:04 Confluent, Warpstream, and Future Insights
17:06 Challenges in Building BYOC Infrastructure
17:25 Waves in Current Infrastructure Trends
23:21 Challenges & Usability of Distributed Architectures
30:01 Final Thoughts and Spicy Takes on Analytics Engineers
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim and Ian are joined by guest Elliot Durbin, General Partner at Bold Start Ventures. They dive deep into the world of inception-stage investing, the evolution of venture capital, and shed light on the complexities of backing infrastructure companies.
00:00 Introduction
00:14 Guest Introduction
00:53 Investing Across Technological Waves
02:02 What to Look for in Founders
29:58 Premature Scaling and Failure Modes
37:54 Future of AI and Venture Capital
45:50 Closing Remarks
Future of Data in Climate and Earth Sciences
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim and Ian sat down with the cofounders of Earthmover Ryan and Joe to discuss the cloud native multi-dimensional data lake they're building for climate and geospatial data. They delve into the role of advanced data handling methods, multidimensional array data, the impact of cloud-native technologies, and how these influence various sectors ranging from insurance to environmental resilience.
00:00 Introduction
00:09 Excitement for Earthmover
00:44 Ryan's Background
03:46 Joe's Involvement
07:54 Definition and Value of Earth Science Data
10:08 Industry Applications
14:37 Challenges and Traditional Methods
19:19 Cloud-Native Solutions
27:09 Data Management in the Cloud
35:05 Spicy Future!
40:46 Contact and Conclusion
Ian and Tim this time around sat down and talk about their learnings interviewing the great guests we had on this podcast, and picked our favorite moments and learnings.
And of course, our own spicy hot takes for 2025!
In this episode of The Infra Pod, Tim and Ian sat down with with Sagar Batchu (CEO of Speakeasy) about APIs and software development. Sagar shares his journey in creating Speakeasy, challenges in API development, market trends, and his unique perspective on the future of QA in the context of rapidly advancing AI technology.
A must-listen for anyone involved in the tech and developer tools / API space!
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Guest Introduction: Sagar Batchu
00:22 Founding Speakeasy
01:36 Insights and Catalyst for Building APIs
02:02 Challenges in API Development
03:57 Who Needs to Build an API?
07:09 Speakeasy's Unique API Product
12:11 Customer Journeys and Learnings
18:00 API Design Principles and Success
28:08 Spicy Future: QA's Resurgence
36:22 AI's Impact on APIs
38:33 Closure and Contacts
Ian and Tim sat down with Jonathan Schneider, CEO of Moderne, about large-scale source code refactoring and the journey of starting a company focused on automating this complex task. Jonathan shares insights from his experience at Netflix and discusses the intricacies of automatic refactoring, the importance of maintaining code consistency, and the interplay between deterministic rules and AI tools in managing code migrations. The conversation touches on the applications and challenges of using AI in code refactoring and explores the potential for hybrid solutions in the future.
00:00 Introduction to the Infra Pod
00:19 Jonathan Schneider's Background and Journey
01:07 Challenges in Code Migrations
03:16 Moderne's Unique Approach to Code Refactoring
05:13 Technical Deep Dive: Abstract Syntax Trees and Lossless Semantic Trees
15:05 AI in Code Refactoring
25:10 Future of Code Migrations and Hybrid Approaches
32:40 Spicy Takes and Industry Predictions
39:35 Conclusion and Contact Information
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