The MAD Podcast: Machine Learning, AI & Data with Matt Turck

By Matt TurckTechnology

The MAD Podcast: Machine Learning, AI & Data with Matt Turck episodes

June 13, 2024 How ClickHouse powers Netflix, Uber and Spotify’s Analytics | Aaron Katz, CEO of ClickHouse
In this episode, we sat down with Aaron Katz, the CEO of ClickHouse, a company that went from an open-source analytical database into a highly successful cloud service, utilized by Spotify, Netflix, Disney, and many more.

Aaron Katz provides intriguing insights into the challenges of transitioning an open-source project into a thriving business, ClickHouse's go-to-market strategy, the role of technical support in pre-sales, and the strategic decision to avoid traditional SDR and CSM roles.

CLICKHOUSE
Website - https://clickhouse.com/
Twitter - https://x.com/clickhousedb

Aaron Katz
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-katz-5762094
Twitter - https://x.com/ceo_clickhouse

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
(00:56) What is ClickHouse?
(04:28) What are the use cases for ClickHouse?
(06:17) Reducing the latency: why the world shifts to real-time
(09:05) How did ClickHouse evolve from an open-source to a cloud product?
(15:01) "Open source is the future of software"
(17:27) Self-hosted deployments
(18:45) ClickHouse's roadmap
(20:51) Is there a real-time data stack?
(22:25) ClickHouse partners in data ingestion
(24:32) Who are ClickHouse's main competitors?
(27:35) ClickHouse's sales process
(36:44) Is partnerships a good go-to-market strategy?
(37:44) When is the right time for startups to start partnering?
(38:22) Aaron's story of becoming the CEO
(43:50) Team and culture when working on two continents
(46:15) What's next?
50 min
June 01, 2024 From Tiny Romanian Startup to Global AI Automation Leader | Daniel Dines, CEO of UIPath
In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Dines, the co-founder and CEO of UiPath. From a small rented apartment in Bucharest to $1.3 billion in revenue, UiPath's story is one of perseverance, innovation, and strategic pivots.
Daniel shares his insights on the pivotal moments that shaped UiPath, how to build a robust go-to-market strategy, the role of partnerships, and the lessons learned in hiring and managing a sales organization.

UIPath
Website - https://www.uipath.com/
Twitter - https://x.com/UiPath

Daniel Dines
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldines
Twitter - https://x.com/danieldines

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
(01:38) UiPath was founded in an apartment in Bucharest. How did it all start?
(08:05) Building a global product
(11:26) The growth stage.
(18:50) "We were AI from the beginning"
(20:10) Raising the first round of funding.
(23:48) Working with the board.
(25:11) How did UiPath expand from the Romanian to the global market?
(35:00) Process Mining, Task Mining, and Communications Mining.
(41:41) The Automation Layer explained.
(45:28) The use cases for using AI in UiPath's automations
(56:22) UiPath's strategy for Gen AI adoption.
(58:27) The team.
(59:42) How important are partnerships for enterprise
(01:02:48) Recruiting the best salespeople in the industry
(01:07:10) Scaling from a software engineer to the CEO of a large company.

1 hr 13 min
May 31, 2024 From Tiny Romanian Startup to Global AI Automation Leader | Daniel Dines, CEO of UIPath
In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Dines, the co-founder and CEO of UiPath. From a small rented apartment in Bucharest to a $10.9 billion market cap, UiPath's story is one of perseverance, innovation, and strategic pivots.
Daniel shares his insights on the pivotal moments that shaped UiPath, how to build a robust go-to-market strategy, the role of partnerships, and the lessons learned in hiring and managing a sales organization.

UIPath
Website - https://www.uipath.com/
Twitter - https://x.com/UiPath

Daniel Dines
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldines
Twitter - https://x.com/danieldines

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

LISTEN ON:
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7yLATDSaFvgJG80ACcRJtq
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mad-podcast-with-matt-turck/id1686238724

(00:00) Intro
(01:38) UiPath was founded in an apartment in Bucharest. How did it all start?
(08:05) Building a global product
(11:26) The growth stage.
(18:50) "We were AI from the beginning"
(20:10) Raising the first round of funding.
(23:48) Working with the board.
(25:11) How did UiPath expand from the Romanian to the global market?
(35:00) Process Mining, Task Mining, and Communications Mining.
(41:41) The Automation Layer explained.
(45:28) The use cases for using AI in UiPath's automations
(56:22) UiPath's strategy for Gen AI adoption.
(58:27) The team.
(59:42) How important are partnerships for enterprise
(01:02:48) Recruiting the best salespeople in the industry
(01:07:10) Scaling from a software engineer to the CEO of a large company.

1 hr 14 min
May 23, 2024 How Airtable is Ushering 500,000 Organizations Into The Era of AI | Howie Liu, CEO of Airtable
In this episode, we sit down with Howie Liu, co-founder and CEO of Airtable, to explore the incredible journey of Airtable from its early days to becoming a powerhouse in the enterprise software space.
Howie provides a candid look at the challenges and learnings from transitioning Airtable from a PLG product to an enterprise platform, how companies are transforming their marketing operations with AI, and the transformative potential of AI in automating workflows and enhancing business processes.
AIRTABLE
Website - https://www.airtable.com/
Twitter - https://x.com/airtable
Howie Liu
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/howieliu/
Twitter - https://x.com/howietl
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
(02:40) What is Airtable in 2024?
(05:35) How does Airtable apply AI to its products?
(11:56) What are the AI use cases in Airtable?
(18:35) The tech behind Airtable's AI capabilities
(22:22) Is Airtable going to become an AI-first company?
(25:15) Will AI kill programming as we know it?
(29:24) How do big enterprises think about AI?
(34:46) How did Airtable go from PLG to a large enterprise product?
(41:00) AI Categories
(47:47) "We definitely had our hiccups"
(51:20) Was PLG a ZIRP-era phenomenon?
(56:29) Howie's journey as a CEO
1 hr 3 min
May 16, 2024 AI, Data and Blockchain: a VC perspective | Tomasz Tunguz, Founder of Theory Ventures
In this episode, we sat down with Tomasz Tunguz (https://twitter.com/ttunguz), the founder of Theory Ventures and a leading voice in the tech investment space.
We discussed the transformative potential of Ethereum as a database company, the importance of data security in a decentralized world, and the evolving landscape of AI technologies from foundational models to AI-native applications.
📰 Article "What If LLMs Change the Business Model of the Internet?": https://tomtunguz.com/what-if-llms-change-the-business-model-of-the-internet/
✍️ Tomasz' blog: https://tomtunguz.com

Theory Ventures
Website - https://theory.ventures/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Theoryvc
Tomasz Tunguz
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasztunguz
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ttunguz
Blog - https://tomtunguz.com/

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
LISTEN ON:
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DataDrivenNYC/videos
Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mad-podcast-with-matt-turck/id1686238724
(00:00) Intro
(02:46) Tomasz has continued to invest in blockchain through the crypto winter. Why?
(06:59) Security and privacy as the main blockchain's use case.
(09:18) Blockchain and AI: how do they work together?
(11:02) Why does Theory Ventures not invest in AI hardware?
(12:28) Why do big companies invest in cloud infrastructure?
(15:35) An investor view on the foundation models.
(18:36) Is Gen AI going to replace traditional AI?
(20:57) Does the Theory Ventures invest in AI tooling companies?
(22:53) Is investing in Cloud companies better than investing in AI-powered applications?
(26:40) Copilot AI vs full-execution AI.
(28:38) A case for specialized LLMs.
(29:54) Gross margins in Gen AI: is it profitable?
(32:34) Modern Data Stack: is it still a thing to invest in?
(37:02) Microsoft Fabric and its impact on the market.
(38:50) Tomasz's thought on Motherduck and DuckDB.
(40:37) Where do BI tools fit in the Modern Data Stack?
(44:32) Why has the democratization of BI never happened?
(45:52) How do acquisitions happen? Can you engineer them?
(49:02) Key ingredients to build data infrastructure business.
(50:40) Tomasz is a founder now! How does it feel?
(53:15) Talking numbers: Theory Ventures' financial model.
55 min
May 03, 2024 The $9B Startup Going After Snowflake and Databricks | Renen Hallak from VAST Data
In this episode, we sat down with Renen Hallak, founder and CEO of VAST Data, a $9 billion company that's shaking the foundations of data storage, databases and compute functionality.
Through the conversation, we explore VAST's perspective on AI infrastructure, the process of selling over a billion dollars worth of software, and the technical innovations behind disaggregated, shared-everything architecture.

VAST Data
Website - https://www.vastdata.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/VAST_Data

Renen Hallak
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/renenh/

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
(01:40) What is VAST Data?
(02:56) The company was started in stealth mode. Why?
(03:42) Did VAST get lucky with the gen AI explosion?
(04:27) VAST Data founding story
(05:57) How does the company work across 2 continents?
(06:48) What made you think that you can disrupt the market?
(09:23) VAST architecture explained
(23:08) Moving from data storage to databases
(25:01) What was the hardest thing to build?
(26:32) How does VAST work with open source
(26:54) A glimpse into the future products
(28:22) The world without VAST: how it would've looked like
(29:45) Who were VAST's first customers?
(30:56) How do hedge funds use VAST?
(32:08) VAST's sales strategy
(34:04) Renen's transition from technical founder to CEO
(36:01) How do you hire great people?
(37:07) What was the hardest thing on your journey as a CEO?
(38:43) $9B CEO daily routine
(40:17) Difference between offices in NY and Israel
(42:07) Renen's learnings from sales
46 min
April 26, 2024 Navigating the AI Landscape: A Survival Guide | 2024 MAD Landscape with Matt Turck and Aman Kabeer
🔗 2024 MAD Landscape: https://mad.firstmark.com
📃 PDF: https://mattturck.com/landscape/mad2024.pdf
📃 Blog post: https://mattturck.com/mad2024/
In this episode, we delve into the 2024 machine learning, AI, and data scene (MAD), examining an evergrowing array of over 2011 logos, the meteoric rise of open-source AI, and the anticipated advancements in AI agents and edge AI technology.
Gain valuable perspectives on the saturated AI market, the dilemmas and prospects open source AI presents, and the continuous evolution of the modern data infrastructure. This episode covers a distinctive mix of analysis, industry perspectives, and foresight into the technological future.

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
Aman Kabeer (Investor)
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aman-kabeer/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmanKabeer11

(00:00) Intro
(02:06) What is MAD?
(07:58) Open sourcing AI
(12:29) How open source affects commercial AI?
(21:02) Is the AI hype cycle over?
(26:39) Was 2023 a head fake for Gen AI? What about 2024?
(28:05) VC's perspective on AI
(30:54) Emerging of AI stack
(37:36) What are the areas VCs are excited about?
(41:04) Will full-stack AI platforms kill SaaS?
(42:42) Modern Data Stack: is it dead or alive?
(47:17) What's next for the MAD Landscape?
49 min
April 17, 2024 AI at Roblox: Revolutionizing Game Creation | Morgan McGuire from Roblox
In this episode, we sat down with Morgan McGuire, Chief Scientist of Roblox, and the mind behind the magic of the virtual universe. Together we explore the spectrum of creativity on Roblox, from no-code experiences to professional game development, dive deep into the cutting-edge AI tools Roblox is deploying, and how these tools are democratizing game development.
Tune in to embark on a journey into the heart of creativity, technology, and community with Roblox. This is not just about playing games; it's about creating the future, one experience at a time.

ROBLOX
Website - https://www.roblox.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Roblox

Morgan McGuire
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-mcguire-660120210
Twitter - https://twitter.com/casualeffects

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
(01:05) Roblox is not a game, but a platform
(10:03) How does Roblox leverage Gen AI?
(13:34) How did the company start working on AI?
(21:26) AI Code Assist
(26:30) AI Material Generator
(32:07) ControlNet
(38:36) StarCoder
(43:40) Who works at Roblox?
51 min
April 10, 2024 Is AI a platform shift or a paradigm shift? | Benedict Evans
In this episode, we sat down with Benedict Evans, a leading voice in the tech industry and a former partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
Known for his sharp insights and forward-thinking analysis, Benedict shares his expert perspective on what generative AI means for the future of technology, business, and society at large.
Specifically, we dive deep into the evolving landscapes of generative AI, augmented and virtual reality, and the critical issue of AI bias.
Join us as Benedict Evans provides a nuanced analysis of cutting-edge tech and shares his insights and perspectives on the road ahead.
BENEDICT EVANS
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedictevans/
Threads - https://www.threads.net/@benedictevans
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
(01:06) The AI platform shift in 2024
(05:54) Gen AI in 2024 vs. PC-boom in the 80-s
(13:24) Until AGI happens, there will be vertical-specific apps
(15:12) Should companies have an AI strategy?
(21:04) Platform shift OR paradigm shift?
(23:55) How should we think about AGI in 2024?
(34:08) Is gen AI grossly overhyped?
(36:27) AI bias and the hidden problems in data
(44:56) Apple Vision Pro and the future of AR/VR
52 min
April 03, 2024 From Social App to Data Giant: Foursquare's Evolution | Gary Little from Foursquare
In this episode, we sit down with Gary Little, CEO of Foursquare, to discuss Foursquare's remarkable evolution from a social app to a leader in location intelligence. Gary discusses how Foursquare uses smartphone ubiquity to create a global map through crowdsourcing, covering 190 countries and over 200 million points of interest.
Learn about the challenges of managing complex, real-time datasets and how Foursquare employs machine learning and knowledge graphs to analyze foot traffic and device movements. The conversation also covers the critical role of privacy and data security in location tracking, especially in light of recent regulatory changes.
Gary explains Foursquare's platform strategy, drawing parallels with Amazon's AWS, to enable customers to process and utilize location data for their applications.
Foursquare
Website - https://location.foursquare.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Foursquare
Gary Little (CEO)
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-little-0670ba4
Twitter - https://twitter.com/garylittlefsq
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
(01:10) Brief history of Foursquare
(03:07) What makes Foursquare's location data unique?
(05:17) Foursquare Platform. What is it?
(08:07) A glimpse into the future of Foursquare
(10:00) More customers want to process the data themselves. Why?
(13:42) Data privacy of today vs 10 years ago. What has changed?
(16:41) Foursquare Graph: what does it do?
(19:17) How is Foursquare utilizing AI?
(22:17) How will AR/VR influence location intelligence?
25 min

About The MAD Podcast: Machine Learning, AI & Data with Matt Turck

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The MAD Podcast with Matt Turck is a leading AI podcast - deeply-researched but accessible conversations with the people building the AI revolution. Guests include frontier researchers from OpenAI,…