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November 27, 2023 24 mins

In this episode, we chat with Barry McCardel, Co-Founder and CEO of Hex, as he shares how honing his leadership skills in college paved the way for his journey to becoming a founder. Barry discusses building his team with former Palantir colleagues and Hex's emphasis on design from its inception. He shares insights on Hex's rapid feature development, scaling challenges and his vision for the future of data tooling. The episode concludes with Barry's thoughts on emerging trends in data, infrastructure and AI.

Highlights
[0:30]: Barry's introduction via Hex's seed round lead investor.
[01:15]: Barry's journey leading to his role as a founder, shaped by key experiences.
[03:25]: The insights that sparked Barry's creation of Hex.
[04:27]: Why Hex embodies the ultimate product Barry wished for at every career juncture.
[05:47]: Barry's formation of his founding team, reuniting with former Palantir colleagues.
[08:01]: Maintaining a strong focus on design in the early days of Hex and why branding and design is critical.
[13:52]: Unveiling Hex 3.0 with its "magic" features, many powered by LLMs.
[14:24]: Challenges faced while building internet-scale features with LLMs.
[18:17]: Barry's vision for Hex and its future in the industry.


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