In this episode, I sit down with Paul Dix, the founder and CTO of InfluxData to explore his journey from a self-taught programmer to a leader in database systems. We discuss his role in building the NYC Machine Learning meetup, the creation of InfluxDB and the strategic move to make it open source. He shares insights into the decision to rewrite InfluxDB in 2020 and the power of community in tech development. We also touch on his transition from CEO to CTO and his advice for founders on making business-driven decisions. This discussion left me inspired and excited for the future of InfluxData.
Highlights:
[00:48] - Paul shares his circuitous route towards getting to school after working in technology directly out of high school
[04:41] - Getting involved with Ruby meetups and developing applications on Rails
[05:50] - Paul talks about his motivation behind starting the New York Machine Learning meetup
[09:22] - We dive into how Paul's early experiences translated into what he built with InfluxDB
[15:08] - Paul shares how InfluxDB has approached open source and, later, commercialization, including how they've navigated challenges presented by the cloud providers
[21:57] - Paul talks through some of the changes they’ve made to InfluxDB recently and what motivated those changes
[27:40] - Digging into how the Influx team has taken a different approach to open source over the last few years
[28:42] - Paul shares advice for engineer-founders considering CEO vs. CTO roles
--
Thank you to everyone who made Data Council 2025 Oakland an incredibly experience! This year's talk videos will be uploaded to YouTube by end of May 2025.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates for once they're ready to view!
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.