Meet Sumeet
Kicking things off, Sumeet shares his tech-laden journey from Michigan to Silicon Valley, hopping through tech giants like Facebook, Uber, and Discord. With a career as colorful as the companies he’s worked for, Sumeet has a treasure trove of insights into building robust engineering solutions. Now, he's channeling those experiences into Crafting, which helps large enterprises set up kick-ass cloud development environments.
What's the Deal with Cloud Dev Environments?
For those not fully in the loop, Sumeet breaks down the concept of cloud dev environments. Once upon a time, developers coded their masterpieces right on their trusty laptops. But as companies and their digital needs have grown, trying to replicate that environment with dozens or even hundreds of interacting services on one machine can seem like a Herculean task. Sumeet explains how Crafting changes the game: it allows developers to test and build in the cloud sans the hassle of limitations posed by local machines. Not only does this approach save cash, but it also cuts through the complexity like a hot knife through butter. As Sumeet points out, focusing on the core business needs rather than battling never-ending tech issues is the way forward.
A Walk Down Memory Lane: Uber’s Internal Chat Experiment
The conversation takes an intriguing turn as Sumeet reflects on Uber’s decision to build an internal chat application, “U Chatt,” to replace HipChat. Let’s just say, sometimes building things in-house isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Despite the valiant efforts to tackle reliability issues, things didn’t quite pan out, and Uber eventually jumped ship to Slack. Sumeet candidly admits, “Trust is everything when it comes to enterprise products.” Whether it’s internal tools or customer-facing features, once reliability is breached, it's an uphill battle to win back user confidence. A tough lesson in what moving fast and breaking things can mean in an enterprise setting.
Lessons Learned and Insights Gained
Throughout the chat, a key theme emerges: the balance between control and deploying external solutions. Engineers, often a curious bunch, love to tweak and tinker. But as Mang-Git and Sumeet discuss, sometimes the best solution is to hand over the reins and focus on innovation rather than infrastructure headaches. Sumeet points out that Crafting offers a white-glove service catered to enterprise needs, giving teams the flexibility and control they crave while managing costs and resources efficiently. And when it comes to convincing those stubborn engineers? Crafting integrates directly into their cloud, offering just the right amount of visibility and customization to keep everyone happy.
The Future Looks Bright (and a Little AI-Powered)
From futuristic AI ideas to family weekends, Sumeet shares what’s got him pumped in both his professional and personal life. He's particularly excited about AI's emerging role as a teacher and companion, especially when it comes to learning new skills. On the home front, he’s looking forward to a little bit of “me-time” with a long-awaited weekend getaway, thanks to the kids finding their groove.
Wrapping It Up
The episode wraps up as Mang-Git nudges Sumeet about a fun purchase or two. Sumeet gushes over a 3D printer and the wonders of gamified learning apps for kids, while contemplating the tug-of-war with his own childhood Pokémon collection now in his own children’s crosshairs. This conversation is packed with takeaways for engineering teams and founders wrestling with the build vs. buy dilemma. It's a deep dive into making smart decisions that enable teams to focus on what they do best, solving problems, and pushing boundaries in the world of tech.