Firebolt CEO: Your data layer is now the product

The Gist

• Customers now judge products by their data layer, not just UX
• Fortune 100 buyers demand bring-your-own-cloud and air-gapped deployments
• Open-source databases enable flexibility when vendors can't meet requirements

• The data layer is no longer just backend plumbing; it's now the product that customers and their agents interact with and judge.
• Deployment flexibility is critical for closing deals, especially with Fortune 100, public sector, and regulated buyers who demand control over their data environment.
• Open-source databases enable faster development with coding agents and better deployment flexibility, making them a strategic choice.
• Customers' agents prefer direct access to underlying data through query interfaces, turning vendors into de facto database providers.
• Custom SQL dialects create friction when agents are writing queries, so standard-compliant databases are preferable.
• The shift to agent-built and agent-queried software is still raw, and early adopters will have a competitive edge.

• Prioritize deployment flexibility to meet enterprise demands for bring-your-own-cloud, air-gapped, or on-prem solutions.
• Adopt open-source databases to accelerate development with coding agents and ensure deployment adaptability.
• Avoid custom SQL dialects to reduce friction when agents write queries.
• Invest in resource isolation and reliability for your data layer to handle agent-driven queries at scale.

• couple of months (Time a Firebolt customer had to move their entire product onto CoreWeave to chase an opportunity.)