From: acquiredfm
A core belief is that not all software or AI is created equal [00:00:03]. This perspective has guided investment strategies over the past decade [00:00:00].
The Rise of Data and Databases
In 2000, the leading sector in software was databases [00:00:10]. At that time, companies primarily generating revenue from databases collectively held an enterprise value of about one trillion dollars in market capitalization [00:00:16].
The volume of data being produced is immense, with more data generated each year than in all preceding years of human history combined [00:00:30]. This ever-increasing data necessitates a storage solution, and projections indicate a continued expansion of sensors to gather even more data in the future [00:00:34].
Bill Gates’ Vision for Data-Driven Decisions
Bill Gates once addressed a question from Meg Whitman regarding whether all significant technological advancements had already occurred [00:00:43]. His response highlighted the primitive nature of human decision-making at the time:
“Do you realize how barbaric it is the way we make decisions?” [00:00:54]
Gates envisioned a future where vast amounts of stored data would be analyzed by machines to facilitate superior decision-making [00:00:59]. He provided examples of how this would apply to various fields:
- Diagnosing an illness [00:01:07]
- Educating a dyslexic child [00:01:10]
- Maintaining an aircraft’s engine [00:01:14]
In this future, decisions would fundamentally be driven by machines analyzing data [00:01:21].
Transformation of the Database Market
This vision led to a strong conviction that the entire database market was poised for a complete overhaul [00:01:26]. The expectation was that databases would be remade specifically for the cloud environment [00:01:30].
Significant focus was placed on developing the cloud infrastructure layer and the necessary tools to enable enterprises to transition to the cloud [00:01:34]. This strategic focus proved to be highly successful [00:01:43].