Sutter Hill Ventures

I'm writing a small handbook for engineering managers called "The First Dirty Dozen: How to Scale Engineering from 0 to N" (working title - please don't steal it!). Why am I posting about it on LinkedIn? Four reasons: 1. Engineering managers have gotten a bad rap lately (the "overhead" myth!, the "founder-mode" discussions). I believe the opposite is true. A good EM (from first-line to VP of Eng) is an accelerant! Like any accelerant, the right amount can boost things, the wrong amount can bust things! Sadly, people remember the explosions and forget the successes. This book is my attempt to help every new EM be the right kind of accelerant in the critical early stage of a company or a team. 2. Writing a book is a humbling experience! It's like getting your hands dirty to truly understand something. I've always believed in a hands-on approach to better appreciate things (cooking, coding, you name it!), but writing a book? A whole new level of respect for authors! 3. LLMs are your new best friend. Okay, maybe not best friend, but they're definitely here to stay. Think internet, GPS, mobile phones – game changers! As soon as you used them you knew there was no way back. LLMs have been a HUGE help in drafting this book, proving there's real value in AI beyond the hype. 4. Lastly accountability! The more people I tell, the more likely I am to finish this thing! Plus, I'm looking for reviewers! If you're interested in an early early draft, drop a comment and I'll add you to the list. P.S. I know there are tons of VPs of Engineering out there more qualified than me who could write a better book. But I believe in writing things down to clarify one's opinions, and I realized it would be okay for me to share mine with a wider audience. Also, I'll be tapping into my network for feedback and diverse perspectives, but only once I have the first draft done to avoid contaminating my own perspective.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Mike Speiser for our Sales Leadership Masterclass. Mike's forward-thinking insights and his strong work ethic left us all feeling inspired and motivated. His valuable lessons have truly made an impact. Thank you, Mike, for sharing your time and expertise with us! #snowflake #makeitsnow

In today’s landscape of #GenAI, the demand for advanced RISC-V core IP is rapidly escalating. Learn how we’re working with companies like SiFive to address the issue and push the boundaries of what’s possible: https://bit.ly/3AxTHyQ

Closing on a great journey over a decade, I’ve decided to leave Juniper Networks and the company I co-founded, #Apstra. The journey started in 2014 when David Cheriton and Sasha Ratkovic trusted me in joining forces as co-founders to reinvent network operations with #IntentBasedNetworking. We got acquired by Juniper in early 2021, and today, Juniper Apstra is a core differentiator for Juniper’s data center strategy. Along the way, I had the privilege to help shape Juniper’s newfound success in the data center market.    I feel optimistic about the future of Juniper’s data center business and the path ahead. To all our customers, partners, well wishers, and every team member that contributed to our success, I feel deeply grateful and say Thank You. While I feel sad about leaving, given all the disruptive changes in the industry I believe it’s the right time to explore new opportunities for innovation in infrastructure. I’m excited to join Sutter Hill Ventures and work with Stefan Dyckerhoff in this exploration. I plan to attend Meta's AI Networking@Scale event on Wednesday - if you plan to be there, please let me know, it would be great to see you. Onwards!

Welcome to Sutter Hill Ventures - really excited to explore the future of AI networks!

Interested in an AI for code that thinks as fast as you do? Please check out Augment Code https://bit.ly/3ARqlLW  #DevTools #AI 

We’re hiring AI Front-end Engineers! You'll build and design user interfaces for Augment, and collaborate with AI Researchers and Systems Engineers to craft the technical direction of our Augment system. Join our talented team including Matt Gaunt-Seo, Fedor Korotkov, Liam Lindner and Navtej S. 👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gRMA2Pmw

To grow, you must push yourself to the limit. When you're genuinely reaching, failure is inevitable. You'll bounce back from some failures quickly, while others will hit hard and take time to overcome. But remember, when you stop failing, you stop growing. Failure isn’t just okay—it’s essential for progress. What I value most in people is grit. With ambitious goals, hard work, and relentless persistence, you will eventually achieve significant success in whatever you pursue. Most people either give up too quickly or don’t aim high enough. Lasting success comes to those who embrace continuous growth, and there is no growth without failure.

There’s a lot of buzz about “founder mode” and how to scale an organization effectively. While I’m not the founder of Snowflake, I’ve been a founder before, and now my focus is on scaling a rapidly growing business. Here’s what “founder mode” means to me: When I became CEO of Snowflake, I understood the importance of a relentless growth mindset. What worked yesterday may not work today. To be a high growth company, you need to reinvent constantly for the new reality, and complacency is not an option. To achieve this level of dynamism, accountability and transparency are non-negotiable. Accountability means setting clear objectives and rigorously tracking progress. I ask my teams for daily updates on our key goals—whether it’s sales, product delivery, or company OKRs. This keeps us proactive, addressing potential issues before they escalate and ensuring we stay true to our commitments. It’s not about micromanagement, it’s about everyone feeling involved and accountable. While we embrace risk, we dig deep early and often, making adjustments as needed. Transparency means that everyone should operate with the same information. There is no “managing up” at Snowflake. Decisions are made as a team, with everyone holding equal information. And our conclusions are based on facts rather than opinions. I firmly believe you must “trust but verify” - this helps us make decisions in predictable ways. Finally, growth depends on investing in people and providing opportunities. We’ve all reached our positions because someone took a chance on us. When hiring, I prioritize drive and adaptability. I seek team players who are committed to collective success, rather than individual gain. People are the bedrock of your operation and this investment in them and in the team is what helps you scale successfully.

One of the best things about an early stage startup is feedback from early customers. Augment Code is still in closed preview, but the reaction from the teams building with Augment has been incredible. We’re onboarding new engineering teams every day. For early access, sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gjAM65xZ #DevTools #AI