In this episode of The Digital Executive, Brian Thomas sits down with Jake Moshenko, the visionary co-founder and CEO of AuthZed and the mind behind SpiceDB. With a robust background in cloud native ecosystems, Jake's career trajectory took him from engineering roles at tech giants like Amazon and Google to founding Quay, the pioneering private Docker registry later acquired by CoreOS. His journey didn't stop there; following CoreOS’s acquisition by Red Hat and then IBM, Jake embarked on a new venture with AuthZed to address a critical challenge in the tech world: permissions management.

Jake shares his motivation behind creating AuthZed, aiming to simplify the complex permissions landscape for developers. He highlights the inception of SpiceDB, an industry-leading cloud native permissions database developed to offer scalable and flexible permissions models. Drawing from personal experience, Jake emphasizes the importance of a robust permissions system, sharing how Quay's challenges with customer requirements led to the realization that existing models were insufficient for evolving developer needs.

Throughout the conversation, Jake reflects on the challenges in the cloud native ecosystem, including operationalizing software delivery to cloud platforms and ensuring secure, consistent permissions across microservices. He discusses AuthZed's unique approach to leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance cloud native permissions management, focusing on using existing AI models to accelerate and improve the permissions modeling process for their customers.

Looking to the future, Jake envisions making AuthZed a ubiquitous solution in permissions management, fostering seamless integration across various software solutions, and enabling better collaboration and efficiency. He draws a compelling picture of a future where permissions no longer limit software integration and user experience, inspired by the seamless interactions within Google's ecosystem.

Jake's passion for solving complex technical challenges and his vision for a more integrated and permission-aware software ecosystem shine through in this insightful conversation. It's a deep dive into the world of cloud native permissions and a testament to the power of innovation in addressing fundamental challenges in the tech landscape.