[HN Gopher] Databricks in Talks to Acquire Startup Neon for Abou...
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Databricks in Talks to Acquire Startup Neon for About $1B
Author : ko_pivot
Score : 47 points
Date : 2025-05-05 20:16 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.upstartsmedia.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.upstartsmedia.com)
| datadrivenangel wrote:
| Databricks is trying hard to get into serverless, but it seems
| like they refuse to allow it to actually be cheaper, which
| defeats the purpose of serverless.
| thrance wrote:
| I don't think being cheaper is the main value sell of
| serverless. When I hear "serverless" I think "ease of
| deployment and automatic scaling".
| whateveracct wrote:
| Right but ultimately that's a cost thing, right? Because you
| can solve those problems through other means and by hiring
| internally.
|
| Serverless is meant to obviate some of that. But it is less
| compelling when the vendor tries to gobble up that margin for
| themselves.
| sitkack wrote:
| You will all forced to go serverless because new grads
| can't use the command line. Running a database is about the
| hardest thing you can do. If it is serverless, you don't
| need special skills, preventing employees from becoming
| valuable lowers costs across the board.
| programmertote wrote:
| I had an interview with a senior data engineering candidate and
| we were talking about how expensive Databricks can get. :D I
| set up specific budget alerts in Azure just for Databricks
| resources in DEV and PROD environments.
| newfocogi wrote:
| They offer serverless Postgres. Here's a link if anyone else
| needs it https://neon.tech/
| clpm4j wrote:
| I've been seriously considering neon for a new application. This
| definitely gives me pause... maybe plain ol' Postgres is going to
| be the winner for me again.
| jedberg wrote:
| Why would this give you pause? You just don't want the data to
| be where Databricks is?
|
| Either way, there are plenty of other serverless Postgres
| options out there, Supabase being one of the most popular.
| MOARDONGZPLZ wrote:
| Can't speak for anyone but myself and my experience
| anecdotally, having used Databricks: I consider them to be
| the Oracle of the modern era. Under no circumstances would I
| let them get their hooks into any company I have the power
| from preventing it.
| thor24 wrote:
| Why do think so? Databricks notebook product I have used in
| couple of companies is pretty solid. I have done any google
| research but they are generally known to be very high
| talent dense kind of place to work.
| sitkack wrote:
| You and the parent are not talking about the same things.
| omneity wrote:
| Supabase, while a great product, does not offer serverless
| Postgress.
| vibhork wrote:
| Try Supabase!
| jmull wrote:
| Wow, $1B.
|
| I've been bullish on neon for a while -- the idea hits exactly
| the right spot, IMO, and their execution looks good in my limited
| experience.
|
| But I mean that from a technical perspective. I never have any
| real idea about the business -- do they have an edge that makes
| people want to start paying them money and keep paying them
| money? Heck if I know.
|
| I guess that's going to be Databricks problem now (maybe).
| xyst wrote:
| Actual revenue is irrelevant. This is a business decision to
| corner the market.
| outside1234 wrote:
| Ok, can we just. How is Databricks an AI unicorn exactly?
| ivape wrote:
| Enterprises have lots of data. They store it somewhere, and
| there are multiple vendors that provide such "credible"
| infrastructure for this type of storage. Think of it like, your
| dad says he's willing to get a dog, but only trusts these-five-
| animal-shelters and nothing else. That doesn't mean that's
| correct (that those are the only places to get a dog), it just
| means that's what he trusts. Databricks is most likely a
| unicorn because they have successfully sold the idea that they
| are one of those trusted vendors, like Snowflake.
|
| The truth of the 2010s up until now is that every startup was a
| massive sales con job. The wealth of this industry is not truly
| built on incredible tech, but on the audacity of salesmanship.
| It's a billion-dollar con job. That's one of the reasons I take
| every ridiculous startup that launches quite seriously, because
| you have no idea just how audacious their sales people are.
| They can sell anything.
|
| Your question is very fundamental, and the answer is just as
| raw and fundamental too. I would love it if some of these sales
| people actually reform and write tell-alls about how they
| conned so many large companies in their years of working. This
| content has got to be out there somewhere.
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