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Pivotal Software S-1

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Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#41

Post by exelius »

stickfigure wrote: post #36
exelius wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They basically make a Java-based application abstraction layer that sits on top of AWS, Azure, VMWare, etc. Basically a platform for managing storage and compute across multiple on-prem and cloud providers. It’s real enterprisey stuff — as in, it’s probably not even interesting to you until you’re big enough to run in a half dozen data centers and within all the cloud providers.

Only a couple components are Java-based. CloudFoundry started out almost entirely Ruby, but most of it has since been rewritten in Go.

At least when I was working with them last (6-9 months ago) Java had by far the most platform support as a language. I wasn’t talking about the language the PCF code was written in, but rather the development language you use to write services. I realize they support a half dozen plus languages, but Java was by far the best supported in my recollection.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#42

Post by nemo44x »

volume wrote: post #39
abuckenheimer wrote: post #37

We do not control and may be unable to predict the future course of open-source technologies, including those used in our offering, which could reduce the market appeal of our offering and damage our reputation. This is a really cool risk factor that I've never seen before in an S-1, exciting that more big public companies are willing to accept the risk reward that comes with contributing to open source: If open-sour…

I wonder if Red Hat's S-1 said anything similar.

Their quarterly reports always have similar wording, to wit:

"If open source software programmers, most of whom we do not employ, do not continue to develop and enhance open source technologies, we may be unable to develop new technologies, adequately enhance our existing technologies or meet customer requirements for innovation, quality and price.

We rely to a significant degree on a number of largely informal communities of independent open source software programmers to develop and enhance our enterprise technologies. For example, Linus Torvalds, a prominent open source software developer, and a relatively small group of software engineers, many of whom are not employed by us, are primarily responsible for the development and evolution of the Linux kernel, which is the heart of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system. If these groups of programmers fail to adequately further develop and enhance open source technologies, we would have to rely on other parties to develop and enhance our offerings or we would need to develop and enhance our offerings with our own resources. We cannot predict whether further developments and enhancements to these technologies would be available from reliable alternative sources. In either event, our development expenses could be increased and our technology release and upgrade schedules could be delayed. Moreover, if third-party software programmers fail to adequately further develop and enhance open source technologies, the development and adoption of these technologies could be stifled and our offerings could become less competitive. Delays in developing, completing or delivering new or enhanced offerings could result in delayed or reduced revenue for those offerings and could also adversely affect customer acceptance of those offerings."

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#43

Post by subway »

stickfigure wrote: post #33
Pixeleen wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are a super trendy development and cloud consultancy firm based in San Francisco and New York. They have all the right words and everything. Pretentious start time of 9:06 am, signalled by a gong. All pair programming on iMacs. I visited their very shiny office for a tech talk. Two employees (they call themselves Pivots) used the exact same language to describe how good the strict schedule is. I struck up a conv…

This is unnecessarily cynical. I did a couple consulting stints at Pivotal, working on the CF team. They have a very particular methodology that evolved from the earliest days of agile (Rob Mee was a friend of Kent Beck back when XP was being worked out). I walked in there as a very experienced engineer and a healthy amount of skepticism... and it turned out to be a fantastic learning experience. I've since taken the…

It's a killer process for churning out mediocre cogs.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#44

Post by RandallBrown »

taurath wrote: post #24
rjkennedy98 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience also was that they have a huge snob factor there. I was doing consulting for a database company when I visited their office. In the meeting I was announced as someone when knew our company's product, to which one of the people responded "Oh, I think we already know how works". I wanted to respond, you guys have no f-ing clue how it works, but couldn't for decorum reasons.

Yeah its pretty much crazyland over there - they 100% believe their own kool-aid, and evangelize their processes like its the second coming.

Having worked with Pivots in their SF office and in smaller satellite offices, the Kool-aid isn't nearly as strong away from their main offices.

But, I do really like a lot of their processes. Pair programming isn't for everyone, but I think it's a better way of building software. Now that I'm not doing it full time, I constantly miss the benefits of it.

Their strict schedule is kinda nice for work life balance, but it also means working with them was a little strange. Our whole team would go out for happy hour at 5, but they would stay until 6, even with almost nobody else in the office.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#45

Post by ErrantX »

mywittyname wrote: post #22
exelius wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They basically make a Java-based application abstraction layer that sits on top of AWS, Azure, VMWare, etc. Basically a platform for managing storage and compute across multiple on-prem and cloud providers. It’s real enterprisey stuff — as in, it’s probably not even interesting to you until you’re big enough to run in a half dozen data centers and within all the cloud providers.

I don't foresee companies continuing to pay for the ability to switch cloud providers. Mostly because I doubt the pricing differences between providers will ever be significant enough to justify moving. I also suspect that providers will not keep feature-competitive with one another. It seems like every month, AWS is releasing new tools, and there's no way that other providers are maintaining this pace. My suspicion…

one example might be financial services which may get regulated to be multi-cloud.

Also DR.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#46

Post by raverbashing »

gorbachev wrote: post #27
smellf wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the significance of 9:06am? These guys sound like the worst kind of narcissists. The place sounds more like a cult than a company.

This explains some of it: http://www.businessinsider.com/pivotal-906-am-breakfast-meet...

TL;DR "So Pivotal decided to employ both a stick and a carrot. The stick is a mandatory morning meeting at 9 a.m., where your absence will likely be noted. The carrot is the breakfast buffet, "sort of a prize to get in,""

I'm glad I read this. Now I'm sure to never apply for this company

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#47

Post by perseusprime11 »

raverbashing wrote: post #46
gorbachev wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This explains some of it: http://www.businessinsider.com/pivotal-906-am-breakfast-meet...

TL;DR "So Pivotal decided to employ both a stick and a carrot. The stick is a mandatory morning meeting at 9 a.m., where your absence will likely be noted. The carrot is the breakfast buffet, "sort of a prize to get in,"" I'm glad I read this. Now I'm sure to never apply for this company

Are you sure? Imagine the obesity that is waiting for you at the breakfast buffet filled with jerky and puff pastries.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#48

Post by XR0CSWV3h3kZWg »

subway wrote: post #43
stickfigure wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is unnecessarily cynical. I did a couple consulting stints at Pivotal, working on the CF team. They have a very particular methodology that evolved from the earliest days of agile (Rob Mee was a friend of Kent Beck back when XP was being worked out). I walked in there as a very experienced engineer and a healthy amount of skepticism... and it turned out to be a fantastic learning experience. I've since taken the…

It's a killer process for churning out mediocre cogs.

Could you elaborate?

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#49

Post by meddlepal »

stickfigure wrote: post #20

I consulted at Pivotal on and off over the last several years and got an up-close look at the process. This a heroic feat. In a short matter of years, they took a consulting services company, adopted some poorly designed abandonware from VMWare, and rebuilt it into a product that now serves some of the biggest companies in the world. Pretty much everything has been rewritten and almost all of it is available in githu…

I know some folks at Pivotal as well. Congrats to them! I'm a bit depressed looking through some of the comments on here. It feels like people don't understand or care what Pivotal has done and is doing and are writing it off because of the tech rather than the idea and implementation.

Re: Pivotal Software S-1

#50

Post by namelost »

raverbashing wrote: post #46
gorbachev wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This explains some of it: http://www.businessinsider.com/pivotal-906-am-breakfast-meet...

TL;DR "So Pivotal decided to employ both a stick and a carrot. The stick is a mandatory morning meeting at 9 a.m., where your absence will likely be noted. The carrot is the breakfast buffet, "sort of a prize to get in,"" I'm glad I read this. Now I'm sure to never apply for this company

If you're not there for the 9am meeting do they give you a detention?
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