Episode 21

021 Joshua ‘JD’ Drake - Database Management Systems, The Cycle of Innovation, & Intrepidus Vita

Joshua ‘JD’ Drake is the Founder and President of Command Prompt, the oldest Postgres company, and host of the podcast, More Than A Refresh. JD lives life way outside the traditional corporate norm, traveling with his family across the world and living as a digital nomad in their converted school bus.

Today, Jeff and JD discuss Postgres and other database management systems work. JD expounds on the importance of creating innovative products and services that make people’s lives better, his mantra, ‘Intrepidus Vita,’ and how JD defines success.

Episode Sponsor

Small Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel’

Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/

Key Takeaways

01:18 – Jeff introduces today’s guest, Joshua ‘JD’ Drake, who joins the show to share his SaaS background and explains how Postgres works

10:12 – Spotting trends years ahead of his time and balancing all different facets of running a business

15:54 – Adding a service component to Postgres

19:45 – Intrepidus Vita

24:06 – JD speaks to his experience traveling the country with his family in their converted school bus

28:36 – Jeff takes a moment to thank one of today’s sponsors, Small Fish, Big Pond

29:24 – The Cycle of Innovation

35:13 – What JD attributes to his success and future trends he sees

45:46 – Rethinking the concept of a ‘good job’

50:01 – The most important lesson of JD’s professional and personal life

53:03 – Jeff thanks JD for joining the show and lets listeners know where to learn more about Command Prompt

Tweetable Quotes

“PostgreSQL is the fourth fastest growing database in the market. First one, obviously, is Oracle. Second one is MySQL and the third one is MicrosoftSQL. But the only one that’s gaining market share is actually PostgreSQL because of the engineering prowess behind it. One of the mindsets of PostgreSQL is, ‘Do it correctly.’ Instead of do it fast or get it done, or cut this corner. So, when we add features to this, they’re very well thought out. And you have a braintrust that is unmatched by anybody, except maybe Oracle.” (08:49) (JD)

“You could just see the writing on the wall if you were paying attention. If you educate yourself and you pay attention, it’s not hard to see certain trends.” (12:55) (JD)

“The slogan of Postgres Conference: Silicon Valley 2019 was ‘Come As You Are.’ And the idea here is I’m not interested in your brochure because everybody’s got a brochure, right? Your interview process, how you present yourself to sell a product, how you present yourself to your partner. Everyone’s got that brochure. What I’m interested in is allowing you to be what’s inside the brochure.” (20:49) (JD)

“The thing about entrepreneurism, which you know of course, is that you have to have an idea. And successful entrepreneurism understands that the idea has to solve a problem. A lot of people have an idea that doesn’t solve a problem.” (29:40) (JD)

“Innovating in business is just about if you can identify a problem to solve and you can solve it in a way that is ethically good, you will innovate. And not only will you make money, but you’ll make people’s lives better.” (35:01) (JD)

“If we should be moving forward so fast with technology and growing things in a lab and beyond burgers and things like that, why is it that the Amish have less cancer, less heart disease, less obesity than we do? It’s not that the Amish don’t use technology; they actually do. But they have a very simple lifestyle. One, live simply. And two, what you eat is organic. And they’re outliving us, they’re happier, they’re not constantly inundated with what should I buy, what pill should I take to fix this problem?” (42:03) (JD)

“I think we need to rethink how we think about what is a good job. A good job is a job that contributes, first, to your family and, second, to society.” (47:19) (JD)