Heavybit Podcasts Ep. #89, Software Is the Killer App for AI with Bryan Cantrill
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Apr 8, 2026 
Bryan Cantrill, co-founder and CTO of Oxide Computer and longtime systems engineer, shares his take on observability origins and on-prem infrastructure designed from first principles. He talks about how AI reshapes compute demand, why CPUs still matter for many LLM tasks, and why software may become AI's killer app that sparks custom tooling and changed SaaS assumptions.
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Building Oxide From Facebook's Hidden Ferrari
- Oxide's origin came from seeing Facebook's internal infrastructure as unattainable and wanting that modernity on-prem.
- Bryan describes building custom boards, switches, racks, and software after failing to buy those internal systems at OCP events in 2019.
VCs Fell For Oxide But Partnerships Said No
- Early investors loved Oxide but their partnerships often rejected the idea, causing partners to leave firms.
- Bryan jokes about VCs 'falling in love' with Oxide then being unable to get their partnerships to back it, leaving a trail of would-be defectors.
Tech Shifts Look Obvious Only In Hindsight
- Major tech shifts often feel inevitable only in hindsight and can happen very quickly once momentum builds.
- Bryan uses the Berlin Wall analogy: it stays up longer than you expect and falls faster than you can fathom, applied to cloud and AI shifts.