S3 EP5 - Joris Poort - CEO and Founder of Rescale

In this episode, Joris Poort, CEO and founder of Rescale, shares his personal journey on founding Rescale as well as his thoughts on the future of CAE. He discusses the challenges of introducing HPC to the cloud market, the traits that make successful founders, and the importance of perseverance and execution in entrepreneurship. Joris reflects on the early days of Rescale, the significance of early investors, and the evolving landscape of cloud computing and AI integration in engineering. The conversation highlights the complexities of transitioning to cloud solutions and the future potential of HPC in various industries. In this conversation, Joris discusses the transformative impact of AI on engineering, particularly in the context of inference, simulation, and automation. He emphasizes the importance of efficiency in engineering processes and how AI can significantly reduce the time required for complex simulations. The discussion also touches on the cultural shifts within organizations as they adapt to AI technologies, the potential for AI surrogates to revolutionize engineering practices, and the challenges of closing the sim-to-real gap. Joris offers insights for aspiring founders, encouraging them to pursue meaningful work that can drive innovation and societal progress. Chapters 00:00 Introductions 03:30 The Genesis of Rescale: A Cloud Computing Journey 05:21 From Engineering to Entrepreneurship: The Leap of Faith 09:28 Traits of a Successful Founder: Courage and Perseverance 14:51 Tactical Steps to Startup Success: Building from the Ground Up 22:10 Milestones and Breakthroughs: The Early Days of Rescale 30:54 Navigating Challenges: The Role of Cloud Providers in HPC 35:24 The Intersection of HPC and AI Training 37:05 Cloud vs On-Premise: The Cost Debate 39:54 Complexities of HPC in Enterprises 42:27 The Slow Shift to Cloud Adoption 44:34 Optimizing Workloads with Rescale 46:50 Usability Challenges in Enterprise Software 48:32 The Rise of Neo Clouds and Competition 51:18 Speed and Efficiency in AI Training 54:34 AI's Transformative Impact on Engineering 58:54 The Future of AI Surrogates in Design 01:03:28 Agentic AI: The New Paradigm in Engineering 01:14:21 Solving Real Business Problems 01:19:26 The Impact of AI on Engineering 01:22:27 Innovation in Aerospace and Beyond 01:25:19 Cultural Change in Organizations 01:28:34 The Future of AI and Engineering 01:39:09 Advice for Aspiring Founders Keywords HPC, cloud computing, startup journey, Rescale, entrepreneurship, AI, technology, innovation, engineering, business, AI, engineering, inference, simulation, automation, digital twin, innovation, aerospace, machine learning, technology Full episode, corrected transcript and resources: https://neilashton.co.uk/podcasts/s3-e5-joris-poort-ceo-and-founder-of-rescale/