On November 15, 2023, we held a lively fireside chat held at Northern Ducks in SF where Guillermo Rauch (founder & CEO of Vercel) and Ryan Blue (founder & CEO of Tabular) talked about serverless technologies and next-gen data infrastructure.

Below is the video and full transcript of the event where you will hear about:

Philosophies of no-code and low-code vs codeful architectures and frameworks
Positions on open vs closed source models
Next-generation infrastructure alternatives for data teams running at scale

Modern software infrastructure is undergoing a fundamental shift.

What used to require deep expertise in cloud configuration can now be defined in code—and automatically deployed at global scale. This shift has powered the rise of companies like Vercel, and it’s increasingly shaping the future of data platforms, business intelligence (BI), and analytics engineering.

In a recent conversation with Rill Data, Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch shared the concept behind this transformation: framework-defined infrastructure.

This idea doesn’t just explain Vercel’s growth—it offers a blueprint for the next generation of data tools, BI platforms, and AI-native applications.

What Is Framework-Defined Infrastructure?

Framework-defined infrastructure is an approach where developers define applications using a framework (like Next.js), and the platform automatically converts that code into production-ready infrastructure.

Instead of manually configuring:

Servers
APIs
Scaling rules

Developers simply write code—and the system handles the rest.

At Vercel, this works like a cloud compiler:

You write application code
The platform transforms it into an intermediate representation
That representation becomes globally distributed infrastructure

This model eliminates one of the biggest challenges in modern development: the gap between local development and cloud environments.

Why Vercel Grew So Fast: Solving Developer Experience and Performance

Many developer tools improve developer experience (DX). Others improve performance and reliability.

Vercel’s inflection point came from solving both at the same time:

Developers get faster iteration and simpler workflows
Businesses get faster websites and more reliable applications

This dual value proposition is critical for adoption across teams:

Individual developers
Engineering leaders
Enterprise stakeholders

Key takeaway:
The best platforms don’t just make development easier—they deliver measurable business outcomes.

The Rise of Hyperlink-Driven Collaboration

A core principle behind modern developer workflows is what Rauch calls the:

“reasonable effectiveness of hyperlinks.”

Every unit of work should produce something shareable:

A GitHub pull request
A Figma design link
A Vercel preview deployment

These links enable real-time collaboration across teams.

Why This Matters for Data and BI

Traditional BI tools often lack this property:

Dashboards are static
Changes are hard to track
Collaboration is fragmented

Rill’s BI-as-code approach brings this same hyperlink-driven workflow to data:

Every dashboard is reproducible from code
Every change can be previewed instantly
Every insight can be shared via a link

This aligns data workflows with modern software development practices.

Code vs. No-Code vs. Low-Code: A False Tradeoff

The debate between no-code, low-code, and code-first platforms often misses the point.

Vercel’s philosophy is clear:

Keep the power of code
Remove the complexity around it

This creates a system that works for:

Beginners (fast onboarding)
Experts (infinite flexibility)

For data platforms, this suggests a new direction:

The future of analytics isn’t no-code or SQL-only—it’s code-powered systems with low-friction UX.

Cloud 2.0: AI, Vector Databases, and Streaming Interfaces

We are entering a new era of infrastructure: Cloud 2.0.

Cloud 1.0 (Traditional Cloud Infrastructure)

Object storage (S3)
Relational databases (RDS)
Message queues

Cloud 2.0 (AI-Native Infrastructure)

Vector databases (Pinecone, etc.)
Large language models (LLMs)
Streaming user interfaces

Two major shifts define this new stack:

1. Streaming Is Essential for AI Applications

AI systems generate results over time—not instantly.
Modern applications must stream responses to feel responsive.

2. Abstraction Is More Important Than Ever

Developers shouldn’t manage:

Model retries
Failover logic
Infrastructure complexity

The winning platforms will provide simple APIs on top of complex AI systems.

Where the Real Opportunity Is: Vertical AI Applications

While much attention is on foundation models, the biggest opportunities lie elsewhere.

Rauch emphasizes the importance of:

Vertical AI applications
Domain-specific workflows
Solving real-world edge cases

He compares this to self-driving cars:

95% of the problem is relatively easy
The final 5% is extremely difficult—and where the value is

For Founders and Builders

The next generation of successful startups will:

Focus on specific use cases
Solve hard edge cases
Deliver complete, production-ready experiences

Open Source, Community, and Long-Term Growth

Infrastructure companies are not built overnight.

Key lessons from Vercel and Tabular (Apache Iceberg):

1. Infrastructure Requires a Long-Term Vision

Building foundational systems takes years—not months.

2. Open Source Accelerates Adoption

Continuous feedback loops
Organic distribution
Community trust

3. Trust Is the Most Valuable Asset

Open source succeeds when companies:

Are transparent
Engage with feedback
Respect their communities

A Critical Startup Lesson: Focus Before Expansion

One of the most important lessons from Vercel’s journey:

It’s better to have 100 passionate users than 100,000 indifferent ones.

Vercel succeeded by focusing deeply on:

React
TypeScript
Frontend developers

Only after achieving strong product-market fit did they expand.

What This Means for the Future of Data Platforms

The same patterns transforming frontend development are now reshaping data:

1. From Dashboards to Code-Defined Analytics

Analytics workflows are becoming versioned, reproducible, and programmable.

2. From Static Reports to Real-Time Collaboration

Hyperlink-driven workflows are replacing static dashboards.

3. From General Tools to Specialized Solutions

Vertical data applications will outperform generic platforms.

4. From Infrastructure Management to Abstraction

Modern data platforms will hide complexity behind clean interfaces.

The Bottom Line

Framework-defined infrastructure isn’t just a frontend trend—it’s a fundamental shift in how software and data systems are built.

For data teams, this means:

Faster iteration
Better collaboration
More reliable systems

And for companies like Rill, it reinforces a core belief:

The future of business intelligence is BI-as-code—where data products are defined in code, compiled into infrastructure, and shared instantly.

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