The apps and websites we use every day depend on systems most of us never see.Jay Kreps joins Joubin Mirzadegan to share how Confluent became the ‘central nervous system’ for companies like Expedia and eBay, letting them respond to business operations instantly.They also break down why the myth of AI-driven efficiency falls short, and why building truly transformative companies takes far longer than most people expect. ​ Guest: Jay Kreps, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of Confluent Connect with Jay<ul><li><a href="https://x.com/jaykreps">X</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaykreps/">LinkedIn</a></li></ul> Connect with Joubin<ul><li><a href="https://x.com/Joubinmir">X</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joubin-mirzadegan-66186854/">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Email: <a href="mailto::grit@kleinerperkins.com">grit@kleinerperkins.com</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.kleinerperkins.com/">​Learn more about Kleiner Perkins</a>

Kleiner Perkins

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations. It features weekly episodes highlighting the leaders who are pushing their companies to make a difference. This series is hosted by Joubin Mirzadegan, go to market operating partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm investing in history-making founders.

The Pull to Build: Joubin Mirzadegan on Grit and Starting Roadrunner

grit

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations.

Grit

The Central Nervous System for Modern Business | Confluent CEO Jay Kreps

Trailer

Introduction

Joining Anthropic’s board

Early Confluent lessons & layoffs

Golden ticket to California

Competing with AWS

Surviving waves of change

Lessons from the military

Sprint vs. marathon

Parenting, privilege & perspective

Who Confluent is hiring

What "grit" means to Jay

Episode Summary

Chapters

Clips