It’s not just the likes of Google, Facebook, and Amazon that lean on a massive and growing corpus of data, today every company is a data-driven company. In this world, access to data -- and how you manage it --  is what matters, says Ash Ashutosh, founder and CEO of Actifio.  

In this segment of the pod, we get in the weeds with Ashutosh and a16z’s Peter Levine on how this data-driven world is changing the technology infrastructure that is the engine behind it, and the companies that use it.

Ashutosh and Levine also discuss ramping sales teams, going international, and what’s driving the timing of IPOs – or really the lack of IPOs. Finally, Ashutosh offers his four-legged response to being referred to as a “unicorn.”

a16z Podcast: Why Every Business is in the Data Business

David Worley Fannie Mae is an accomplished finance executive, who is currently retired.  In his spare time, David loves to listen to music, his favorite stuff being the classics that he grew up with in the 1960s and 1970s.  He's always looking for new music to get into, and therefore is more than happy to go onto SoundCloud and see what it has to offer.

Gorman Houston is an esteemed professional in the fields of education and business. He has years of experience in communication, human-relations, management, and team-building. His ability to see problems within an organization and create long-term solutions that are team-based helps businesses achieve sustainable goals. He has years of teaching, advising and coaching expertise which make him stand out from his competitors, because he combines this with professional marketing, fundraising and negotiating skills. As a minister and a businessman, his mission has always been to empower others and help them navigate life’s difficulties in order to succeed.

His desire to help the community remains as strong as his business philosophy, and Gorman Houston has served as Chairperson of several fundraisers. He has worked with Blue Lake United Methodist Camp, established a YMCA in Greenville, Alabama, built an interfaith chapel and has implemented major physical plant renovation and expansion projects.

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future -- especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!

Kevin Mauermann is a businessman from Puyallup, WA.