Tweener Talks: Peter Zaitsev, CEO and Founder of Percona
Percona is a bootstrapped $50m+ Triangle HQ'd company, learn Peter's journey to the US from Russia and how he built Percona without external capital.
After a week off for the Holidays, we’re back today with a banger! In this week’s Triangle Tweener Talks, we’re excited to feature another founder interview with:
In the world of software developers, there are ‘tiers of super-nerd-om’ - at the tippy top is having your code ship in one of the big open source projects like Linux or MySQL. Peter is the first, and probably only, founder we will interview that has checked that box off the bucket list!
Peter grew up in the Soviet Union, taught himself assembly code on paper before he even touched a real computer, and starting his first company at age 19—where he quickly realized that “business risk is one thing, but risking a kidney is something else!” After stints with MySQL and a move to Seattle, he eventually settled down in Durham, North Carolina, growing Percona into an open-source industry leader that competes on pure value and top-tier support.
Tweener Times is sponsored by:
Robinson Bradshaw - A full-service business law firm with a passion for supporting the Triangle entrepreneurial ecosystem. Learn more about Robinson Bradshaw’s startups and venture capital practice here.
ExtensisHR - As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), ExtensisHR empowers tech founders and growing businesses to scale smarter. We take HR administration off your plate—managing payroll, recruiting, employee benefits and retirement plans, compliance, risk, and more—so you can focus on innovation. For over 25 years we’ve leveraged a people-first approach, customer-centric mindset, and deep industry expertise to ensure employers have the tools needed to stay competitive in today’s market.
Bank of America – BofA’s Transformative Technology Group helps game-changing tech businesses and founders realize their boldest ambitions across a wide range of technology sectors. With hands-on support, world-class resources, and an extensive network – BofA provides the stability and scalability that tech companies need to rapidly grow today and into the future.
Smashing Boxes - A Durham based lean design-centric digital transformation company.
EisnerAmper (formerly HPG) - One of the world’s largest business consulting firms, with a dedicated technology practice offering outsourcing, accounting, tax, and advisory services. Our experienced professionals serve more than 2,000 technology companies, from early-stage startups to public enterprises. Discover how EisnerAmper’s stage-specific solutions and industry expertise can help you achieve your milestones whether startup, international expansion, M&A, or IPO: eisneramper.com/tech.
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-Scot