# Launching the Cloud Computer

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2023-10-31
- Length: 1h 34m
- Episode: 30
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8e31035c

## Summary

Oxide CEO Steve Tuck and co-founder Adam Leventhal, joined by Steve Klabnik, discuss the general availability of the Oxide Cloud Computer and a $44m funding round. They detail the launch strategy, including the 'Long Squad' PR firm's role in coining the 'cloud computer' category name and managing media embargoes. The conversation covers customer feedback on pricing transparency, the technical decision to use AMD EPYC processors, and the strategic choice to avoid NVIDIA GPUs due to lack of transparency. They also address the open-source nature of their Helios operating system and the hardware root of trust provided by the Infineon SLM 569 chip.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=0) Introduction: Steve Tuck, Steve Klabnik, and the Oxide Cloud Computer Launch
- [6:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=388) PR Strategy and the 'Long Squad' Agency
- [14:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=858) Fundraising and the $44m Raise
- [23:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=1407) Launch Timing and Media Embargoes
- [33:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=2039) Hacker News, Social Media, and Community Engagement
- [45:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=2739) Pricing Transparency and Configurator Feedback
- [54:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=3293) Fan Power Consumption and Rack Density
- [1:04:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=3869) Helios OS and Open Source Strategy
- [1:17:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=4633) GPU Strategy, AMD, and Hardware Root of Trust
- [1:27:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer#t=5230) Future Milestones and Customer Validation

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide (company)
- Steve Tuck (other)
- Steve Klabnik (other)
- Adam Leventhal (other)
- Bryan Cantrill (other)
- Long Squad (company)
- Hacker News (other)
- NIST (other)
- Dell (company)
- VMware (company)
- OpenStack (other)
- Helios (product)
- AlmaLinux (other)
- Infineon (company)
- SLM 569 (chip)
- NVIDIA (company)
- AMD (company)
- RISC-V (other)
- ARM (company)
- Ampere (company)
- Cerebras (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [Episode 69: Google Silicon, Microsoft BUILD NPUs, and NVDA Earnings](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2024-05-28-episode-69-google-silicon-microsoft-build-npus-and-nvda-earnings) (The Circuit)
- [EP 137: OpenAI + AMD, Intel Tech Touch, QCOM buys Arduino](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-10-13-ep-137-openai-amd-intel-tech-touch-qcom-buys-arduino) (The Circuit)
- [EP 143: NVIDIA Earnings! Google and Gemini TPUs FTW](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-circuit/2025-11-24-ep-143-nvidia-earnings-google-and-gemini-tpus-ftw) (The Circuit)
- [An Interview with Andreas Olofsson - Adapteva's Ampliative Abacus](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-06-18-an-interview-with-andreas-olofsson-adaptevas-ampliative-abacus) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2023-10-31-launching-the-cloud-computer. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.