By: Elizabeth Galewski
Thanks to the vision and leadership of Velda founder and CEO Chuan Qiu, high-performance computing for developers has never been simpler. His groundbreaking invention brings powerful cloud computing within reach even for small startups and individuals. With Velda, developers can rent expensive technology infrastructure to run large-scale AI and machine learning jobs. But that’s far from all.
Velda also lets developers dispense with much of the technical know-how and preparatory work these projects would otherwise require, as well as the manual labor and bureaucratic red tape involved in transferring a project to the cloud. Indeed, they can send work to the cloud from their normal laptop or other local computer simply by adding a four-letter prompt (vrun) to their instructions on the command line.
“We believe cloud computing should be accessible to developers without any setup, just like how they use their own machines,” Qiu says. “We make access much more user-friendly. With our solution, researchers no longer need infrastructure software setup or expertise to create machine-training jobs and start running them.”
The Inspiration for Velda
Qiu got the idea for Velda while building an internal workflow system at his employer, an autonomous vehicle technology company. He and his team built a solution that every team in the company uses. It couldn’t be made available to other businesses, however, since it was strongly tied to the business’s tech stack and wasn’t designed to meet mass-market needs.
“One day, while I was thinking about the future of our system, I found a way that all these features can be implemented without these tech stack assumptions, like specific technology or programming setup,” Qiu remembers. “With the improved usability, the application can be broadened into elastic development workstations and also expanded into larger jobs or workflows when such needs arise.”
Qiu reached out to his friends in the tech industry and discovered that his brainchild could solve many of their fundamental problems. Namely, they spent a lot of time getting their projects ready to run (a process called “provisioning”). Then they confronted complex, bureaucratic processes to access the powerful machines needed to run those projects — especially GPU clusters. For instance, they typically needed to submit tickets, get administrative approval, and wait in queues. Combined, these issues considerably slowed the development process.
Qiu had the solution. He knew how to deliver an elastic workstation with instant, scalable cloud computing capabilities. Still, he wasn’t sure he was ready to become an entrepreneur.
The Making of a CEO
“I explored the idea of starting my own company for weeks,” Qiu remembers. “Initially, I was wondering if I should find the right cofounder or resign my current role, etc. Basically, I was waiting for the moment.”
Then, he got clarity on what he actually needed to launch.
“I realized those things weren’t necessary to start my company,” Qiu adds. “What’s really needed are product, market, and, of course, the tech that unlocks that. Why let things that you cannot control control your journey? With that being defined, I started my journey as a CEO.”
That was the moment Velda was born. Now that Qiu has changed the game, he’s on a mission to help developers understand the new possibilities that Velda opens up.
Overturning Outdated Ways of Working
“Having a powerful workstation for the majority of work, plus some setup to run jobs in the cluster, has been a workflow that has baked in everyone’s mind for over 20 years,” Qiu observes. “Many engineers have told me that they’re looking for an elastic workstation, but until now, they haven’t been able to find one. They’ve also struggled to imagine how such a thing could even work.”
Velda not only provides the solution, but can also provide live demonstrations that illustrate the concrete value this innovation offers.
Qiu acknowledges that many developers might already have a workstation setup they are happy with and feel reluctant to migrate to something new. For people in this category, he merely states, “When you reach the point where you need a new solution, Velda will be something to migrate to.”
Qiu’s deep experience leading teams in the tech industry has also positioned him to succeed.
Qiu’s Visionary Leadership
When it comes to effective leadership in business, Qiu has the following advice.
“To build a strong team, it’s people’s growth potential that matters,” he says. “You shouldn’t always expect people to have a role or project they’re fully qualified for. If they’re happy with a role while being fully qualified, it also means they’re okay with not learning anything, and that itself makes a weaker profile. Talent should feel they get the right challenge, something that doesn’t make them stretch too much but also isn’t too easy.”
This approach also means accepting a constant state of flux at your organization. “The structure will change consistently as people evolve, and we should embrace such changes,” he says.
Qiu also emphasizes the leader’s role in setting the tone for the entire organization and leading by example.
“As a leader, you should be the one who inspires people to achieve their next level faster and confidently,” he says. “To be inspiring and steer in the right direction, you need to serve as a role model and set the standard. Take the lead in creating a transparent and collaborative culture. These adjectives aren’t slogans. They should be lived realities, and they only come from how leaders act.”
Velda Opens the Door to a Brighter Future
As more and more organizations adopt AI and machine learning, Velda provides the answer to one of the industry’s biggest questions: how to make powerful cloud computing not just scalable, but also developer-friendly. With Velda, innovation is no longer limited by resources. Rather, it’s enabled through intuitive design.
Qiu is revolutionizing how AI developers collaborate, test, and deploy. As a result, developers can bring their brilliant ideas to fruition with greater speed, and consumers can look forward to an ever-brighter future.
