I was impressed with the demeanor of Edward Screven, Oracle’s Chief Corporate Architect, as I watched him deliver the public announcement on August 10, 2021 of the availability of MySQL Autopilot, a new extension to the MySQL HeatWave service. While he had a great story to convey, he somehow managed to do it without overt hubris. Sure, there were plenty of impressive claims, incessant and exceedingly flattering competitive comparisons, and a pitch devoid of small-print caveats, but through it all, he remained resolutely matter of fact. Why did that impress me?
