Built to Survive: Why the Database Has Become Critical Infrastructure, with Cockroach Labs Spencer Kimball

In Episode 9 of Payments Cannot Fail, Spencer Kimball, Co-founder and CEO of Cockroach Labs, joins Form3 CRO Mark Fieldhouse to explore why the database has become critical infrastructure for modern payments.

Spencer explains why resilience must be designed into systems from the start, rather than added after failure occurs. He discusses the role of databases in maintaining accurate payment records, balances and statuses, and why financial institutions need to keep operating through disruption, not simply recover afterwards.

They also explore the challenges of operating globally while meeting local data and regulatory requirements, the business case for always-on infrastructure, and what AI-driven systems will demand from the next generation of technology.