# Databricks co-founder shares his secrets for winning big enterprises customers

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/databricks-co-founder-shares-his-secrets-for-winning-big-enterprises-customers/
- Published: 2026-10-26T22:00:00+00:00
- Original publisher: TechCrunch
- Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/26/databricks-co-founder-shares-his-secrets-for-winning-big-enterprises-customers/
- Topics: Business, Markets

## Key points

- Strong technology alone rarely wins enterprise deals.
- Microsoft helped Databricks reach major customers.
- AI buyers focus on context, choice, cost and control.

## Summary

Databricks co-founder Arsalan Tavakoli-Shiraji says startups seeking large enterprise customers need more than strong technology: they must understand buyers, build trusted relationships and be ready for customers’ processes. His advice matters because enterprise deals can drive rapid growth, but may stall when startups fail to address legal, contractual or security requirements.

Databricks, now valued at $190 billion and serving more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies, initially struggled to reach major buyers such as UBS. Partnering with Microsoft helped it gain access to sales teams and use Microsoft’s sales terms. For AI products, Tavakoli-Shiraji says businesses focus on “four Cs”: context, choice of models, cost and control.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.