General Manager - OS Platform Business Unit

About Shakudo Shakudo is the operating system for data and AI, providing enterprises with production-ready AI and data infrastructure that combines the flexibility of custom-built stacks with the reliability of managed platforms. Founded in 2021, our Toronto-based company has raised $11.1M in funding and serves enterprise customers across aerospace, automotive, financial services, healthcare, and technology sectors. We're executing a strategic pivot from small-account software licensing to enterprise-scale platform deployments, targeting $10M+ ARR within 24 months. Our platform integrates 200+ best-in-class data and AI tools, enabling organizations to transition from notebook to production with zero DevOps overhead. The Opportunity As our OS Platform General Manager , you'll lead the core business unit representing Shakudo's primary value proposition - the Data & AI Operating System itself. This is the flagship business unit in our NVIDIA-inspired organizational structure, where each GM operates with full P&L responsibility and autonomous decision-making authority. The OS Platform business unit focuses on core Shakudo Data & AI Operating System licensing and infrastructure , targeting enterprise customers requiring full platform capabilities for comprehensive data and AI operations. This represents the largest revenue opportunity and strategic foundation for all other business units. Key Responsibilities P&L Management - Own complete P&L responsibility for the core OS Platform business unit - Drive the majority of company revenue through platform licensing and infrastructure - Manage enterprise customer relationships for $100K-$300K annual contract values - Report directly to CEO with full autonomy over platform business decisions Platform Strategy & Product Leadership - Define and execute product strategy for the core Shakudo Data & AI Operating System - Drive platform roadmap decisions based on enterprise customer requirements - Ensure platform capabilities support and enable other business unit offerings - Balance innovation with enterprise stability and reliability requirements Enterprise Customer Success - Own relationships with enterprise customers requiring full platform capabilities - Ensure successful deployments in on-premises and air-gapped environments - Drive platform adoption metrics: active users, stack component utilization, production use cases - Establish customer success frameworks measuring time-to-value improvements Technical Leadership & Architecture - Collaborate closely Principal Engineers on platform architecture - Ensure platform scalability, security, and performance for enterprise deployments - Drive integration capabilities that support Stack and Professional Services units - Maintain competitive positioning against major cloud providers and data platforms Market Leadership - Position Shakudo as the leading Data & AI Operating System in the enterprise market - Develop competitive strategies against Databricks, Snowflake, and major cloud platforms - Build thought leadership in data and AI platform modernization - Drive enterprise market expansion and strategic customer acquisition Cross-Unit Coordination - Collaborate with other GMs to ensure platform supports their service offerings - Provide platform capabilities that enable Applications and Professional Services success - Maintain platform integrity while allowing business unit customization and extension - Balance resource allocation between core platform and enabling other units Required Qualifications Ex-Founder Preferred We strongly prioritize candidates who are ex-founders with either: - Raised $1M+ in venture funding, OR - Generated $500K+ in revenue for their company Ex-founders align perfectly with our GM strategy because they're naturally autonomous problem-solvers accustomed to full P&L responsibility, experienced building from zero with limited resources, and understand the urgency required in venture-scale growth. Core Requirements - 8+ years of experience in enterprise data platforms, infrastructure software, or operating systems - Proven track record of building and scaling platform businesses with $10M+ ARR - Deep understanding of data and AI infrastructure, modern data stacks, and enterprise requirements - Experience with enterprise software sales cycles, customer success, and platform adoption - Strong technical background with ability to engage with engineering and customer technical teams Platform & Infrastructure Expertise - Understanding of Kubernetes, container orchestration, and cloud-native architectures - Experience with data platforms, data lakes, data warehouses, and modern data stack technologies - Knowledge of AI/ML infrastructure, MLOps, and production AI deployment requirements - Familiarity with enterprise security, compliance, and on-premises deployment models - Experience with platform APIs, extensibility, and ecosystem development Business & Leadership Skills - Demonstrated ability to operate independently with full P&L responsibility for $10M+ business units - Experience managing complex enterprise customer relationships and deployments - Strong communication skills for C-level executives and technical decision makers - Proven ability to build and manage cross-functional teams including engineering, sales, and customer success - Track record of scaling platform businesses in competitive enterprise markets Preferred Qualifications - Previous experience at major data platform companies (Databricks, Snowflake, Palantir, etc.) - Background in enterprise infrastructure software or developer platform companies - Experience with air-gapped and on-premises enterprise deployments - MBA or equivalent business strategy experience in technology platforms - International market expansion experience with enterprise software - Background in open-source platform development and ecosystem building Industry Experience - Financial services, healthcare, aerospace, or other highly regulated industries - Understanding of data governance, privacy, and compliance in enterprise environments - Experience with digital transformation initiatives and enterprise technology adoption - Background in DevOps, SRE, or infrastructure operations What Success Looks Like 90 Days - Complete comprehensive analysis of current platform business performance and opportunities - Define platform strategy and competitive positioning against major market players - Establish relationships with key enterprise customers and strategic prospects - Align with engineering leadership on platform roadmap and investment priorities 6 Months - Drive measurable improvement in platform adoption metrics across customer base - Launch major platform capabilities that differentiate against competitive alternatives - Build dedicated platform team including product management, customer success, and technical resources - Achieve consistent quarter-over-quarter growth in platform-driven revenue 12 Months - Scale OS Platform business unit to $5M+ ARR with healthy unit economics - Establish Shakudo as recognized leader in data and AI operating system market - Build scalable platform business with repeatable sales processes and customer success - Enable successful growth of Applications and Professional Services through platform capabilities Platform Focus Areas Core Platform Capabilities - Data & AI Operating System: Core platform licensing, deployment, and enterprise infrastructure - Stack Component Ecosystem: Management and optimization of 200+ integrated data and AI tools - Enterprise Security & Compliance: On-premises, air-gapped, and regulated industry deployments - Platform APIs & Extensibility: Developer experience and platform customization capabil