Interview with Mandriva (ex Mandrake) Linux Founder Gael Duval

One of my favorite things to read are tech interviews. Sometimes shocking, always interesting, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was certainly true with this interview with Mandrake Linux Founder Gael Duval.

Editors Note: As LQ interviewed Gael in 2003, a couple of the intro type questions were skipped. See the other interview for those questions.

LQ) It’s been about a year since the company exited ‘redressement judiciaire’ and things seem to be going quite well now. To what do you credit the turnaround? What lessons have you learned along the way?

GD) We started to clean things out in 2001 because we felt that the situation started to become dangerous. But when you take actions to save money and make more business, it takes time, and actions can only be taken progressively.

For instance, starting from 2001 we continuously reduced expenses and developed new income sources such as Club and Store which are now our main sources of revenues. But we reached the break-even point only in spring 2003, approximately at the same date as the beginning of the chapter-11 like period.

LQ) With the merger of Conectiva and Mandrakesoft now complete and the new company named Mandriva, in what direction will the company be headed? Have you run into any integration problems with the two companies having such a disparate geographic focus? Has the difference in primary language been a barrier? [Read the rest]