A 12,000-developer community. Built through hackathons, a public benchmark and system integrators.

BangDB is a NoSQL database built for real-time workloads. It combines storage, stream processing and machine learning on streaming data, which suits IoT, analytics and event-driven applications.

Founded by Sachin Sinha, it competes with established databases such as MongoDB and Aerospike. The same team built the IQLECT real-time analytics platform on top of it.

Developers already had a default

MongoDB and Aerospike own developer mindshare. A technically stronger database still loses if engineers never try it.

Enterprise buyers follow their engineers

CTOs rarely choose a database their teams have not used. Enterprise pipeline needed developer adoption underneath it.

Performance claims are cheap

Every database says it is fast. Without independent proof, speed and cost claims do not survive an engineering review.

Target MongoDB and Aerospike users directly

Messaging and content went to teams already running MongoDB or Aerospike who were feeling cost or performance limits.

• Migration and comparison content
• A clear cost story at $2,000 per instance

Prove it with YCSB

We used the Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark, the standard test for this class of database, to show BangDB outperforming MongoDB, and made the results the centre of the technical story.

• Benchmark results published and explained
• Benchmark pages used in sales conversations

Build the community through hackathons

Hackathons put BangDB in developers' hands and grew the community to about 12,000 developers.

• Hackathons as the main acquisition channel
• Community engagement after each event

Reach enterprises through system integrators

System integrators who build data platforms for enterprise clients became the route into larger accounts.

• SI partnerships for data and analytics projects
• Joint positioning for enterprise use cases

Funnel build

A working funnel was already in place, so the program started at the stages below.

Top of funnel

Hackathons, benchmark content and comparison material for MongoDB and Aerospike users.

Middle of funnel

An active developer community of about 12,000 and hands-on use of the database.

Bottom of funnel

Enterprise evaluations, many of them brought in through system integrators.

BangDB went from an unknown database to one developers had tried and SIs could bring to clients.

• A developer community of about 12,000, built largely through hackathons.
• YCSB benchmark results showing BangDB outperforming MongoDB.
• A cost position of $2,000 per instance, about 90% cheaper than MongoDB.
• A system integrator motion that opened enterprise evaluations.

Win developers first

In infrastructure software, enterprise deals follow what engineers already use. Spend early on getting the product into developers' hands.

Use the benchmark the buyer already trusts

A standard test such as YCSB carries more weight than any in-house performance claim. Publish the method and results where engineers can check them.

Make the cost comparison concrete

A per-instance price set against a named competitor is easier to take to a budget holder than a vague promise of savings.