Brickster Voices: Meet Maggie Chu, Sr. Manager, Field Engineering

Brickster Voices is a series that spotlights the people who make our work possible. Through personal career journeys, behind-the-scenes looks at impactful projects, and a glimpse into how we work together, these stories offer a window into life at Databricks. Whether you’re exploring new opportunities, curious about our work in Data + AI, or simply inspired by stories of growth and collaboration, Brickster Voices invites you to get to know the individuals driving our mission forward.

As part of our Brickster Voices series, Andrea Fernández sat down with Maggie Chu, Senior Manager, Field Engineering at Databricks. Maggie reflects on her seven-year journey, lessons learned along the way, and what keeps her excited about the future of data and AI.

A: Congrats on your 7-year Brickster Anniversary! What first drew you to Databricks?

M: What initially drew me to Databricks was the fact that it was the company behind Apache Spark™. Back when I was job hunting, I was looking for a company that specialized in data and AI. I was taking data science classes through UC Berkeley Extension, and Spark was one of the technologies we studied. I remember thinking, Oh wow, I actually know Spark and Databricks created it! That connection really stood out.

I applied, interviewed with Jason Pohl, who became my hiring manager, and joined the team. Back then, we were still a small Spark-focused company. It’s wild to look back and see how far we’ve come since then.

A: That’s awesome. What has kept you here all these years?

M: When I joined, I was employee number 300-something, so we were still small enough that one of the co-founders, Arsalan, interviewed me personally. It was such a cool experience to know that one of the founders saw something in me and took the time to be involved.

Because we were small, there was a natural fit for leadership to be super hands-on, and the culture felt like a close-knit family. Of course, as we’ve grown, we’ve become more structured and corporate, but what’s remained constant is the high bar for the people we hire.

We’ve kept the hiring bar high, and I’m consistently impressed by the new people who join. Everyone brings something unique to the table. And honestly, it’s impossible to get bored here. If you think you’re bored, you’re probably doing something wrong. The company is always evolving, and there’s always something new to learn or build.

A: On the theme of evolution, how has your role changed since you started? And what shifts have you seen within Field Engineering?

M: When I started, I was an individual contributor. My role was broad and less defined, which is natural at smaller companies. We all wore many hats and operated in “builder mode.” There was little structure, so I was one of the early people helping define and improve it.

Over time, the focus shifted from building to scaling. Now, it’s about ensuring what we’ve built works effectively and measuring that impact. We’re much more data-driven in how we evaluate success.

The Field Engineering role itself has also evolved. In the early days, it was about introducing Databricks to the market, pitching products, and landing new customers. Today, while we still focus on growth, there’s a much stronger emphasis on customer success. We want to ensure that the customers we already have continue to thrive and expand with us. Databricks is growing alongside them, which makes the work incredibly rewarding.

A: What do you prioritize when guiding your Solution Architects (SAs) or engineers in the field?

M: Because our team sits within the Go-to-Market (GTM) organization, I emphasize that we’re not just technical experts, we’re also business partners. Many new SAs come from practitioner or technical consulting backgrounds and aren’t used to thinking in business terms.

My priority is helping them understand the why behind what customers are asking for. For example, if a customer says, “I want to reduce this job from ten hours to one,” I encourage my team to ask why. Is it about revenue? Productivity? Cost efficiency? Understanding the business driver is essential to delivering real value.

Technical skill is important, but pairing it with business acumen is what drives meaningful outcomes for our customers.

A: How do you foster collaboration across teams that are geographically distributed?

M: Early on, our sales coverage was global; I even supported accounts in Hong Kong! As we’ve grown, we’ve become more regional, but collaboration is still key.

Our customers are distributed around the world. A company might be headquartered in the U.S., but its technical teams could be in Ukraine or Japan. Navigating different time zones, languages, and communication styles means we often work closely with other Databricks teams in those regions to support customers locally.

A: Can you share an example of when you or your team helped a customer get the maximum value from our products?

M: One example comes to mind. We had a customer evaluating Databricks versus a competing solution for model serving. Both platforms technically worked, but they had strict SLA requirements we initially weren’t meeting.

We went all in. We pulled in product and engineering, ran multiple rounds of troubleshooting, and pushed our product to its limits to meet their needs.

That level of partnership, showing we’d do whatever it takes to help them [the customer] succeed, made all the difference. They saw the effort, trusted us, and ultimately chose Databricks. It’s a perfect example of our customer obsession and bias for action values. 

A: How do you and your team balance technical expertise with relationship building?

M: People buy from people, not from companies. Relationship building is the foundation of everything we do.

When I’m hiring, I look for people who are technically strong but also personable and collaborative, someone you’d actually enjoy working with. During deals, the Account Executive might be the primary seller, but we as SAs are the ones who build trust.

I remember a prospect once reached out to me directly, right before signing a contract, asking, “Am I getting a fair deal?” That moment showed how much trust we’d built. I helped talk through his concerns and redirected him to the AE for clarification. He ended up signing shortly after. That trust and transparency are crucial. Without it, we wouldn’t win half the deals we do today.

A: You’ve seen Databricks evolve from a small startup to a global leader. What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Field Engineering or at Databricks in general?

M: Field Engineering is both highly technical and business-driven. You need strength in both areas and it’s okay if one is stronger than the other when you start. What matters is that you’re committed to developing both. If you come from a technical background, build your business acumen: learn sales terminology, frameworks, and EQ. If you’re more business-oriented, strengthen your technical foundation. And always be data-driven. Back up your claims with evidence, whether you’re talking about your past performance or pitching a solution. This goes a long way especially at Databricks. 

A: What excites you most about the future of Field Engineering or Databricks as a whole?

M: I’m most excited about how we continue to innovate. Based on current trends, I genuinely believe Databricks will always stay at the forefront of data and AI.

We have a culture of humility and reflection; our leaders constantly ask, “What’s not working, and how can we do better?” That mindset keeps us sharp.

What I admire most about our founders is that they don’t say, “Our product is the best.” They say, “Our people are the best.” That humility and trust in the team give me confidence that we’ll keep pushing forward and never fall behind.

A: Thinking back over your career, what’s one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?

M: The biggest lesson I've learned is simple: take the feedback that you (or your team) are given.

In my earlier days as a leader, I've always thought that my biggest priorities were to make my team look good, be happy, and get everyone promoted. I ended up over-protecting the team, defending them, and sweeping criticisms under the rug. As a result, there were multiple internal personnel conflicts that spilled into our customer engagements.

I learned that not keeping my team accountable not only hinders their own growth, but also puts the business and reputation at risk. I started to listen when others gave me feedback. Even if they feel exaggerated or difficult to take at face value, there is always some level of truth to it. So rather than turning the other way, I leaned in, dug into that feedback, and took action. Over time, I was able to build an elite team while still hitting our metrics.

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