Podcasts about tech trek

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sadi Khan, Co-Founder and CEO of Aven, to unpack how technology can make capital fairer for everyone. Sadi explains how Aven is tackling one of the world's biggest inefficiencies—the trillion-dollar burden of consumer credit card debt—and why the solution lies in reducing the cost of capital through innovation. This is a deep dive into building products that require not just engineering skill, but endurance, conviction, and a long-term mindset.Key Takeaways• Aven's mission is to cut credit card interest payments in half by rethinking how consumers access and use home equity.• True innovation often comes from solving inefficiency, not chasing market trends.• Complex problems create strong moats when founders are willing to grind through technical and regulatory barriers.• Founders should pick problems worth spending a decade on—pivot less, persist more.• Product success depends on identifying your “axis” and going all-in on being the best at that one thing.Timestamped Highlights00:40 — How Aven's hybrid credit card + HELOC model is lowering the cost of borrowing for homeowners04:10 — The moment Sadi realized the cost of capital was a massive, overlooked problem12:34 — Why most lenders haven't solved this yet and how Aven's approach differs19:33 — Building what others couldn't: how persistence and engineering precision led to breakthroughs23:36 — Choosing execution risk over market risk and what it takes to stay with a problem long enough to solve it37:47 — Why picking the right “axis” is how great companies build an unshakable moatMemorable Line“The only problems worth working on are the ones worth working on for a very long time.”Call to ActionIf you enjoyed this episode, follow The Tech Trek for more conversations at the intersection of people, impact, and technology. Subscribe on your favorite platform and share it with someone building bold ideas.

Svetlana Zavelskaya, Head of Software Engineering for Data Platform and Infrastructure at Quanata, joins the show to unpack what it really takes to make the “impossible” possible in tech. From re-architecting a startup codebase to scaling innovation inside an insurance giant, she shares how her team turns complex R&D challenges into production-ready systems. This conversation dives deep into engineering discipline, AI tool adoption, and why the next wave of insurance innovation is powered by data and software.Key Takeaways• Real innovation often means balancing speed with long-term architecture decisions• AI coding tools are valuable for exploration but need governance and clear security guardrails• POCs fail when expectations aren't aligned, not because the tech doesn't work• Insurance tech is evolving fast through telematics and context-based data models• Well-structured, well-documented code is still the foundation for scalable innovationTimestamped Highlights00:33 How telematics is changing the economics of insurance and rewarding better drivers03:59 Cars as software platforms and what that means for data privacy and innovation06:02 The growing pains of re-architecting an organically built startup codebase08:38 Evaluating new AI tools and maintaining data security across teams11:08 Why most AI POCs never make it to production16:29 How Quanata's R&D work feeds into State Farm's larger technology initiatives20:40 Safe-driving challenges, behavioral change, and saving lives with dataA Thought That Stuck“If we can prevent just 1 percent of drivers in the world from using their phone behind the wheel, imagine how many lives we can save.”Pro Tips• Before starting a POC, define if it's an experiment or a potential product foundation• Let engineers explore new tools but build frameworks to govern how data and results are handledCall to ActionIf you enjoy exploring how data, AI, and engineering innovation come together to solve real-world problems, follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this episode with a colleague who builds at the edge of what's possible.

Nikhil Gupta, founder and CTO of Vapi, joins Amir to talk about how voice AI is reshaping the way we connect with businesses. From customer support to healthcare, Nikhil explains how voice agents can bring back the human side of digital interactions. This is a look at where real conversation meets real technology and what happens when machines start to understand us like people do.Key Takeaways• Voice AI creates genuine, human-like engagement instead of the usual scripted support.• The next wave of AI will personalize relationships at scale while protecting privacy.• Full duplex voice models will make conversations flow naturally and feel real.• Businesses will use voice agents to understand customers, not just respond to them.• Our phones and screens may evolve as voice becomes the primary interface.Timestamped Highlights01:08 — What Vapi does and how it reached 400,000 developers02:15 — Why voice AI is one of the few areas showing clear ROI06:09 — How AI can make customer relationships human again11:18 — Building trust and privacy into voice-based systems16:48 — Blending text, voice, and context into a single experience19:05 — Rethinking our devices as voice replaces the screenA moment that stands out“Every person should feel like they can just text their hospital, and it knows exactly who they are, what they need, and when to help.” — Nikhil GuptaPro TipStart small. Use voice AI where conversation improves experience or clarity. It's not about automation; it's about creating connection.Call to ActionShare this episode with someone exploring AI in their business and follow The Tech Trek for more stories about people, impact, and technology.

Alex Daniels, Founder and CTO at Predoc, joins the show to share how he is building a mission driven healthtech company that is changing how medical data is accessed and used. He opens up about the personal story that inspired Predoc, how he keeps culture authentic while scaling, and what zero turnover really looks like in a startup. From hiring philosophies to equity design to managing context switching, Alex brings a deeply human view of leadership in engineering.Key Takeaways• Building culture starts with personal connection. Founders who share their why help every new hire connect to mission and meaning.• The best hiring filters are values and networks, not just tech stack alignment.• Predoc's culture formula of high agency, urgency, meritocracy, and transparency keeps turnover at zero.• Equity is not just compensation. It is shared ownership and long term motivation.• Flat structures and super ICs can scale effectively when leaders stay close to the work.Timestamped Highlights[01:30] How a personal loss and a lifelong heart condition inspired Predoc's mission to fix healthcare data[05:20] Inside Predoc's culture formula and why it has helped them retain every hire for three years[09:40] Why core values stay constant but merit evolves as the company grows[13:00] Rethinking equity and risk for early startup employees[15:10] How Predoc combats AI assisted interview cheating and keeps hiring authentic[23:45] Building a flat team structure where directors are still super ICs[30:00] Alex's approach to managing context switching and mental decompressionMemorable Line“We cared about what he cared about and why would he care about what we care about if I don't care about him?”Call to ActionIf you enjoyed this conversation, follow The Tech Trek for more candid talks with founders and tech leaders shaping the future of engineering and culture. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and join the discussion on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Amir sits down with Taofeek Rabiu, VP of Engineering at Etsy, to unpack a distinction that most organizations miss: being a people leader is not the same as being a people manager.If you have ever wondered why some teams thrive under pressure while others crumble, or why trust feels so hard to build in engineering orgs, this conversation has answers. Taofeek shares how leadership is not reserved for those with a manager title, why vulnerability is a strategic advantage, and how to spot the early warning signs of poor leadership before they drag down performance.What You'll LearnLeadership exists at every level, not just in management roles. Individual contributors who mentor, influence, and model the right behaviors are leaders too — and organizations need to recognize and reward that.Trust is built through action, not talk. It grows when leaders show vulnerability, stay transparent about their thinking, and follow through on commitments. When you stop acting on what you hear, you break trust.Poor leadership has a smell. Teams that avoid hard conversations, struggle to navigate change, or fail to ramp new hires are showing symptoms of leadership gaps, not process problems.Feedback is about helping people see, not telling them what to do. The best leaders use curiosity to guide others toward realization and self-awareness.Effective leaders make high signal, low frequency decisions. The goal is not to make a thousand calls a day but to gather diverse perspectives and make the few decisions that truly move the team forward.Timestamped Highlights01:42 – Taofeek breaks down the difference between managing people (reviews, org charts, timesheets) and leading people (building trust, showing care, creating psychological safety).09:04 – What happens when managers focus only on mechanics. Taofeek describes the smells of poor leadership and how they surface in teams that can't handle change.13:18 – How to give feedback when someone is not showing up as a leader. Taofeek explains his approach: start with curiosity, triangulate with skip levels, and guide people to their own realizations.17:47 – Who is responsible for building trust. Taofeek shares why it is on leaders to create the conditions, not on reports to earn it.22:04 – The moment Simon Sinek told Taofeek to stop saying people managers and start saying people leaders — and how that small shift in language changed his approach to leadership.24:29 – What feedback a VP of Engineering actually values. Taofeek shares how he uncovers blind spots and the kind of input that helps him grow.Words That Stuck“The team doesn't trust you. You're not providing a psychologically safe environment in which the team feels like they can course correct and flag things that they believe will lead to poor outcomes.”If This Resonates, Here's What to DoTake one insight from this episode and put it into practice this week. Maybe it's being more open in your next one-on-one, checking your follow-through, or asking your team a question you have been avoiding. Then share this episode with someone navigating the manager-to-leader transition. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations that help you grow as a leader, and connect with Taofeek on LinkedIn to keep the dialogue going.

Karl Alomar, Managing Partner at M13 and former COO of DigitalOcean, joins The Tech Trek to share how being an operator changes the way you invest. He explains why M13 was built to be a truly founder-first VC firm—one that acts early, helps proactively, and builds deep relationships rooted in empathy and experience. From spotting great founders to balancing instinct and data, this episode explores how venture capital can drive better outcomes when it focuses on people as much as product.Key Takeaways• The most effective VCs act before problems surface, shaping a founder's path rather than reacting to it.• Founder–market fit often comes down to whether someone is a specialist with deep expertise or an athlete who can adapt fast.• Empathy built through years of operating experience creates trust that fuels honest conversations and better decisions.• Great founders lead with vision—they can inspire, recruit, and align teams behind a clear story of what's possible.• Even the best instincts and pattern recognition can't outplay timing, luck, and market shifts—but reflection and learning can.Timestamped Highlights(01:20) How being an operator shaped Karl's approach to venture capital(06:48) The three kinds of investors—and why empathy gives operators an edge(09:54) Creating a safe space where founders can share problems without fear(14:13) Identifying “athletes” and “specialists” when evaluating founders(20:33) Pattern matching, instincts, and the role of luck in investing(23:50) What M13 learns from postmortems on both wins and missesA Line That Stuck“To do it the right way, you have to be a proactive investor, not a reactive one.”Pro TipsKarl suggests founders build relationships with investors who understand their world and seek out those who can help them see around corners—not just react when things break.Call to ActionIf this episode resonated, follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and connect with Amir Bormand on LinkedIn for more conversations at the intersection of people, impact, and technology.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Michi Kono, CTO of Garner Health, to unpack what it really takes to scale engineering leadership inside a fast growing startup. Michi shares how he balances structure and speed, why formalizing processes too early can slow innovation, and how “the Garner way” blends lessons from big tech with first principles thinking. This is a conversation about leadership maturity, cultural design, and building systems that evolve with your company's growth.Key Takeaways• Leadership scale comes from knowing when to formalize processes, not just how.• “Six months is never”: waiting on fixes usually means they will never happen.• Feedback is a gift, and it is on leaders to create the safety for it to flow upward.• Borrowing from big tech only works when you adapt the principles, not the playbook.• Engineering leaders should measure success by business outcomes, not just delivery speed.Timestamped Highlights01:46 The first signals Michi looked for when stepping into the CTO role03:49 Turning ad hoc collaboration into structured dependency management06:36 Why delaying operational fixes is a silent killer for scaling teams08:38 Building standards only when they solve real, visible problems12:13 The art of forecasting leadership hiring and team design14:54 Lessons borrowed from Meta, Stripe, and Capital One, and when not to use them17:31 Defining “the Garner way” through first principles20:59 Judging engineering performance through business impact25:00 Creating true psychological safety for feedback across all levelsA Line That Stuck“If we can't execute on the roadmap that lets us actually build a successful business, then I failed as a leader. There are no excuses.”Pro TipsWhen you inherit a growing engineering organization, start by mapping dependencies, not hierarchies. Clarity around how teams interact is more valuable than adding headcount too early.Call to ActionEnjoyed this episode? Follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and connect with Amir on LinkedIn for more conversations on scaling teams, leadership, and engineering culture.

Vibe coding isn't just a new buzzword—it's a complete shift in how engineering teams build, ship, and think. Zach Wills, Director of Engineering at Luxury Presence, joins to share how his team is rewriting the rules of software delivery using AI-assisted workflows. From Greenfield experiments to Brownfield transformations, Zach breaks down the frameworks, lessons, and mindset shifts reshaping what it means to be an engineer.Key TakeawaysWhy vibe coding feels less like automation and more like a new management skill for engineersThe real differences between Greenfield and Brownfield AI-assisted projects—and how to avoid the biggest trapsHow “trusting the autonomous loop” became a core principle for speed and qualityThe cultural shift that happens when developers stop typing every line of codeWhy teams that embrace AI early will outpace their competition, not replace their peopleTimestamped Highlights02:20 — The moment vibe coding clicked and how it compressed days of work into hours06:45 — Testing AI in a five-year-old codebase with tens of thousands of commits10:45 — Engineers are becoming more like managers of autonomous agents14:40 — The hidden emotional impact of giving up “manual” coding17:30 — Inside Zach's eight-rule framework for productive AI workflows25:25 — Why SDLC as we know it is breaking apart—and what replaces it30:00 — Why fearing AI misses the point entirelyMemorable Line“If AI can do something I was doing yesterday, I never want to do that thing again. My value comes from what only I can do.”Pro TipStart small but think organizationally. Train your engineers to lead AI, not just use it. The biggest unlock isn't speed—it's mindset.Call to ActionIf this conversation sparked new ideas about how your team could work smarter, follow The Tech Trek wherever you listen and connect with Amir on LinkedIn for more behind-the-scenes insights.

From a farm in Adelaide to the front lines of AI-powered personalization.Tullie Murrell, CEO and co-founder of Shaped, shares how he went from researcher to founder and built a platform helping businesses deliver the kind of intelligent recommendations once reserved for big tech.We explore the mindset shifts, technical leaps, and founder lessons that shaped his path—from Meta's AI labs to democratizing personalization for everyone else.Key Takeaways• The best founders know when to trade technical depth for go-to-market mastery. Tullie learned that 70% of startup success lives outside the codebase.• Real personalization is no longer just for Meta, Amazon, or TikTok—new model architectures are closing the gap for everyone.• Flexibility early in your career opens unexpected doors. Choosing Meta over Google gave Tullie room to explore and evolve.• AI research isn't just about papers—it's about transforming how people experience products and decisions in real time.• The future of personalization sits at the intersection of generation and intent—content created and adapted for each individual moment.Timestamped Highlights00:35 — What Shaped does and how it's redefining AI-driven recommendations03:00 — From a farm in Australia to computer science and a path to Silicon Valley07:30 — Why joining Meta offered more freedom than Google13:25 — The insight that sparked Shaped: how Meta's personalization drove massive engagement19:00 — Leaving Big Tech, embracing discomfort, and starting over as a founder22:45 — The moment he realized go-to-market mattered more than code29:00 — How new AI breakthroughs are rewriting what's possible in personalization33:55 — Real-time generation meets personalization: where we're headed nextA standout moment“Most founders think success is 70% product and 30% go-to-market. I learned it's the other way around.”Pro TipIf you're a technical founder, study go-to-market strategy as hard as you studied your first programming language. It's the difference between a great product and a great company.Call to ActionIf you enjoyed this episode, share it with a founder or engineer exploring their next leap. Subscribe to The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow Amir on LinkedIn for more conversations at the edge of tech, leadership, and innovation.

Crypto follows patterns—just like every major wave of innovation. In this episode, Brad Holden of Protocol VC breaks down what really drives those cycles, how investors separate substance from hype, and where crypto and AI are beginning to converge.From evaluating early founders to understanding when to double down or step back, Brad shares how top VCs navigate frontier tech markets and what makes a company endure beyond the hype cycle.Key Takeaways• Crypto's ups and downs follow predictable adoption cycles—and understanding that rhythm matters.• Founders who focus on real problems, not hype, stand out in crowded markets.• AI and blockchain are intersecting through decentralized compute and data transparency.• Great founders show conviction, grit, and self-awareness—qualities investors notice immediately.• The strongest pitches come from founders who lead with their own vision, not what investors want to hear.Timestamped Highlights01:20 — Why crypto moves in repeating cycles and what drives each one03:40 — How blockchain transparency helps investors see real traction06:00 — Evaluating crypto startups: solving problems vs. chasing novelty10:49 — How blockchain complements and verifies AI13:05 — The hidden risk of building around hype15:53 — Why over-customizing your pitch can backfire17:50 — How top VCs view pivots and founder adaptability25:28 — The traits that signal long-term founder successA line worth remembering“Being too early is just another way of being wrong—but betting on the right founder can make up for almost anything.”Call to ActionIf you want to understand where crypto and AI actually intersect—and what real investors look for behind the scenes—follow The Tech Trek on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Edward Khoury, CTO at Jump, joins Amir to unpack what it really means to lean into discomfort as AI transforms engineering. From redefining craftsmanship in the age of AI-generated code to helping teams evolve their skill sets, Edward shares how he's creating space for experimentation without losing focus on delivery, culture, or shareholder value.This is a conversation about leadership in motion—where the future of engineering isn't just about writing code faster, but about reshaping how teams learn, build, and think.Key Takeaways• Why leaders must intentionally give engineers time and space to experiment with AI tools• How to balance individual learning with organizational goals and KPIs• The rise of the “product-focused engineer” and what it means for the next generation of builders• Why platform engineering is becoming critical for scaling AI adoption• How embracing discomfort leads to resilience and competitive advantageTimestamped Highlights1:29 — What “leaning into an uncomfortable world” means for engineers today3:40 — Creating space for experimentation while keeping delivery on track6:06 — Balancing freedom to explore with standardization and shared learning8:34 — Navigating the fear that AI will replace engineering roles14:11 — How productivity gains will shift bottlenecks from engineering to product20:31 — Teaching engineers to think like product owners23:45 — Why user adoption will become the next big challenge as development accelerates26:58 — How AI tooling is already shaping hiring plans and org designOne Idea That Stuck“You can't push everyone through the door—you just have to open it.”Pro TipsEdward suggests pairing engineers with product partners earlier in the process—not after specs are written—to help them understand business context and build stronger product intuition.Call to ActionIf this episode made you think differently about leadership in engineering, share it with a teammate who's navigating AI adoption. Subscribe to The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and follow Amir on LinkedIn for more conversations with the builders shaping the future of tech.

What happens when a telehealth CTO takes AI beyond code generation and into the heart of the software development lifecycle?Matt Buckleman, Co-founder and CTO of Hone Health, joins to share how his team uses AI not just to accelerate development, but to rethink workflows—from documentation and traceability to sentiment analysis across teams. This episode dives deep into how he's blending engineering fundamentals with modern AI agents to create a smarter, more adaptive SDLC.Key Takeaways• Why AI's biggest near-term value isn't in code generation—it's in improving process and communication.• How Hone Health evolved its SDLC from three engineers on Slack to a 30+ person organization using agent-based automation.• The hidden advantage of consistent naming conventions and traceability when applying AI to production systems.• How AI can automate the “soft” but essential parts of software delivery, like documentation, requirements gathering, and developer sentiment tracking.• What it takes to create feedback loops that make AI genuinely useful inside technical workflows.Timestamped Highlights[02:09] Flexible, anti-dogmatic SDLC: why strict process frameworks can slow learning.[09:00] When more engineers doesn't equal more output—the hidden cost of coordination.[13:00] AI for experts vs. juniors: why prompting mirrors domain mastery.[18:38] Offloading the unglamorous work: how LLMs now handle code comments, documentation, and swagger generation.[23:50] Shared ownership and experimentation: how Hone's engineering team pilots new AI tools.[28:40] Turning meeting transcripts into smarter requirements: how agents refine specs automatically.[32:00] Using sentiment analysis to spot risk and burnout across engineering projects.Memorable Line“LLMs are great at patterns in text—and that makes them better than people at understanding what's really happening inside your workflow.”Call to ActionIf you enjoyed this conversation, follow The Tech Trek on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for more real-world discussions at the intersection of AI, engineering, and leadership. Share this episode with a teammate rethinking their own SDLC.

Yosi Dediashvili-Drossos, Co-Founder and CTO of City Hive, joins Amir to unpack how a hyper-focused approach helped transform a niche idea into the dominant e-commerce platform for the liquor industry. From bootstrapping into a complex, highly regulated space to giving small brands a voice, Yosi shares how City Hive built the connective tissue across the entire alcohol supply chain—bridging brands, distributors, and local retailers through data, trust, and mission-driven execution.Key Takeaways• Why narrowing your focus often creates more growth than going broad• How City Hive turned regulatory complexity into a competitive advantage• The power of connecting all layers of an industry—brands, distributors, and retailers—through one platform• Why small, single-SKU brands now have a real chance to compete• What founders need to know before tackling a regulated industryTimestamped Highlights00:36 – The origin story: building an e-commerce engine for liquor stores04:00 – When niche focus becomes a gateway to full-scale growth06:49 – Why the liquor supply chain is one of the most fragmented in the U.S.10:22 – The uphill battle for small brands trying to reach consumers12:16 – Empowering micro-brands through digital visibility and data16:42 – How narrowing your scope can actually open new opportunities19:48 – Lessons from scaling in a regulated market22:49 – Yosi's advice for founders navigating complex industriesStandout Moment“You can't solve everything at once. Focus on the next real problem that's in front of you—if you do that well, you'll eventually build something that can solve the bigger picture.”Pro TipsFor founders entering regulated markets: Don't start by trying to fix the system. Start by understanding one piece of it deeply enough that you can actually move it forward.Call to ActionIf you enjoyed this episode, follow The Tech Trek for more conversations with founders building technology that powers real-world industries. Share this episode with someone tackling a complex market—there's a lot they'll take away.

When you step into a new leadership role, do you prefer to build a team from the ground up—or inherit one that already exists?Ashwin Baskaran, VP of Engineering at Mercury, joins the show to unpack what really changes between these two scenarios—and what stays the same. From managing team dynamics to molding culture and earning trust in the first 90 days, Ashwin shares practical frameworks every engineering leader can apply.Key Takeaways• Building and inheriting share more similarities than most leaders realize—the principles of empathy, awareness, and low ego are universal.• When inheriting a team, awareness is your first superpower. Learn the organization before making moves.• Building from scratch gives freedom, but also more ways to make mistakes if you over-index on hiring people who think like you.• The best leaders telegraph intent early and seek alignment through action, not reassurance.• Feedback should be about context and priorities, not personal validation—it builds credibility and trust faster.Timestamped Highlights00:45 — The hidden overlap between building and inheriting a team03:25 — Why self-awareness and low ego are critical when replacing a leader06:51 — How “building” can lead to blind spots if you hire for similarity11:38 — Finding alignment between company values and your leadership style15:25 — How to read the room and earn feedback in your first 90 days21:47 — What to look for when interviewing for a role where you'll inherit a teamA Line That Stuck“You want to find a problem that the team and company care about—and solve it in a way that feels aligned with their values.”Call to ActionIf this conversation helps you think differently about leadership transitions, share it with someone who's stepping into a new role. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations that bridge technical leadership with real-world growth.

Daniel Saks, co-founder and CEO of Landbase, joins The Tech Trek to unpack the real meaning of democratizing technology. From agentic AI that works for you—not the other way around—to rethinking workflows and change management, Daniel shares why this shift is bigger than the move from on-prem to cloud. For tech leaders, founders, and operators, this episode reveals how to reclaim time, scale smarter, and prepare for the next wave of AI-native business.Key Takeaways• AI is moving beyond hype—it's becoming the engine that executes real workflows and shifts power from systems to users• Businesses that recapture saved time will unlock significant cost efficiency and growth potential• The gap between idea and implementation is shrinking fast, but durable value will come from solving the hardest problems, not the easiest apps• Change management is now about building AI-native workflows and cross-functional systems, not just adopting tools• Sales and go-to-market leaders can gain an edge by mastering prompting and AI-driven enrichment todayTimestamped Highlights00:56 — Why Landbase built GTM-1 Omni to reimagine go-to-market execution01:40 — From on-prem to cloud to AI-native: the next major leap in democratizing technology04:34 — Why fears about AI replacing jobs miss the bigger story of new roles and industries emerging08:42 — How the pace of product cycles is collapsing and what that means for value creation13:25 — Inside Landbase's “AI Factory” model for automating workflows across functions16:39 — What people actually do with the time they reclaim through AI-driven automation19:23 — How AI is reshaping the role of the salesperson and why adoption speed mattersA line that stood out“You don't have to work for your software anymore—your software works for you.”Call to ActionIf this conversation gave you fresh ideas about how AI is reshaping business, share it with your team and subscribe to The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more insights, follow along on LinkedIn.

John Fiedler, SVP of Engineering and CISO at Ironclad, joins the show to unpack the real challenges of technology leadership. From managing nonstop context switching to measuring success when you're no longer shipping code, John shares hard-earned lessons on how leaders can protect their time, set priorities, and thrive in the chaos. Whether you're moving from IC to manager or scaling as an executive, this conversation offers a candid look at what it truly takes to lead.Key Takeaways• Success in leadership isn't about features shipped—it's about execution, people, and culture.• Context switching is constant, but leaders can design their calendars to minimize the chaos.• Organizational size reshapes the challenge: startups reward speed, enterprises demand process.• Protecting your time isn't optional—leaders who don't own their calendars quickly burn out.• The leap from IC to manager requires starting fresh and mastering a new craft.Timestamped Highlights02:13 The hidden tax of context switching06:53 How John measures success as a leader without code10:45 What really slows executives down inside organizations15:51 How John protects his calendar and finds focus time24:47 The lessons every first-time manager needs to hearA Line That Sticks“If you don't control your calendar, your calendar will control you.”Call to ActionIf this episode resonated, share it with a fellow leader navigating the chaos. Subscribe to The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for more candid conversations about scaling, leadership, and the future of technology.

Alex Salazar, co-founder and CEO of Arcade.dev, joins the show to unpack the realities of building enterprise agents. Conceptually simple but technically hard, agents are reshaping how companies think about workflow automation, security, and human-in-the-loop design. Alex shares why moving from proof-of-concept to production is so challenging, what playbooks actually work, and how enterprises can avoid wasting time and money as this technology accelerates faster than any previous wave.Key TakeawaysEnterprise agents aren't chatbots—they're workflow systems that can take secure, authorized actions.The real challenge isn't just building demos but getting to production-grade consistency and accuracy.Mid-market companies face the steepest climb: limited budgets, limited ML expertise, but the same competitive pressure.Success starts with finding low-risk, high-impact opportunities and narrowing scope as much as possible.Authorization is the biggest blocker today; delegated OAuth models are key to unlocking real agent functionality.Timestamped Highlights02:02 — Why agents are “just advanced workflow software” but harder to trust than traditional apps04:53 — The gap between glorified chatbots and real enterprise agents that take action09:58 — From cloud mistrust to wire transfers: how comfort with automation evolves14:00 — Chaos at every tier: startups, enterprises, and why the mid-market struggles most26:21 — The playbook: how to pick use cases, narrow scope, and carry pilots all the way to prod34:38 — Breaking down agent authorization and why most RAG systems fail in practice42:09 — Adoption at double speed: what makes this AI wave different from internet and cloudA Thought That Stuck“An agent isn't an agent until it can take action. If all it does is talk, it's just a chatbot.” — Alex SalazarCall to ActionIf this episode gave you a clearer lens on enterprise agents, share it with a colleague who needs to hear it. And don't miss future conversations—follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Dane Atkinson, CEO and founder of Odeko, joins the show to unpack the reality of evolving as a founder. He shares why the first idea you start with rarely survives, how to know when it's time to pivot, and why anchoring on a mission instead of a product keeps you in the game. This conversation dives into frameworks for making hard calls, the messy middle of startup life, and what it really takes to endure as a multi-time founder.Key Takeaways• Your first idea probably won't be the one that works—focus on the customer and the mission, not the concept.• Pivoting is brutal but necessary; small experiments can create the proof you need to shift direction.• Founders who learn from failure are more likely to succeed in their second or third ventures.• Having a North Star rooted in mission makes the day-to-day grind and tough decisions bearable.• The best outcomes come when investors give founders space to experiment and even fail.Timestamped Highlights00:43 – Why Odeko's mission is to help small coffee shops compete with giants01:44 – The flawed brilliance of Odeko's first AI-driven product and the hard pivot that followed05:28 – The painful trap of chasing product-market fit and the danger of sticking too long10:24 – Building proof for a pivot and the difference between charisma-driven sales and true demand14:04 – Why most successful founders are “multi-run players” and what VCs often miss about failure17:02 – How staying mission-driven keeps founders motivated through setbacksA line worth remembering“You can change the product, you can change the delivery, but if you have a North Star that matters, you'll always know how to steer the company back on track.”Founder TipTest new directions quietly alongside your current model. Early prototypes not only prove viability but also help you win over skeptical teammates, boards, and investors.Call to ActionIf this episode gave you something to think about, share it with a fellow founder or operator who's in the middle of their own evolution. And don't forget to follow The Tech Trek so you never miss the next conversation on scaling, leadership, and building companies that last.

What does it really mean to build in stealth—and when does it help or hurt? In this episode, Amir sits down with Yoni Michael, co-founder of Typedef, an AI infrastructure startup that recently came out of stealth. Yoni shares why his team chose to stay under the radar early on, how they balanced secrecy with customer discovery, and the lessons they learned about finding product-market fit in a noisy AI landscape. If you're a founder or tech leader navigating early-stage strategy, this conversation offers practical insights you can apply right away.Key Takeaways• Stealth mode isn't all or nothing—there's a spectrum between total secrecy and open visibility• Execution and speed of iteration matter more than protecting “the idea”• Customer discovery should start before you even write code• Messaging is never final—test, refine, and keep adjusting as you learn from design partners• Investors expect shifts at the seed stage, but keeping them in the loop builds trustTimestamped Highlights00:38 — Why Typedef chose to launch in stealth and what they're building in AI infrastructure04:31 — The double-edged sword of operating in a crowded AI market09:22 — How Yoni approaches customer discovery without giving away too much13:55 — Shaping messaging and narrative before coming out of stealth19:49 — Managing investor expectations when your product vision evolves25:21 — How to connect with Yoni for advice and community in AI infraA line that stuck with us“Your competitive edge isn't the idea—it's the ability to execute and course correct fast enough to hit your runway.”Resources mentioned• Typedef: typedef.ai• FENEC open-source framework: [GitHub link from Typedef site]• Yoni Michael on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yonimichaelPro TipsYoni advises founders to test messaging as early as possible—whether through decks, demo sandboxes, or LinkedIn posts. The feedback loop is as valuable as product feedback.Stay connectedIf this episode gave you something to think about, share it with a founder or tech leader who'd benefit. And don't forget to follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss future conversations.

Twenty nine San Luis Obispo County girls attended AAUW California's Tech Trek camps this summer. Four campers and AAUW San Luis Obispo's Tech Trek Coordinator, Susan Updegrove, join Lata Murti to talk about their summer STEM experience.

Troy Astorino, co-founder and CTO at PicnicHealth, joins Amir to unpack one of healthcare's most stubborn problems: fragmented medical records. Troy shares how Picnic Health is using AI to unify patient data, cut through friction, and improve both individual care and clinical research. This conversation dives into the technical, regulatory, and human sides of healthcare data—and why accuracy matters more than ever.Key Takeaways• Why interoperability in healthcare has failed despite billions invested• How AI transforms messy, inconsistent records into unified patient data• The critical role of low-friction design in patient adoption• Balancing accuracy, human oversight, and scalability in medical AI• What recent FDA guidance signals about the future of AI in healthcareTimestamped Highlights00:40 — How Picnic Health helps patients and researchers get all their records in one place05:16 — Why data portability across EMRs is still broken despite decades of effort09:40 — Friction as the biggest barrier to patient adoption (and why it matters for outcomes)10:42 — Inside Picnic's AI pipeline: from raw documents to unified patient profiles17:18 — Tackling accuracy: expert-level thresholds, guardrails, and continuous auditing24:47 — Why AI is judged against perfection while humans get a pass on errors29:45 — The FDA's evolving approach to regulating AI in healthcareA thought that stands out:“Having systems that don't just work in theory but actually work in practice—because they're low friction—is critical for real usage in healthcare.”Resources Mentioned• Picnic Health: https://picnichealth.com• FDA Draft Guidance on AI in Healthcare (2024)• HL7 standards overview (for context on interoperability)Pro Tips for Tech LeadersThink about adoption the way Picnic Health does: remove friction first. Even the most sophisticated AI solution fails if the user experience creates barriers. Start with the end user, not the system.Call to ActionIf you found this conversation valuable, share it with someone working in health tech or data science. Subscribe to The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so you never miss new insights on where tech and leadership intersect.

Pritesh Patel, Director of AI at Fisher Phillips, joins The Tech Trek to unpack how AI is reshaping knowledge-based businesses and what that means for industries like law, consulting, and beyond. From shifting revenue models to practical adoption challenges, Pritesh shares how firms can embrace AI early, stay competitive, and unlock new opportunities. This episode is a roadmap for leaders who want to move from incremental efficiency to real transformation.Key Takeaways• AI is disrupting the traditional “revenue per person” model, pushing knowledge firms toward more outcome-driven approaches• Early adoption matters: experimenting now gives companies a competitive edge rather than playing catch-up later• Success in AI transformation starts with deeply understanding business outcomes, not just implementing new tools• Human expertise will remain essential, but AI will free professionals to focus on higher-level, creative problem-solving• Iteration speed is a critical advantage: nimble firms can innovate faster than larger, slower-moving competitorsTimestamped Highlights01:32 – Defining knowledge-based businesses and why AI is changing the game04:33 – How old business models are being disrupted by automation and new expectations08:55 – Translating technical expertise into outcomes that resonate with non-technical stakeholders14:23 – A framework for identifying high-impact opportunities before choosing a technology solution16:34 – Building an innovation engine through fast prototyping and iteration21:16 – The role of trust, validation, and regulation in the future of AI-powered knowledge workQuote of the Episode“You don't want to be in a situation where you're adapting late because of competition. If you start early, you can shape the future of your industry instead of reacting to it.” — Pritesh PatelPro Tips• Focus first on business outcomes, not technology. Identify the most impactful functions, then explore how AI can enhance them• Use prototyping to spark ideas and build momentum. A working demo creates buy-in faster than presentationsCall to ActionIf this conversation sparked ideas about how AI could reshape your business, share the episode with a colleague who would benefit. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations with leaders driving the future of technology, and connect with us on LinkedIn to continue the discussion.

Zach Lloyd, CEO and founder of Warp, joins The Tech Trek to unpack what it really takes to build tools that transform the developer experience. From rethinking the terminal to balancing product focus with user growth, Zach shares hard-earned lessons from scaling products that developers actually want to use. This is a conversation about building with empathy, understanding workflows, and making deliberate trade-offs that move the needle.Key Takeaways• Why deep focus on the developer workflow leads to products that stick• The importance of balancing big-picture vision with small, iterative improvements• How to make trade-offs between growth experiments and core product quality• Why some of the most powerful product ideas come from rethinking “old” tools• The role of design and speed in shaping developer adoptionTimestamped Highlights[03:15] The inspiration behind Warp and why the terminal needed rethinking[09:42] Balancing user requests with long-term product vision[14:10] How small quality-of-life improvements can have outsized impact[21:55] Deciding when to invest in growth versus core product work[28:30] Lessons from building for an audience of highly opinionated users[36:05] Why the future of dev tools will blend speed, design, and collaborationQuote of the Episode“The best products come from understanding the real workflow pain and then removing it in a way that feels almost invisible to the user.”Resources MentionedWarp: https://www.warp.devIf you enjoyed this conversation, follow The Tech Trek on your favorite podcast platform and connect with me on LinkedIn for more insights from the leaders shaping the future of technology.

Sek Chai, CTO and cofounder of Latent AI, joins The Tech Trek to talk about what it actually takes to get AI running on the edge. We explore the real-world constraints of power, compute, and hardware diversity, why an agent-assisted workflow can accelerate MLOps, and how to choose models that are good enough to ship. Sek also breaks down lessons from selling into the federal market and explains why a clear guiding principle beats chasing every shiny opportunity.Key TakeawaysEdge AI is a different game than the cloud. Power limits, hardware diversity, and deployment realities have to shape the design from day one.The best model is the smallest one that delivers the capability and latency you need. Bigger isn't always better.An AI agent that understands your data, model, and hardware personas can move teams from idea to deployment much faster.Whether you're selling to federal or commercial buyers, lead with capability, then meet security and compliance needs.A strong tenet should guide product direction and market focus more than raw market size.Timestamped Highlights00:30 Why edge optimization matters and what Latent AI does01:09 The messy reality of heterogeneity and power constraints in edge deployments02:54 Why most edge AI projects never ship and how an agent can change that05:03 Mapping MLOps personas and tailoring the workflow for each11:49 Selling to both federal and commercial buyers without losing focus15:55 Building a company around a tenet rather than chasing every marketQuote of the Episode“It's not the model that you're really chasing after. It's that capability.”Pro TipsDefine capability and constraints first—latency, frame rate, and power budget—then pick and optimize the model.Collect and use telemetry from experiments and deployments to guide model and hardware choices.If federal markets are in play, bake security and compliance into your early prototypes.Call to ActionEnjoyed this episode? Follow The Tech Trek, rate us on Apple or Spotify, and share it with someone working on an edge AI project.

Berit Hoffmann, CEO and co-founder of Korl, joins The Tech Trek to share her candid journey from big tech leader to late-stage startup founder. With a resume that includes Google, Dell, and Sisu, Berit could have landed any top role—but she chose the riskier path of building her own AI company while raising two kids and fundraising while seven months pregnant. In this episode, she opens up about the internal tug-of-war, the realities of balancing family and founder life, and how she's navigating the fast-moving, hype-driven world of AI. If you're a tech professional wondering when—or whether—to make your own leap, this one's for you.Key Takeaways:Experience doesn't remove fear—but it can sharpen your confidence in taking big risksAI founders must constantly recalibrate as models evolve and moats evaporateThe best startups fall in love with the problem, not the initial solutionYou don't have to wait for perfect timing—it might never comeExecution and clarity win over buzzwords in a crowded AI marketTimestamped Highlights:00:44 — What Korl actually does and why it's different from other AI presentation tools02:30 — Why Berit waited to found a startup and how early roles shaped her confidence07:03 — The hidden opportunity costs and fears of starting later in life11:38 — Her zero-to-one playbook: validate the problem deeply before writing a line of code15:50 — Fundraising in the age of AI hype and navigating the balance between clarity and buzz20:33 — How she processes new AI releases and adapts strategy without spinning out24:45 — What it was really like to raise VC funding while visibly pregnant30:11 — Her honest take on founder-parent balance: sometimes 80% has to be enoughQuote of the Episode:“There's still such a gap between what many AI tools promise and what they actually deliver. Closing that gap is all about execution—and that's where startups win.”Resources Mentioned:Koral: https://www.getkoral.comConnect with Berit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berithoffmann/Call to Action:Enjoyed the conversation? Follow The Tech Trek for more real stories from tech builders and startup leaders. Share this episode with someone who's debating their next leap—you never know what might spark them to go for it.

What if your phone didn't need to hold your data at all? In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Jared Shepard, CEO of Hypori, to explore how virtualization at the edge is transforming security, mobility, and data ownership. Jared breaks down Hypori's secure virtual mobile OS, originally built for the Department of Defense, and how it's now entering the enterprise and consumer spaces. From eliminating mobile device management to protecting sensitive data from AI exposure, this conversation is a wake-up call for any tech leader thinking about security at the edge.Key Takeaways:Hypori's virtual mobile OS allows users to access enterprise data securely without storing it on their device.Virtualization collapses the attack surface by removing the edge device as a security risk.U.S. enterprises prioritize convenience and security, while Europe pushes privacy due to GDPR—Hypori bridges both.AI will soon enhance Hypori's platform through predictive resource allocation and network optimization.The military's extreme security standards helped Hypori harden its platform far beyond typical commercial use cases.Timestamped Highlights:01:30 — What Hypori is and how it turns any device into a secure, data-less terminal05:30 — Real-world BYOD use cases, from consultants to GDPR-compliant European enterprises11:20 — How virtualization changes the AI risk equation and protects enterprise data from agentic threats15:50 — Why cybersecurity should stop blaming users and start simplifying their responsibilities18:45 — How virtualization shrinks the attack surface and simplifies network defense22:59 — What it's like building for the Department of Defense and how that shaped Hypori's productQuote of the Episode:“Maybe it doesn't have to be a company's fight versus your fight for whose data belongs on your phone. What if we could just take that problem away?”Resources Mentioned:Hypori: www.hypori.comCall to Action:If this episode got you rethinking your mobile security strategy, share it with your team or your CIO. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and real-world security.

Feross Aboukhadijeh, founder and CEO of Socket, joins The Tech Trek to pull back the curtain on software supply chain security, why legacy tools are failing, and what it really takes to build trust into modern development. Feross explains how Socket is tackling vulnerabilities most vendors can't even detect and shares why they made a rare early-stage acquisition—and how it's reshaping their roadmap.Whether you're an engineering leader, security pro, or founder eyeing M&A moves, this episode offers sharp insights into product strategy, AI implications, and the real work behind the scenes.Key Takeaways:Socket proactively secures the software supply chain by detecting malicious code injections and not just known vulnerabilitiesLegacy tools rely on outdated databases and can't keep up with real-time threats or malicious actorsThe explosion of AI-generated code is expanding the attack surface and introducing new vectors like “slop squatting”Socket's acquisition of Kawana was driven by tight product fit, culture alignment, and shared technical DNA—not just business rationaleReachability analysis reduced Socket's security alert noise by 80 percent, boosting signal and developer trustTimestamped Highlights:01:00 — What Socket actually does and why open source dependency risk is a blind spot for most companies06:40 — Why most tools in this space haven't solved the real security problem—and how Socket is different11:50 — AI's unexpected impact on software security and the rise of hallucinated packages16:30 — Behind Socket's acquisition of Kawana and how academic research drove product synergy22:58 — How integrating the acquisition is evolving Socket's roadmap and deepening its technical edge25:00 — What Feross learned from the legal side of M&A and how his past experience at Yahoo helped shape this oneQuote of the Episode:“We care way more about first-party code than third-party code, even though it all runs in one app. That has to change.”Resources Mentioned:Socket: https://socket.devCall to Action:Enjoyed the episode? Follow The Tech Trek to catch conversations with the builders shaping the future. And if you're deep in security or scaling a dev team, check out socket.dev or reach out to Feross directly—he's happy to share lessons learned.

What does it take to deliver innovation at just the right moment? In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Eric Hoffert, CTO at Kargo and former video leader at Apple and Spotify, to unpack the art and science of innovation timing. From building QuickTime at Apple to launching video at Spotify a decade before the market caught up, Eric shares stories that blend conviction, timing, and deep tech insight. This episode is a must-listen for anyone thinking about where AI, video, and advertising are headed—and how to lead through the chaos.Key Takeaways:Innovation is a blend of vision, timing, and execution—being first doesn't matter if the world isn't ready.AI is shifting us from an attention economy to an intention economy, transforming how video content and advertising are personalized.The best tech products often emerge from the intersection of diverse disciplines, creative conviction, and platform thinking.Timing mistakes are common—even industry giants miss the mark by years—but conviction keeps the momentum alive.Future video experiences will be radically personal, possibly generated in real time based on your preferences.Timestamped Highlights:00:58 — What Kargo does and why art + technology is their core advantage02:04 — The behind-the-scenes story of inventing QuickTime at Apple12:50 — Why Spotify's video ambitions in 2011 were 15 years ahead of their time17:33 — Can advertising become seamless and actually helpful? The AI-powered opportunity22:23 — Scene-level targeting and privacy-preserving personalization in video26:49 — Eric's 3 keys to innovating at the right time: see around corners, surf the wave, move fastQuote of the Episode:“We're shifting from an attention economy to an intention economy—where you're in the driver's seat of what you watch, and how it's monetized.”Call to Action:If this conversation got you thinking about where tech is headed, share it with a fellow builder or product leader. Follow the show for more deep dives into the minds shaping tomorrow's tech—and drop a comment to let us know what resonated most.

What happens when UX design collides with generative AI? In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Mickey Alon, CEO and co-founder of Eucera, to explore how AI-first design is redefining SaaS product experiences. Mickey shares his vision for conversational UX, why menus are becoming obsolete, and how intelligent agents will soon become the most valuable “team member” in your product. If you build, lead, or design in tech—this one will get you thinking differently.Key Takeaways• Traditional UI can't keep up with modern feature sets—AI-first UX unlocks faster access to value• Conversational interfaces offer personalization and productivity that static workflows can't match• User expectations are evolving rapidly thanks to tools like ChatGPT—SaaS must catch up• AI-first design challenges product teams to rethink roadmaps, roles, and even user trust• Future UX will be hybrid: visual, prompt-driven, and increasingly agenticTimestamped Highlights03:12 — Why traditional menus break as SaaS features grow04:45 — The gap between AI-powered hype and true AI-first product experiences08:25 — How AI can personalize UX based on user skill level and intent17:50 — The need for audit trails and observability in AI-driven workflows21:30 — Will UX roles shrink or expand in the age of AI-first design?25:20 — What happens when every product is just an agent? Where do you differentiate?Quote of the Episode“The companies that will deliver AI-first experiences will outperform—because you're deploying the best person in the company, which is the agent, to assist any number of users in real time.”Call to ActionIf this episode made you rethink the future of product design, share it with a teammate or PM who needs to hear it. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more smart conversations at the edge of tech, product, and leadership. And connect with Mickey Alon on LinkedIn if you want to dive deeper into AI-first UX.

What does it take to build startups that last and come back for more? In this episode, Amir sits down with Russ Fradin, serial founder, longtime investor, and now CEO of Larridn. With nearly 30 years of experience and billions raised across multiple ventures, Russ shares what he's learned about founding companies, hiring the right people, navigating pivots, and representing other people's money with integrity. This isn't a highlight reel. It's a grounded, real-world look at what actually makes a great founder.Key Takeaways• Great founders haven't changed. The barriers to entry have• The best ideas evolve constantly. Early-stage success is about the team• Founding with the right people creates longevity and joy in the journey• Angel investors are betting on judgment, not just ideas• Fulfillment comes from building with people you respect and admireTimestamped Highlights00:53 Why Russ and his co-founder launched Larridn to reimagine productivity in the age of AI03:48 Lessons from 29 years of company building, from pre-Netscape to today05:36 How the startup world has changed and what hasn't since the 90s12:06 What makes the journey worthwhile even when startups fail14:56 How Russ chose the right co-founders and why it still matters most17:52 Knowing which idea to chase and when to pivot with purpose21:24 What representing other people's money really means to him as a founder and angel investorQuote of the Episode“There's just nothing better you can do with your time than go to work every day trying to build something amazing with amazing people.”Pro TipsWhen choosing your next venture, ask: where do I have unfair advantage? It's not just about solving a big problem. It's about solving the one you're uniquely qualified to tackle.Call to ActionEnjoyed this episode? Share it with a founder or investor in your circle. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more conversations with leaders who've done the work and are still doing it. Follow Amir on LinkedIn for more insights and episode drops.

What do founders get wrong when trying to build a startup? Jeff Gibson, CTO and co-founder at Kintsugi, joins the show to break down how he approaches building around real business problems—not flashy features. Drawing from pre-IPO roles at Atlassian and his journey scaling Kintsugi, Jeff shares why understanding cash flow, revenue mechanics, and operational bottlenecks is critical for building something that lasts. Whether you're a startup founder or tech leader, this one's full of sharp insights on building with purpose.Key Takeaways • Solving “boring” problems can be wildly valuable—if you understand where the money flows • Great businesses start with a clear grasp of what companies actually value, not just what users say they want • Pre-IPO cleanup reveals hidden complexity in compliance, revenue recognition, and internal tooling • Pivoting without a strong North Star leads to wasted cycles; solve for the cause, not just symptoms • Not every successful business needs to be venture scale—but it does need to be viable and focusedTimestamped Highlights 01:17 — What Kintsugi actually does, and why indirect tax is a massive hidden challenge 03:49 — The “pre-IPO cleanup” playbook and how it shaped Jeff's understanding of business systems 06:52 — Why chasing product-market fit is risky if you don't deeply understand the business problem 09:44 — Talking to 100 customers before writing a single line of code 12:57 — The opportunity in low-innovation, high-value spaces (think CRMs, billing, compliance) 16:44 — Niche wins: why a $10M business in a focused segment can be more valuable than chasing unicorn statusQuote of the Episode “You don't want to find a boring problem that's commoditized. You want a boring problem that's valuable.”Resources Mentioned • Kintsugi: https://www.kintsugi.comCall to Action If you found Jeff's insights helpful, follow The Tech Trek for more conversations with builders and leaders shaping the future of tech. Share this episode with a founder friend, and don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen. Want to keep the conversation going? Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.

Ashok Srinivas, SVP of Engineering at Aledade, joins The Tech Trek to break down what it really means to have impact as an engineering leader. With experience at Microsoft, Snapchat, Indeed, Dropbox, and now Aledade, Ashok brings clarity on how to assess your value, earn trust, and align technical strategy to business outcomes. Whether you're leading at a scrappy startup or an enterprise giant, this conversation offers a grounded and practical lens on leading with purpose, adjusting your playbook, and knowing when to pivot.Key Takeaways• Your first 90 days as a leader should be about listening, learning the culture, and earning trust• Technical strategy only matters if it maps to business value—long-term bets need short-term execution• Engineering leadership changes based on company stage: wartime vs peacetime, scale vs speed• Culture and resilience matter more than expertise—especially in remote, high-change environments• Great leaders don't just bring the right tools—they know when to use them, and when to stay curiousTimestamped Highlights00:36 — What Aledade does and why healthcare impact is personal02:14 — From chip design to engineering leadership: Ashok's career journey04:09 — Matching your leadership style to company stage and market dynamics06:39 — Why trust-building matters more than early change-making10:24 — How Ashok evaluates engineering impact across people, product, and execution13:13 — The thrill of learning new business models—and why he keeps switching industries16:41 — Aligning OKRs with team performance while still shipping hands-on21:51 — The most underrated skill in engineering orgs: resilience in the face of ambiguityQuote of the Episode“Strategies change all the time. If your team isn't aligned through culture, they won't be ready to pivot—and that's what really holds you back.” — Ashok SrinivasResources Mentioned• Radical Candor by Kim ScottCall to ActionEnjoyed the episode? Share it with an engineering leader you respect. Then subscribe to The Tech Trek so you never miss conversations like this—real insights from people building the future.

Vijaye Raji, CEO and founder of Statsig, left two decades of success at Microsoft and Facebook to start from scratch—at age 41. In this episode of The Tech Trek, we unpack the mindset, planning, and trade-offs that come with becoming a first-time founder later in life. If you've ever wondered what it really takes to leave the safety of big tech to chase a startup dream, this one's for you.What You'll Learn• Why Vijaye treated the decision to become a founder separately from the idea for Statsig• How he de-risked the leap by financially preparing his family for the journey• The emotional rollercoaster of being a solo founder—and how he stays grounded• The biggest blind spots coming from big tech to startup life (hello, sales and SOX compliance)• How he thinks about pivoting, product strategy, and avoiding the “limping-along” trapTimestamps to Catch02:03 – Why he walked away from Meta and Microsoft04:32 – The real difference between “wanting to start a company” and knowing what to build06:17 – How he set a 10-year plan—and avoided the dangerous middle zone11:54 – What he didn't know until he had to do it himself: sales, marketing, compliance15:28 – How he structured support at home to take the leap without a co-founder21:40 – Tactical advice for future founders to build toward entrepreneurship intentionallyQuote of the Episode“Startup is not an individual affair—it's a family affair. It affects people around you in subtle ways, and some not so subtle.”Resources Mentioned• Statsig: https://www.statsig.com• Connect with Vijaye on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijayePro Tip from VijayeIf you're planning to start a company in the next five years, structure your career today to pick up the missing skills: sales, marketing, financials, hiring, and firing. Be intentional about it.Enjoyed the episode?Follow The Tech Trek for more real conversations with startup builders, tech leaders, and product thinkers. Like, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who's thinking about taking the leap. And if you've got thoughts or feedback—drop a comment or connect on LinkedIn.

What if your data science team could drive business outcomes across products, not just models? In this episode, Hicham El-Hassani shares a tested blueprint for building data teams that are adaptable, retention-proof, and ready to ship.With 18 years of experience, Hicham has led high-impact data science orgs across insurance and software—and he's not afraid to challenge the standard playbook. He explains why most teams fail to scale, how generalist data scientists can outperform specialists, and what actually matters in model success (hint: it's not just the algorithm).Whether you're a technical leader, hiring manager, or data practitioner, this conversation is packed with insights on how to design for execution, avoid attrition, and get your models into production—fast.Key TakeawaysData science orgs need flexible, crew-style structures—not rigid vertical silosGeneralists thrive when given exposure, ownership, and tailored trainingFeature engineering and domain context often beat algorithm tuningExecution and documentation matter more than flashy toolsGenAI will boost productivity—but won't replace real data science judgmentTimestamped Highlights02:00 — Why rigid, specialized teams backfire in data orgs06:45 — The real value of domain knowledge and how to build it quickly11:50 — How data scientists can shape sales, pricing, and go-to-market strategy17:30 — A four-phase matrix to structure projects and reduce context switching23:00 — How AI tools are already speeding up DS workflows (and what's next)26:00 — One habit that separates scalable teams from forgettable onesQuote of the Episode"Cross-pollination is the best thing—when data scientists are exposed to different business problems, they evolve faster and stay longer."Call to ActionEnjoyed the conversation? Share this episode with someone building or managing a data team. And if you haven't yet, subscribe to The Tech Trek for more no-fluff insights from leaders building the future of tech.

What does the “long tail” of AI really look like in a highly regulated industry? In this episode, Dave Wollenberg, VP of Enterprise Data & Analytics at Scan, breaks it down. From cautious experimentation to enabling non-technical users to build AI-driven POCs, Dave shares a grounded, practical perspective on AI adoption inside a Medicare Advantage organization.You'll hear why the real transformation isn't just technical—it's cultural. We talk about how to shift employee mindsets, educate business teams, and unlock self-service analytics while staying compliant. If you're a tech or data leader trying to separate hype from real value, this one's for you.Key Takeaways:The long tail of AI means rethinking roles—not just automating tasksReal AI enablement starts with data quality, governance, and semantic clarityNon-technical employees can (and should) build AI proof-of-conceptsChange management will make or break your AI strategyIn regulated industries, open source and secure deployment models matterTimestamped Highlights:00:55 – What Scan Health Plan does and why AI matters in healthcare03:10 – From machine learning to generative AI: how use cases have evolved08:15 – Three types of business users and how to upskill them for AI12:40 – Shifting expectations: stakeholders want AI-powered insights, now15:20 – Why self-service BI still falls short without a solid data foundation18:35 – AI adoption isn't just IT's job—business users need to lead too22:15 – Navigating AI in regulated industries: risks, rules, and realitiesQuote of the Episode:“It's not as if there's a certain amount of work in the world, and if AI takes some, there's nothing left to do. When you make people more powerful, they add more value—and you want more of them, not fewer.”Pro Tips:Host internal hackathons to build excitement and break down resistanceUse sandbox environments to safely encourage experimentationDon't wait for technical users—give your business teams the tools to tryCall to Action:Like what you heard? Share this episode with someone exploring AI adoption in their org. Subscribe to The Tech Trek for more candid conversations with tech leaders on building, scaling, and leading through change.

What happens when you bring Silicon Valley tech thinking into an “unsexy” industry? Alex Jekowsky, Co-founder and CEO of Cents, shares how his vertically integrated platform is quietly transforming garment care—starting with laundromats. In this conversation, Alex breaks down what it takes to digitize an analog industry, earn operator trust, and build deep value with a lean team. If you've ever wondered what it really means to build vertical SaaS for SMBs, this is a masterclass.Key TakeawaysStart with digitization, not disruption—operators don't need revolution, they need visibility and options.Building for SMBs means listening first, innovating later. Reliability beats cleverness early on.A lean team can deliver better quality by being more deliberate, but it comes with execution risk.Cents' growth isn't about horizontal expansion—it's about going deeper with each customer.Clear alignment on mission—“garment care”—enables scale without complexity.Timestamped Highlights[01:50] – Why laundromats? The overlooked opportunity in an “unsexy” industry[06:30] – Digitize first, then provide optionality: Cents' real value proposition[09:40] – Why innovation is an earned right in SMB SaaS[12:50] – The tradeoffs and benefits of building vertically with a small team[16:40] – How Cents plans to grow deeper in garment care without chasing new verticals[21:50] – Culture, clarity, and staying anchored to the mission—how Cents keeps its edgeQuote of the Episode"Nobody works with you because you're innovative—they work with you because you work."Resources MentionedCents: https://www.trycents.comCall to ActionIf this episode changed how you think about vertical SaaS or SMB tech, share it with a founder or product leader who needs to hear it. And don't forget to follow The Tech Trek for more behind-the-scenes stories on building products that actually move industries forward.

How do you turn GenAI excitement into real enterprise value—without leaving people behind?In this episode, Amir talks with Mike Urban, Chief Technology Operations Officer at Best Egg, about the overlooked muscle every company needs to build: change management. Mike shares how his team is navigating the real-world complexity of bringing GenAI into production across a highly regulated fintech org—while aligning control and risk teams as unexpected champions of innovation.If you're trying to move fast without breaking trust, this conversation is packed with lessons.Key Takeaways:Change management isn't a framework—it's a living process, just like the changes you're navigating.GenAI adoption starts with personalized enablement, not just tooling. Everyone has a different “light switch.”Risk and control functions can be powerful allies in innovation, not blockers—if brought in early.Gamified onboarding and grassroots advocacy can shift perception and accelerate adoption.The real value of GenAI isn't replacement—it's amplification. Think "thought partner," not "automation engine."Timestamped Highlights:00:47 – What Best Egg does and who they serve in the fintech landscape01:46 – Why traditional change management often fails in tech orgs07:42 – The GenAI learning curve: why every employee needs their own light switch moment10:18 – Risk and control teams as enablers of innovation (not roadblocks)12:39 – A clever GenAI onboarding experiment with Best Egg's control team17:01 – Framing GenAI as a productivity co-pilot, not a job replacer22:33 – Why GenAI's constant evolution might actually make it easier to adoptQuote of the Episode:“Every person has their own GenAI light switch—and once it's on, it doesn't turn off.”Call to Action:If this episode sparked new ideas for how your team can embrace GenAI more effectively, share it with a colleague or drop us a review. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Tech Trek. You can also connect with Mike Urban on LinkedIn to continue the conversation.

What happens when a data-driven founder leaves Big Tech to tackle a broken healthcare system?In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Tim Edgar, Co-founder and CTO at Venteur, to unpack how deep personal insight, emotional connection, and data all play a role in identifying real-world problems worth solving. From launching Bing under Satya Nadella to co-founding companies with his sister, Tim shares how his experience across startups and Microsoft shaped his approach to product, purpose, and people.This one is for builders, operators, and tech professionals who want to do more than just ship features—they want to build something meaningful.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Davy Li, Head of Engineering at Mesa, a startup redefining how homeowners earn rewards on everyday home expenses. Davy shares his personal journey from Big Tech to startup life, unpacks how he's built Mesa's engineering team from scratch, and offers a refreshingly candid look at what it means to be an effective leader in a small but growing organization.From defining cultural values to hiring without a brand name, Davy drops wisdom on leadership, team modeling, and giving engineers the freedom to thrive. If you're building or leading teams in tech—or planning to—this one's packed with insights you can act on today.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Reed McGinley-Stempel, co-founder and CEO of Stytch, to explore what it means for applications to be agent ready. With the rise of agentic AI—intelligent systems that can take actions on behalf of users—the landscape for SaaS and consumer-facing apps is rapidly evolving.Reed breaks down the core concepts around agent integration, including how apps must prepare to serve not just human users but also AI agents acting on their behalf. They discuss the key challenges companies face: earning user trust, managing consent and privacy, and building in human oversight to minimize costly mistakes.Using real-world examples like coding agents and calendar tools, Reed illustrates how agent adoption succeeds where there's low friction and built-in validation. He also dives into the double standard AI faces, and why even psychologically, humans might need a "human in the loop" long after AI is capable of operating on its own.If you're building applications or thinking about AI integrations, this is a forward-looking conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Matt Moore, CTO and co-founder of Chainguard, to explore the escalating importance of software supply chain security. From Chainguard's origin story at Google to the systemic risks enterprises face when consuming open source, Matt shares the lessons, best practices, and technical innovations that help make open source software safer and more reliable. The conversation also touches on AI's impact on the attack surface, mitigating threats with engineering rigor, and why avoiding long-lived credentials could be your best defense.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Christina Garcia, SVP of Engineering at Echo Global Logistics, shares her insights on integrating AI not as a replacement but as a partner in business operations. We unpack how organizations can holistically rethink processes, overcome adoption hurdles, and empower innovators inside the company to co-create AI use cases. Christina also opens up about the unique leadership pressures this wave of transformation brings—and how she manages them.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Joe Philleo, founder and CEO of Edio, an AI platform transforming K-12 education. Joe shares his journey from building websites in high school to writing a viral essay on Palantir that kickstarted his tech career. He dives into the critical role AI now plays in solving chronic absenteeism and driving measurable academic improvements. The conversation explores how tech is reshaping education—from device adoption post-pandemic to rethinking how we measure and manage learning outcomes.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sus Misra, SVP of Data & Analytics at Solve(D) (IPG Health), to unpack what true precision targeting looks like in one of the most regulated industries: pharma. Sus explains how healthcare marketers uniquely leverage individual-level data to connect with professionals like doctors and oncologists—something unheard of in most sectors.But with great data comes great responsibility. Sus dives into the ethical, regulatory, and technical challenges of working with sensitive healthcare data, from HIPAA compliance to new state-level restrictions that are reshaping how campaigns are executed. He also shares how machine learning and generative AI are beginning to help—but warns they'll never replace human governance.Whether you work in data, marketing, or product, this episode is a masterclass in what happens when cutting-edge tech meets hard regulatory walls.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brian Clifford, Chief Data Officer at Amica Insurance, shares how his team translates core company values—like exceptional customer service—into actionable AI and data strategies. We explore how Amica approaches pilots, vendor selection, internal adoption, and governance to scale AI effectively and responsibly.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Vinayak Kumar shares how his team at Lynx strikes a practical balance between innovation and efficiency in the heavily regulated healthcare and finance space. He explains why innovation shouldn't be forced, how to avoid the "tech in search of a problem" trap, and why pattern-driven execution helps startups scale faster without compromising flexibility.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Andy Beam, CTO of Lila Sciences, to explore how AI is transforming the messy, serendipitous nature of scientific discovery into an engineered, scalable process. From automating lab work to accelerating the speed of breakthroughs, Andy explains why the future of science may be less about eureka moments and more about AI-driven iteration.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir speaks with Alexander Schlager, founder and CEO of AIceberg, about how his company has tackled the AI talent shortage by partnering directly with universities. From building relationships with faculty to onboarding students into real-world R&D roles, Alex shares a unique, cost-effective strategy for hiring early-career tech talent and turning them into long-term contributors. It's a compelling listen for anyone in emerging tech, hiring, or leadership.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir speaks with Patrick Leung, CTO of Faro Health, about what it takes to lead an engineering organization through a transformation to become an AI-first company. From redefining the product roadmap to managing cultural and technical shifts, Patrick shares practical insights on team structure, skill development, and delivering AI-enabled features in a regulated domain like clinical trials. This is a must-listen for tech leaders navigating similar transitions.

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sunita Verma, CTO at Character AI and former engineering leader at Google. Sunita shares how she's transitioned from leading large-scale AI initiatives at Google to building novel experiences in a fast-paced startup environment. She dives into the mindset shift required to prioritize velocity over scale, how to lead AI-native product innovation, and what it means to be a female technical leader in today's tech ecosystem.