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PODCAST

The Tech Trek

The Tech Trek explores the intersection of People, Impact, and Technology — how engineering leaders build high-performing teams, deliver real outcomes, and shape the future of innovation. Hosted by Amir Bormand, founder of Elevano, the show features CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and technical leaders sharing candid insights on leadership, scaling, and building technology organizations that last. Each episode uncovers the decisions, lessons, and mindsets that separate good teams from great ones — and

technology

All Episodes

00:21:37

From Data to Decisions: Why the Right Questions Matter

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/27

In this episode, Amir sits down with Kaustav Das to discuss one of the most critical yet challenging aspects of analytics—asking the right questions. They explore how analytics leaders can better navigate conversations with stakeholders, ensuring they gather the correct requirements and deliver actionable insights. The conversation touches on the evolving role of analytics, the impact of generative AI in business intelligence, and how decision-making is shifting toward more conversational data

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00:25:57

Founder’s Playbook: Turning Passion into Product

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/26

What happens when you build a business around what you genuinely love? In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Michael Farb, CEO of Boatsetter — the Airbnb of boats — to unpack how passion can be a strategic advantage in tech entrepreneurship.Michael shares his journey of launching multiple businesses rooted in personal interests, from college sports to global philanthropy to now, outdoor water adventures. Together, they explore what it really takes to turn a personal obsession into a

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00:27:40

Driving B2B AI Innovation

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/25

In this episode, Zachary Hanif, VP of AI, ML, and Data at Twilio, joins Amir to talk about the engine behind B2B AI innovation. From selecting the right tools to navigating the shift from POCs to production, Zachary offers an insider's look at how enterprises can thoughtfully and effectively integrate AI.We unpack:The danger of "boiling the ocean" with AIWhy chatbots aren’t always the right starting pointWhat makes an AI POC actually valuableAnd why UX in the age of AI needs systems

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00:27:14

A CEO’s Guide: Aligning Business & Engineering Teams

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/24

In this episode, Amir chats with Bobby Touran, the non-technical CEO and co-founder of Rainbow, an insurance tech company that thrives on strong engineering culture. They dive deep into how non-technical founders can effectively collaborate with technical teams, foster a hybrid office culture, and ensure that engineers are closely aligned with business objectives. Bobby shares how Rainbow maintains a tight feedback loop, how returning to in-office work has shaped their growth, and why AI isn’t

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00:23:50

The Leadership Blueprint: Building High-Performing...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/21

In this episode, Vijay Sankararaman breaks down how to intentionally build a low-churn, high-impact team culture. Whether you’re a tech leader, manager, or individual contributor aiming to level up your leadership skills, Vijay shares tangible lessons and frameworks to keep your team motivated, productive, and resilient—without sacrificing authenticity.📚 Lessons & Leadership TakeawaysLesson 1: Crafting Vision That Sticks"Am I valued?" — the question every team member subconsciously

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00:20:39

Tech Leader’s Guide: Building Data Products

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/20

In this episode, Amir sits down with Santhosh Kumar, Head of Data at Trepp, to unpack the evolving world of Data as a Product. Data is no longer just a support function—it’s becoming a core business driver. Santhosh shares how data teams are embracing a product-oriented approach, aligning closely with business goals while mirroring software engineering practices.If you’ve ever wondered:How data can be treated like a shippable productWhat mindset shifts data teams needAnd how collaboration between

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00:22:47

From Finance to Founding a Tech Startup

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/19

In this episode, Amir sits down with Trevor Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Myko AI, to unpack his unconventional leap from the finance world to building a cutting-edge tech company. Trevor shares how he navigated leaving a comfortable corporate job, using an MBA to break into tech, and the iterative process of finding product-market fit, including pivotal moments and lessons learned while bootstrapping and scaling his business.🔥 Key Takeaways:Trust Your Gut & Bet on Yourself: Trevor realized early

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00:24:53

How to Be an Effective CTO: A Guide to Balancing...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/18

In this episode, Amir is joined by Sachin Nene to explore what it really takes to thrive as a modern CTO. Sachin shares actionable strategies for balancing vision and execution, managing relationships with CEOs and fellow executives, and staying relatable and credible with engineering teams. They dive deep into the challenges of expectation management, engineering metrics, and how AI tools like LLMs are reshaping the future of engineering leadership.Whether you're already in a leadership role or

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00:23:56

Why AI Adoption Fails & How to Fix It

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/17

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Nirmal Ranganathan, CTO, Global Public Cloud at Rackspace, to dissect one of the hottest and most crucial topics in today’s tech landscape—trust in AI applications. They explore how enterprises can drive adoption of AI solutions, what key factors are needed to foster trust, and why guardrails, security, and change management play a pivotal role. Whether you're a developer, tech leader, or AI enthusiast, this episode dives deep into

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00:29:59

How to Drive Gen AI Experimentation and Adoption

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/14

In this episode, we dive into the real-world experimentation of Generative AI (Gen AI) with Naveed Asem. Naveed shares his hands-on experience in identifying, testing, and scaling AI-driven solutions. We discuss how organizations should approach experimentation, set success metrics, manage stakeholders, and navigate governance challenges.If your company is exploring Gen AI or struggling with moving AI pilots to production, this episode is packed with insights to help you move forward.Key Takeaways🔹

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00:28:44

The Engineering Leader’s Guide to Purpose-Driven Teams

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/13

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Jeremy Goldsmith, VP of Engineering at Branch, to explore leading with purpose and how it impacts engineering teams. Jeremy shares his philosophy on leadership, the psychology behind motivation, and how connecting individual contributions to a larger purpose can unlock potential and drive performance.This conversation is a must-listen for engineering leaders, tech managers, and individual contributors who want to cultivate a stronger sense of purpose in

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00:21:45

The CTO’s Guide to Special Projects & Emerging Tech

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/12

In this episode, I sit down with Nate Sullivan, the CTO at Academia.edu, to discuss technology strategy and special projects. Nate shares insights on identifying and prioritizing emerging technologies, balancing innovation with business needs, and collaborating with product teams to drive impactful technical advancements.Key TakeawaysThe Role of a CTO in Special ProjectsNate focuses on exploring technologies a few quarters ahead while aligning them with business strategy.Balancing Exploration with

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00:27:06

Rethinking Deadlines: Building Happier, More...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/11

Join Amir Bormand in a captivating discussion with Anand Madhavan, VP of Engineering at Everlaw, as they explore innovative development models, the art of integrating into new company cultures, and why Everlaw prioritizes quality code over strict deadlines. Anand reveals how Everlaw's unconventional engineering practices cultivate a sustainable, high-quality development environment focused on long-term success.Key Takeaways:Embracing a Unique Development Model:Everlaw's "no

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00:28:14

How Agentic AI is Transforming Enterprise Knowledge

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/10

In this episode, Amir Bormand welcomes Scott Persinger, CEO of Supercog AI, to discuss the rise of agentic AI and its applications in modern businesses. They explore the evolving role of AI agents in knowledge management, team collaboration, and enterprise automation, particularly in environments like Slack. The conversation delves into how AI is reshaping work, privacy and ethical considerations, and the future of human-AI collaboration.Key Takeaways🔹 Agentic AI vs. Traditional AI – Agentic AI

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00:25:51

The Founder’s Playbook: Ideas, Validation, Failure &...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/07

In this episode, Amir Bormand chats with Jake Moshenko about his journey from engineer to founder, the challenges of identifying the right startup ideas, and navigating both venture capital and bootstrapping. They also discuss decision-making, failure, and the growing role of AI in authorization systems.Key TakeawaysTurning an Idea into a Startup: Jake emphasizes the importance of picking the right problems to solve—ones that are painful, widely felt, and worth paying for.The "Muscle" of

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00:21:18

Integrating Gen AI into Engineering

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/06

In this episode, Srini Rajagopal joins us to discuss how Generative AI (Gen AI) is transforming the engineering landscape. We explore the challenges of integrating AI into legacy products vs. building AI-first solutions from the ground up, the impact on developer productivity, and how teams prioritize AI-driven innovation while bringing stakeholders along for the ride.🔹 How should engineering teams think about AI adoption?🔹 Where do AI-driven efficiencies actually go?🔹 What does success look like

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00:29:07

Simplifying Data Governance

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/05

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Jay Como to discuss how organizations can simplify data governance. Jay shares insights on shifting the perception of governance from a bureaucratic burden to a business enabler, how emerging technologies like Gen AI can assist in governance challenges, and strategies for making governance policies more effective and accessible.🔑 Key TakeawaysData Governance Has a Stigma – But It Can Be OvercomeTraditional governance has been slow and bureaucratic. The key

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00:23:57

Engineering Excellence: Culture, Metrics, and...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/03/04

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Ganesh Datta, Co-founder & CTO of Cortex, to dive deep into engineering excellence—what it means, how to measure it, and how to build it into the culture of a technology organization. They explore product thinking, shared standards, accountability, and continuous improvement, as well as the challenges of maintaining excellence across different types of companies.Whether you're an engineering leader or a developer striving for high standards, this

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00:30:31

Bringing Gen AI to Highly Secure Enterprises

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/28

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond proofs-of-concept and into real-world production—but how do you make it work in highly secure environments? In this episode, Ben Van Roo, CEO & Co-Founder of Yurts, joins Amir Bormand to discuss the challenges of implementing Gen AI in government, financial institutions, and enterprises with strict security requirements.Ben breaks down why 2024 is the year of POCs, but 2025 will be the year of production, the biggest "gotchas" companies face

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00:22:15

Operationalizing Gen AI

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/27

In this episode, we dive deep into getting the right results from Gen AI with Timm Peddie, an expert in operationalizing AI at scale. We discuss the common pitfalls companies face, what "right results" actually mean, and how organizations can effectively implement Gen AI solutions. Timm shares practical strategies for AI adoption, the importance of rapid failure, and how companies can avoid costly mistakes.🔍 Key Topics Covered:✔️ Defining "Operationalizing Gen AI" and why it’s

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