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PODCAST

The Tech Trek

The Tech Trek explores how engineering leaders build teams that deliver real outcomes. The show looks at the connection between people, impact, and technology, and how that relationship is changing fast with data and AI now at the center of every product and company. Hosted by Amir Bormand, founder of Elevano, the show features CTOs, VPs of Engineering, heads of data, and technical leaders who have built and scaled teams in high pressure environments. They share the decisions that shaped their

technology

All Episodes

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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00:25:16

Balancing Leadership and Execution: How to Thrive in...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/26

In this episode, I sit down with Varun Madan, Head of Engineering at OneHouse, to discuss how startups must operate with slimmer margins—both in decision-making and execution. We dive into the high-stakes hiring process, balancing efficiency with impact, managing context switching, and transitioning between IC and leadership roles.Key Takeaways:✅ Hiring at a startup requires extreme precision. Every hire matters, and balancing speed vs. fit is key to avoiding costly mistakes.✅ Prioritization is

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00:23:32

Execution Over Titles: The Mindset That Drives Career...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/25

In this episode, I sit down with Wade Bruce, CTO of Fetch, to explore his journey from engineer to CTO. We dive into what it takes to grow into a leadership role, how to create influence, and why focusing on value over titles leads to career progression. Wade shares his unique perspective on filling gaps within a company, playing "free," and embracing challenges without the fear of failure.If you're in tech and aspiring to level up your career—whether you're an engineer, manager,

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00:25:10

How You Can Fund Your Startup Without Venture Capital

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/20

In this episode, Jeremy Whittington shares his journey of building a startup without relying on traditional venture capital. Instead, he leveraged alternative funding paths, including government grants and accelerators. We dive deep into the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the I-Corps program, and how startups can secure non-dilutive funding to kickstart their business. If you're an entrepreneur looking for funding beyond VC, this episode is for you!Key Takeaways:🔹 SBIR Grants

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00:29:19

Engineering Without Borders

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/19

In this episode, we dive into blurring engineering lines, full-stack engineering, and the evolving role of software engineers in a rapidly changing landscape. Sahil shares insights on how generative AI is reshaping engineering, the shift towards problem-solving over-specialization, and how teams can optimize for speed and business value.Key Takeaways:🔹 Blurring Engineering Roles: Traditional engineering roles (frontend, backend, DevOps) are blending, leading to more end-to-end ownership. Engineers

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00:36:42

Founder Mode vs. Servant Leadership: Delegate or dive...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/18

In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of engineering leadership with Andy Elmhorst, VP of Engineering at Bolt. We explore the delicate balance between delegation and hands-on leadership, dissect the founder mode philosophy, and analyze how servant leadership has been interpreted—and sometimes misapplied—in tech organizations. Andy shares insights on why traditional management books may be outdated for modern engineering leadership, and how staying hands-on with teams can drive better

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00:24:47

How AI (LLMs) Are Revolutionizing Data Products

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/13

In this episode,Sasha Bartashnik shares her insights on howlarge language models (LLMs) are transforming the development ofdata products, making advanced AI-driven solutions moreaccessible and scalable. We dive into thechallenges of traditional data tools, theadvantages and risks of LLM integration, and how businesses shouldadapt to the changing landscape of AI-driven decision-making.Key Takeaways🔹What Are Data Products? – Any software that processes or surfaces data to users, including dashboards

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00:24:57

The CTPO: The Future of Tech Leadership

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/12

In this episode, we dive into the evolution of theChief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) model, the blending of traditional engineering and product roles, and howAI, hackathons, and shifting org structures are reshaping product development. Arjun shares insights on what this means for engineers, product managers, and leadership teams, as well as the challenges of making this shift successful.⏳ Timestamped Highlights[00:00] IntroductionAmir introduces Arjun Shah and sets the stage for discussing

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00:23:10

Mastering Change: How to Drive Digital Adoption

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/11

In this episode, JD Williams joins Amir Bormand to dive into the critical role ofchange management in driving successful digital adoption. From leading with digital fluency to navigating organizational change for AI integration, JD shares actionable insights from his work at Zoetis.Key TakeawaysDigital Fluency Starts with People:Training needs to be role-specific and practical.Peer-to-peer learning fosters deeper adoption across teams.Change Management is a Team Effort:Success requires both top-down

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00:34:31

Foundational Data Challenges and Leveraging AI for...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/06

In this episode ofThe Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Stephen Harris, former Corporate Vice President of Global Data Science and Growth Analytics at Microsoft. Steffen, a seasoned data executive with over 30 years of experience, shares insights into tackling foundational data issues, addressing data debt, and integrating advanced AI strategies. Together, they explore how businesses can move the needle on long-standing challenges and position themselves for sustainable growth in a data-driven

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00:27:04

Pivoting with Purpose: Navigating Startup Challenges

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/05

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Marty Kausas, Co-founder and CEO of Pylon, a groundbreaking customer support platform for B2B companies. Marty shares his journey of navigating "pivot hell," the challenges of ideation, finding the right co-founders, and understanding what it takes to build a billion-dollar company. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, this episode is packed with insights on creating, evolving, and scaling a tech startup.Key

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00:24:07

Hiring Challenges for Founders

The Tech Trek ·

2025/02/04

In this episode, Tanaz Mody shares insights on the hiring struggles founders face as they scale their companies. We explore how founders navigate the decision-making process, overcome hiring hesitations, and transition from being hands-on operators to strategic leaders.Key Topics:✅ The weight of hiring decisions on founders✅ How founders can avoid “decision paralysis” in hiring✅ The evolution from founder to CEO✅ The role of VC talent partners in scaling startups✅ When (and why) founders should

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00:25:44

First-Time Founders and Leadership Styles

The Tech Trek ·

2025/01/30

In this insightful episode, James Evans dives into the unique challenges and growth opportunities for first-time founders. From building leadership styles to navigating tough decisions, James shares his journey and valuable lessons from leading CommandBar to its acquisition by Amplitude. If you're a tech enthusiast, startup founder, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways!Key Takeaways Leadership Style Evolves Over Time: As a first-time founder, leadership is

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00:27:36

How a Lawyer Became a Tech CEO

The Tech Trek ·

2025/01/29

In this inspiring episode, Amir Bormand chats with Matt Martin, Co-Founder of Clockwise. Matt shares his unique career trajectory, transitioning from being a lawyer to a self-taught software engineer, and ultimately, to a tech entrepreneur. They discuss the challenges, self-doubt, and triumphs of making a bold career pivot, as well as insights into the future of technology and software development. Whether you're contemplating a career change or simply curious about what it takes to thrive in

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