x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Tech Trek

The Tech Trek is a podcast for founders, builders, and operators who are in the arena building world class tech companies. Host Amir Bormand sits down with the people responsible for product, engineering, data, and growth and digs into how they ship, who they hire, and what they do when things break. If you want a clear view into how modern startups really get built, from first line of code to traction and scale, this show takes you inside the work.

technology

All Episodes

00:24:59

How Startups Break Into the Enterprise AI Market

The Tech Trek ·

2025/10/02

Tom Drummond, Managing Partner at Heavybit, joins the show to break down what it takes to build and scale AI “picks and shovels” companies for the enterprise. We dive into the realities of selling into one of the hardest markets to reach, why differentiation matters more than ever, and how startups can wedge their way into massive opportunities despite fierce competition.Key Takeaways• Enterprise attention is more competitive than ever—breaking through requires clarity and category creation.• Cold

en

00:27:42

How Attackers Are Using AI to Outpace Defenses

The Tech Trek ·

2025/10/01

Jonathan DiVincenzo, co-founder and CEO of Impart Security, joins the show to unpack one of the fastest growing risks in tech today: how AI is reshaping the attack surface. From prompt injections to invisible character exploits hidden inside emojis, JD explains why security leaders can’t afford to treat AI as “just another tool.” If you’re an engineering or security leader navigating AI adoption, this conversation breaks down what’s hype, what’s real, and where the biggest blind spots lie.Key

en

00:24:21

AI Is Rewriting Workflows Faster Than We Can Adapt

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/30

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

en

00:34:54

Enterprise AI Adoption in 2025: What Actually Works

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/29

Matt McLarty, CTO at Boomi, joins the show to break down what enterprise AI adoption really looks like in 2025. From navigating the hype cycle to identifying practical first steps, Matt shares what separates companies that are seeing value from those stuck in endless pilots. If you’re a tech leader wondering how to move beyond experimentation and into measurable outcomes, this episode is your playbook.Key Takeaways• AI adoption is not binary—it’s a spectrum, and success depends on linking it to

en

00:25:42

Why Data Quality Is So Hard to Get Right

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/26

Vipin Kumar, Head of CUSO IB Data Strategy and Analytics at Deutsche Bank, joins me to unpack one of the toughest problems in financial services: managing data quality in a highly regulated industry. From the outside, it might look like a box-checking exercise. In reality, it’s a complex mix of legacy systems, global frameworks, regulatory controls, and the constant push to balance defensive compliance with offensive business value. Vipin makes it real with examples that connect directly to how we

en

00:26:15

History Always Repeats in Tech

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/25

Marty Ringlein, co-founder and CEO of Agree.com, joins Amir to unpack why history always repeats itself in technology and what that means for the AI era. From the telephone to the automobile to ChatGPT, the biggest shifts have rarely been things people asked for—they were inventions that reshaped behavior once adopted. Marty explains why skepticism always comes first, how fear fuels resistance, and why optimism is usually rewarded. He also shares how Agree.com is rethinking contracts and payments by

en

00:26:58

How Engineers Can Build Influence Without a...

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/24

Simon Lam, VP of Engineering at M1, joins the show to unpack one of the trickiest topics in tech careers: how engineers can build influence without a formal leadership title. Too often, influence is mistaken for charisma or public speaking—but Simon explains why it’s really about consistent impact, trust, and understanding how change happens inside teams. If you’re an IC who feels stuck at the “senior wall” or a manager wondering how to better evaluate career growth, this conversation delivers

en

00:28:15

The Future of Autonomous Trucking

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/23

CJ King, CTO at Torc Robotics, joins the show to talk about the future of autonomous trucking at scale. Instead of asking “can we build one self-driving truck?” Torc is asking, “how do we safely put 10,000 on the road?” From supply chain transformation to regulatory hurdles, CJ breaks down what it really takes to bring production-ready autonomous semis into the market and why the ripple effects will reach far beyond trucking.Key Takeaways• Scaling autonomous vehicles isn’t about prototypes—it’s

en

00:40:20

AI Labs Are Reinventing Science Forever

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/22

Joseph Krause, co-founder and CEO of Radical AI, joins the show to break down how scientific discovery is being reinvented. From the limitations of the traditional trial-and-error model to the rise of AI-driven self-driving labs, Joseph explains how science is moving from slow, serial processes to a parallel model that unlocks breakthroughs at scale. He also dives into the economics of materials, why big companies can’t pivot fast enough, and how the role of scientists is being transformed.Key

en

00:30:12

The Hardest Part of Tech Leadership

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/19

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

en

00:50:13

From POC to Production: Enterprise Agents Explained

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/18

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

en

00:30:04

The Future of Voice AI

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/17

Russ d’Sa, founder and CEO of LiveKit, joins the show to unpack the rise of voice AI and what it means for how we interact with technology. From the shift away from static decision trees to dynamic, LLM-powered systems, Russ explains why voice is emerging as one of the most natural interfaces for humans—and one of the most disruptive opportunities for builders. This episode goes beyond surface-level hype to explore real-world use cases, infrastructure shifts, and what’s coming next as voice moves

en

00:30:54

From Prototype to Production

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/16

Sumit Arora, VP of Advanced Technology at Ascend Learning, joins the show to unpack the real challenges of turning AI prototypes into production-ready systems. From managing non-deterministic outputs to rethinking the relationship between engineering and product, Sumit shares hard-earned lessons on what it actually takes to build AI that works at scale. If you’re navigating how to move beyond experiments and deliver AI products that stick, this episode will give you a clear look at the path

en

00:36:51

From Sales Leader to Startup CEO

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/15

Sean McCarthy, co-founder and CEO of BackOps, shares how a career in sales prepared him to build an AI-driven logistics company from the ground up. In this episode, Sean reveals how observing real-world pain points at Amazon inspired BackOps’ mission and why coming from a non-technical background can actually be a founder’s advantage. This is a conversation about scaling, selling, and leading with insight — perfect for anyone thinking about making the leap from operator to founder.Key TakeawaysWhy

en

00:36:02

AI Is a Journey, Not a Destination

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/12

Dmitri Sedov, Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Allvue, joins to explore why transformation isn’t a destination but an ongoing journey. He shares how financial services are navigating the current wave of AI, what it means to balance short-term expectations with long-term strategy, and why open, modular ecosystems are critical to staying competitive. This conversation goes beyond buzzwords to uncover how leaders can embrace change without getting lost in it.Key Takeaways• Transformation isn’t about

en

00:25:15

Can Tech Make Work Feel Less Like Work?

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/11

What if the key to real work-life balance isn’t about escaping work, but transforming it into your outlet for curiosity and passion? In this episode, Hassaan Raza, co-founder and CEO of Tavus, explores how technology is removing friction in our daily lives and why teaching machines to be more human could unlock new levels of creativity, accessibility, and balance. From redefining what “work you love” actually means to the role AI will play in democratizing opportunity, this conversation challenges

en

00:25:22

Evolving as a Founder

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/10

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

en

00:32:02

A Day in the Life of a Startup CTO

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/09

What does a day in the life of a startup CTO really look like? Mo El Mahallawy, CTO and co-founder of Shepherd, shares the unfiltered journey from being engineer number one to leading a 50-person Series A company. He opens up about the hardest phases of building, what shifts as your company scales, and how he manages energy, priorities, and mental health along the way. This episode is a practical playbook for any founder, CTO, or tech leader navigating growth.Key Takeaways• The early days as a

en

00:24:57

Scaling Without a Roadmap in Fast-Moving Markets

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/08

What does it take to build a startup in a space where the ground shifts every 90 days? Rahul Sonwalkar, founder and CEO of Julius AI, joins the show to share how he navigates product market fit, resource constraints, and constant model evolution while scaling an AI-first company. Instead of relying on long-term roadmaps, Rahul runs Julius with rapid feedback loops, deep user focus, and a mindset that every team member contributes to AI development. This conversation is a playbook for founders and

en

00:26:49

How Tech Is Transforming Elderly Care

The Tech Trek ·

2025/09/05

Matt Lynch, CTO and co-founder of Sage, joins the show to share how his team is using modern technology to transform elderly care. From rethinking outdated nurse call systems to capturing real-time data that improves both patient safety and caregiver retention, Matt breaks down the technical and human challenges of modernizing this critical industry. This is a story of mission-driven innovation, scale, and the surprising role data plays in quality of life.Key Takeaways• The aging population is

en

622 results

Similar Podcasts

Lead With AI

Tamara Nall

Linux in the Ham Shack

Black Sparrow Media

Data Engineering Podcast

Tobias Macey

Eye On A.I.

Craig S. Smith

Reflections

Livewire Labs