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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

00:26:07

Building a Startup Engineering Team from Scratch

The Tech Trek ·

2025/07/07

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,

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00:28:29

Leading with Curiosity: What Makes a Great Tech CEO

The Tech Trek ·

2025/07/02

In this candid conversation, Bryan Mahoney unpacks his journey from CTO to CEO, exploring what it really takes to evolve beyond the engineering org into leading an entire company. We talk about how his curiosity and hands-on technical skills still shape how he leads today, the mental shifts required to manage AI-driven teams, and how leadership demands evolve as a company scales from services to SaaS.Along the way, Bryan reflects on AI’s role in shaping engineering culture, the future of career

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00:25:34

This Is How Founders Actually Build Culture

The Tech Trek ·

2025/07/01

What does it really take to build company culture from the ground up—especially when you’ve done it more than once? In this episode, Amir sits down with Darren Nix, founder and CEO of Steadily Insurance, to talk about the wins and missteps that come with building startups. Darren shares what’s stayed the same (and what hasn’t) across the four companies he’s founded, and why being deliberate about culture is more important than ever.They get into how founders leave their fingerprints on

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00:31:44

AI Is Reinventing the Car Buying Experience

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/30

In this episode, Amir sits down with Jay Vijayan, Founder and CEO of Tekion, to explore how digital transformation and AI are modernizing the automotive retail industry. They dive deep into the complexities of dealership systems, the supply chain ripple effects of tariffs, and the evolving consumer experience. Jay explains why legacy systems can't meet today’s expectations and how Tekion is building a unified platform that supports everything from purchase to after-sales. They also unpack why

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00:27:33

Are Your Apps Ready for AI Agents?

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/26

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

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00:24:00

What Is Growth Engineering? Here's How It Really Works

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/25

In this episode, Amir chats with Jason Fellin, Head of Growth Engineering at OnX Maps, to unpack what makes growth engineering unique. Jason shares how his team focuses on speed, experimentation, and measurable business impact rather than long-term architecture. From hiring strategies to cross-functional collaboration with marketing, this conversation offers a tactical look at building and leading a growth engineering org.🧠 Key Takeaways:Validate, Don’t Overbuild: Growth engineering emphasizes

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00:20:58

Her Journey: Sales Leader to Cybersecurity CEO

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/24

In this episode, Amir sits down with Brooke Motta, CEO and co-founder of RAD Security, to unpack her career pivot from sales leadership to becoming a founder in the cybersecurity space. Brooke shares how her go-to-market background shaped her approach to building RAD, the challenge of stepping into technical leadership, how she’s managing growth through hiring, and what’s ahead for security and AI. Whether you're a technical founder or commercial operator, this one’s packed with practical

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00:22:01

Forge Your Own Leadership Path

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/23

In this episode, Richard Girges, CTO at MNTN, breaks down the appeal and risk of emulating high-profile leaders like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs. From startup life to scaling teams, Richard shares how leaders can avoid the missteps of mimicry and instead cultivate their unique "mode of genius." You’ll learn how intuition, failure, and self-awareness play a vital role in effective leadership—and why copying the “death stare” won’t make you a visionary.🔑 Key TakeawaysEmulating leaders can be a

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00:22:24

The Secret to Winning a Two-Sided Marketplace

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/20

In this episode, Amir sits down with Brian McMahon, CEO and co-founder of Pickle—a fashion rental marketplace aiming to become the Airbnb for everyday items. Brian unpacks how Pickle solved the classic two-sided marketplace dilemma, why hyperlocal supply is their secret weapon, and how AI is powering everything from product tagging to customer support. They also dive into the evolution of Pickle’s fundraising strategy—from getting no investor traction to securing repeat backers. Whether you're

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00:24:40

Deepfakes Are Hacking the Workplace

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/19

In this episode, Amir sits down with Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, to explore how deepfakes and generative AI are reshaping identity security in the workplace. They discuss real-world attacks, such as the MGM breach, and how enterprises are responding with new technologies—from cryptographic identity verification to re-verification protocols. Aaron shares what companies are doing right, where they're vulnerable, and the role of identity in the future of enterprise security.🧠 Key

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00:20:51

AI Leadership When Nothing Is Certain

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/18

In this episode, Amir speaks with Anna Patterson, founder of Ceramic AI, about what it truly means to lead an AI-first company. They unpack the differences between engineering and AI leadership, the chaos and creativity of early-stage research, how Ceramic AI is betting on emerging talent, and why managing AI roadmaps is an exercise in uncertainty and invention. Anna also shares perspectives from her experience at Google and how search engine wars inform today’s AI landscape.💡 Key Takeaways:AI

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00:36:08

How to Secure the Software Supply Chain

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/17

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

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00:25:57

Treat AI Like a Partner, Not a Tool

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/16

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.🔑 Key Takeaways:AI as a

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00:29:16

Scaling with Purpose in the AI + Robotics Era

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/12

In this episode, Amir sits down with Anthony Jules, Co-Founder and CEO of Robust.AI, to explore how scaling lessons from the early days of Sapient translate into today’s rapidly evolving world of AI and robotics. Anthony shares stories from growing a company from 3 to 4,000 people, what scale teaches you about communication and change, and how being ruthlessly honest about your business creates strategic advantage. From the hype vs. reality of AI to how hardware can stabilize innovation in robotics,

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00:20:28

How AI CAN SAVE Public Education

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/11

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

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00:27:32

The Power of Personalization in Regulated Spaces

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/10

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

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00:24:00

How Core Values Drive Real AI Impact

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/05

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.🔑 Key Takeaways:Value-Driven Data Strategy: Amica anchors its AI and data strategy in core values like customer service and employee engagement—not just tech

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00:28:42

You Can’t Bolt On AI and Win

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/04

In this deep-dive episode, we explore what it truly means to be "AI-native" versus bolting AI onto existing products. Abhay Mitra, CTO of Nirvana Insurance, shares how his team is building industry-specific AI models to transform the $800B+ commercial insurance market, starting with trucking—one of the most complex and painful sectors in insurance.From telematics data platforms to fine-tuned underwriting models, discover why commercial insurance might be the perfect proving ground for AI

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00:27:38

AI Is Changing the Role of Software Engineers

The Tech Trek ·

2025/06/03

In this episode, we dive deep into the evolving relationship between engineering and product with Pranab Krishnan, CTO of Zeal - a payroll and payments platform for staffing companies. We explore how the traditional boundaries between engineering, product management, and customer interaction are dissolving, especially in the age of AI. Pranab shares insights on building a product-centric engineering culture, the concept of "shifting left," and how AI tools are reshaping the skills

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00:22:37

Innovation Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Culture

The Tech Trek ·

2025/05/29

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.🔑 Key Takeaways:Innovation Should Be Embedded, Not MandatedInnovation at Lynx happens

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565 results

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