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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand talks with Jason Wells, Head of Engineering at BrowserBase, about building a high-performance culture rooted in trust, emotional intelligence, and psychological safety. Jason shares how his unconventional path—including a six-year break from tech—helped shape a management philosophy that puts human connection at the center of engineering leadership. From dismantling blame culture to fostering self-compassion and authentic feedback loops, Jason offers a powerful framework for anyone looking to lead modern tech teams more intentionally.
💬 Quote:
“The best engineering is done by people who love their jobs. If you want the best output, you need a culture that makes people feel safe, trusted, and empowered.” — Jason Wells
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Trust is the foundation: Jason outlines how “boldly daring to trust” creates psychological safety—key to collaboration, innovation, and long-term performance.
Blameless culture matters: Mistakes should be opportunities for learning, not shame. This leads to more ownership and less deflection in engineering teams.
Emotional intelligence is a multiplier: Jason shares how his six-year break from tech helped him level up his emotional toolkit—skills he now actively brings into management.
Every engineer is unique: One-size-fits-all management doesn’t work. Jason emphasizes individualized leadership rooted in curiosity, vulnerability, and compassion.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights:
00:00 – Intro & Jason’s background
02:43 – What makes a great engineering culture
04:40 – Why trust and psychological safety are non-negotiable
06:59 – How BrowserBase screens for cultural alignment
10:46 – Building an ideal environment from scratch
12:27 – Jason’s early start: Atari, Oracle, and startups
17:00 – Transition into management and leadership philosophy
20:00 – Leaving tech for six years: self-actualization and purpose
24:00 – Learning emotional intelligence and conflict resolution
28:19 – Creating safe space for engineers with high expectations
31:38 – Preventing burnout while maintaining performance
33:38 – Leadership means knowing your people
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In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Kieran Furlong, CEO and co-founder of Realta Fusion, to explore the unique path of a deep tech startup spun out of a university lab. They discuss building a fusion energy company, navigating complex stakeholder relationships with universities and government agencies, and keeping long-term mission-driven teams aligned. From licensing technology to managing a decade-long development cycle, this conversation reveals how Realta Fusion is working to change the world’s energy future.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Deep tech startups require a different VC playbook: Realta Fusion operates on a decade-long roadmap that demands alignment with investors willing to play the long game.
University spinouts bring both opportunity and friction: Leveraging academic research can be powerful but navigating bureaucracy and IP licensing adds layers of complexity.
Mission-driven leadership is essential: With long timelines and uncertain outcomes, Kieran keeps his team focused through a relentless reminder of their shared purpose—commercial fusion energy.
Energy abundance as a global equalizer: Fusion isn’t just a tech challenge—it’s a moral imperative to bring energy equity to the planet’s future 10 billion people.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights:
00:25 – Intro to Kieran Furlong and Realta Fusion's mission
01:35 – Why Realta is a venture capital outlier: long timelines and deep capital
03:46 – Spinning out of the University of Wisconsin and working with federal energy programs
05:55 – Startup vs university culture clashes and how to navigate them
08:07 – The race to meet fusion milestones by 2035
11:53 – Diplomacy in energy: balancing federal, academic, and private sector dynamics
14:53 – The global case for fusion: climate, equity, and energy abundance
16:05 – How to lead scientists toward a commercial goal without losing curiosity
18:29 – Licensing tech the right way: aligning incentives for long-term success
21:00 – Where to follow Realta Fusion and get involved
💬 Quote:
“You still want the creativity and curiosity of scientists—but you need to keep one eye on the destination: commercial fusion energy.” – Kieran Furlong
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Clark Downum, CTO at Redox, to unpack the deeper dynamics between engineering, product, and business stakeholders. From tech debt and project delays to culture, communication gaps, and delivery trade-offs—this conversation is a candid exploration of how technical teams can drive impact without getting stuck in process perfection.
Whether you're a tech leader or aspiring one, this episode offers a fresh lens on ownership, expectation-setting, and delivering what really matters.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
The cost of tuning out business context: Engineers often rush to solution-mode too early—Clark stresses the need for active listening before architecting.
Tech debt is not a dirty word: Clark challenges traditional thinking—some tech debt is strategic, and discussing it in business terms builds clarity.
Product owners need more support: Agile isn't just about shifting scope; engineering teams should help product leaders clarify and prioritize based on impact.
Delivery ≠ Impact: Shipping on time is not enough. Clark urges teams to elevate conversations toward value, trade-offs, and business impact over output.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
00:48 – What Redox does and the scale of its data exchange operations
02:00 – Onboarding engineers in a complex healthcare ecosystem
03:55 – Why stakeholders often only ask about engineering when things go wrong
07:24 – Do engineers stop listening when they start solutioning too early?
10:20 – Rethinking tech debt: What the business doesn’t know actually helps
13:46 – Can we train engineers to prioritize “getting it done” over “doing it right”?
17:36 – Agile as a response to imperfect plans, not bad estimates
20:53 – Why scope, time, and quality are business trade-offs, not just engineering ones
22:22 – "The burden is on engineering"—and why that might be the right mindset
24:52 – Final thoughts on collaboration, failure, and owning outcomes
💬 Quote of the Episode:
“Don’t just ask, ‘Is this hard?’ Ask, ‘How hard should I work to make this easy?’ That’s where true collaboration starts.” – Clark Downham
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Daniel Whatley, co-founder and technical lead at Vividly, shares his journey launching a startup while still a student at MIT. From managing college life during COVID to navigating the CPG industry's digital transformation, Daniel reflects on what it meant to be the youngest in the room, how he grew into executive leadership, and what he wishes he’d known before co-founding a company. A candid look at growth, grit, and the impact of youth in a traditional space.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Startups in school are possible: Daniel co-founded Vividly while at MIT, proving early-stage entrepreneurship can thrive during college years—even amid COVID.
Tech-first in a non-tech industry: He leveraged his technical expertise to modernize trade spend management in consumer packaged goods.
Being the youngest has its perks: Despite age differences, deep domain knowledge can earn respect and create opportunity.
Hard lessons in leadership: Managing older employees taught Daniel resilience and the importance of learning on the job.
💬 Memorable Quote:
“Don’t give up. If something feels hard, remember you’ve solved a million problems before—this is just the million-and-first.” – Daniel Watley
⏱ Timestamped Highlights:
00:23 – 01:30 — Intro to Daniel and Vividly’s mission in CPG optimization
03:39 – 05:18 — Launching a company as a student and the power of momentum
06:27 – 08:13 — Choosing a startup over corporate offers post-graduation
08:17 – 09:39 — Origin of the business idea from family connections
10:20 – 12:18 — How COVID created unexpected demand for their product
12:35 – 15:14 — Being the youngest in the room and embracing your technical edge
15:17 – 17:57 — What’s changed: scaling, hiring, and engineering maturity
18:32 – 21:34 — Learning management fast: handling tough dynamics with older team members
21:53 – 24:11 — Daniel’s advice to aspiring founders still in school
25:07 – 26:21 — Would he take the job if he could do it again? No regrets
26:21 – 27:32 — Final thoughts and how to connect with Daniel
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir is joined by Jonathan Myron, VP of Engineering at Healthie, to dive into what it really takes to lead engineering teams inside startups. From aligning with founders' visions to building engineering cultures that thrive on autonomy and creativity, Jonathan shares hard-won lessons for engineers stepping into leadership. Whether you're building early-stage or scaling through growth, this episode delivers practical insights on driving value, developing team culture, and shaping your career path.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Start with empathy for the founder’s vision. Engineering leaders must deeply understand why a company was started to effectively implement and scale that vision.
Leadership is a behavior, not a title. Taking ownership, solving problems, and filling gaps earns trust and influence, especially in startup environments.
Engineering culture thrives on transparency and purpose. Aligning product goals with team values keeps engineers motivated and connected to impact.
Metrics are a story, not a scoreboard. Use developer experience surveys and team feedback—not just velocity or failure rate—to shape team performance meaningfully.
⏱ Timestamped Highlights:
00:00 – Intro to Jonathan and the theme: working with founders in startups
01:48 – Why understanding the founder’s origin story matters for engineering leadership
03:00 – Sussing out alignment during interviews with startup founders
04:15 – Translating founder vision into engineering execution and culture
05:19 – The role of metrics and surveys (like Westrom) in measuring alignment and team health
06:49 – Why engineering is both a scientific and creative pursuit
08:26 – Bridging founder imprint and engineering culture with empathy and clarity
09:53 – Common traits of successful founders and how engineers can support them
11:58 – Driving value by solving problems without waiting for instruction
13:25 – Advice: “Put aside ego. Real leaders don't need titles.”
15:08 – Thriving in ambiguous, high-impact startup environments
16:54 – How to reach Jonathan on LinkedIn for career advice
💬 Standout Quote:
“Leadership is when somebody is a leader, everybody knows it—and you don't need a title for that.” – Jonathan Myron
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What should you really be asking during your interview as a tech leader? And once you land the role, how do you manage expectations, reduce technical debt, and make meaningful impact fast?
In this episode, Justin Nguyen, Technology Director of Enterprise Data & Analytics at Home Depot, shares hard-won insights from his recent leadership transitions. From assessing team maturity to setting realistic AI expectations, we unpack the tactical and strategic moves leaders need to thrive in the first 180 days of a new role.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Interview the Company Like a Pro: Ask about key initiatives, maturity of the org, and how they attract top talent—not just the role’s scope.
Manage Expectations with Data: Use metrics and storytelling to align stakeholder expectations with technical realities.
Build Trust First: Quick wins, especially those that align with long-term goals, are essential for establishing credibility early.
Data's Real Value is Trust: The true measure of data success is stakeholder trust and consistent usage.
Balance Training vs. Hiring: When evolving your team, identify real skill gaps and be transparent to maintain trust.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
[01:18] – Three things to assess in interviews: org maturity, domain readiness, and team strength
[03:30] – Why the presence of technical/data debt should be expected—not feared
[06:28] – Aligning stakeholder expectations with reality to reduce frustration
[09:27] – The real AI question: what not to do with it
[11:17] – Spotting leadership dynamics during interviews
[14:16] – Measuring your own leadership ROI in the first 90–180 days
[17:19] – Short-term wins that support long-term strategic goals
[19:44] – Measuring success in data through usage and trust
[22:19] – Balancing team upskilling, outside hiring, and consulting
🔖 Quote of the Episode:
“Frustration is the delta between expectations and reality. The greater the gap, the greater the frustration. Your job is to close that gap.” – Justin Nguyen
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brendan Grove, CTO and co-founder at PrizeOut, shares how his non-traditional background shaped his leadership style and hiring philosophy. Brendan dives into how being curious, humble, and pattern-aware has helped him scale teams and solve complex problems. He also unpacks how hiring for core traits like learning velocity and ownership can outperform chasing resumes full of surface-level skills. We also discuss tech debt, decision-making frameworks, and the role of engineering excellence in business success.
Whether you're a startup founder, engineering leader, or aspiring technologist, this episode is a reminder that greatness often lies beyond the obvious checklist.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Hire for Curiosity and Ownership: Brendan values engineers who "give a shit" more than those who just ace technical interviews. Passion, curiosity, and ability to learn fast are force multipliers.
Non-Traditional Backgrounds Offer Valuable Perspective: Brendan's journey from mechanical engineering to CTO helped him build pattern recognition and a strong product-building instinct.
Balance Autonomy and Accountability: Great leaders don’t need to be the expert—they need to empower others while knowing when to step in.
Tech Debt Isn’t the Enemy—Stagnation Is: Tech debt becomes a problem only when it slows you down or introduces risk. Code should be easy to change without fear.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
00:32 – What PrizeOut Does
01:13 – Brendan’s Path from Mechanical Engineering to Tech
02:59 – Humility and Curiosity as Tools for Problem Solving
04:41 – Delegating While Still Leading
06:46 – What Brendan Looks for When Hiring Engineers
09:24 – Hiring Junior vs. Senior: A Strategic Approach to Ramp-Up
11:56 – Giving Raw Talent a Chance: A Success Story
15:08 – Code Quality vs. Business Value: Finding the Right Balance
17:47 – Tech Debt: When It Matters and How to Approach It
💬 Quote:
"You should be able to make small changes without being scared. If you can't, it's not a testing problem—it's a code problem."
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Ronak Vyas, Co-Founder and CTO of Lead Bank, to explore how leadership principles remain constant even as the problems — and companies — change. Ronak shares lessons from leading at Yahoo, Square, and now founding a fintech bank, reflecting on how to adjust to new environments, make high-stakes decisions, and transition from engineering leader to startup founder. If you’re a technology professional considering leadership or even starting your own venture, this episode is packed with real-world insights on navigating change, making smart decisions, and staying close to your craft.
🔥 Key Takeaways:
Leadership tools stay constant, but their application must adapt to different company cultures, industries, and scales.
Prioritize understanding the business context before forming strong technical opinions.
Speed of decision-making beats perfection — collect real-world data fast, iterate, and adjust.
As a founder, decision-making carries broader consequences, making a deep business understanding essential beyond technical leadership.
Retaining technical depth is critical as you move into higher leadership roles, especially when founding or joining small companies.
🕰️ Timestamped Highlights:
(00:42) – What Lead Bank does: Combining fintech innovation with banking infrastructure.
(02:20) – How to adjust to new company cultures and identify first-order problems.
(05:47) – Why leadership skills are constants — and how applying them evolves.
(09:11) – Balancing gathering information with moving fast: an art, not a science.
(13:39) – Why fast, iterative decision-making often beats chasing perfection.
(15:12) – How decision-making changes when you're a co-founder vs an executive.
(17:28) – Staying technically sharp: the importance of retaining depth as you grow.
(21:18) – What Ronak wishes he had more exposure to before becoming a founder.
💬 Memorable Quote:
"Most often, it's better to make a good decision and iterate quickly than to wait for the perfect decision — real-world feedback is your best guide."
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In this episode, Marty Neese, CEO of Verdagy, joins Amir to unpack what it takes to scale a company in one of the most innovative and high-stakes industries—green hydrogen. From managing a purpose-driven culture to embracing failures as a strategic advantage, Marty shares insights on leading ambitious climate tech initiatives while staying grounded in economic reality. Whether you're in tech, energy, or just love solving complex problems, this one's for you.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Purpose as a North Star: Verdagy’s mission—delivering the power of nature—is more than a slogan. It shapes the company’s decision-making, from high-level strategy down to subcomponent cost roadmaps.
Problems Are Treasures: Marty champions a culture where failures are embraced as learning opportunities, inspired by the Toyota Production System.
Motivation Through Impact: When the going gets tough, Verdagy employees reconnect with their impact—literally watching hydrogen being created in real time—to reignite their passion.
CEO Doesn't Mean Solo: Marty opens up about his reliance on investor and customer feedback as his mentorship circle, busting the myth of the lone visionary at the top.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights
[00:40] – What Verdagy does: splitting water to create hydrogen and oxygen.
[01:55] – Why purpose matters more than just a mission statement.
[03:54] – “Problems are treasures”: embracing failure as an asset.
[06:53] – Knowing when a problem isn’t worth solving.
[08:38] – Staying motivated when outcomes are uncertain.
[11:41] – Breaking down purpose into measurable missions.
[14:03] – A look into Verdagy’s quarterly cost roadmap methodology.
[16:29] – Marty’s unexpected mentors: customers and investors.
[18:52] – The future of green hydrogen and fossil parity.
💬 Quote of the Episode
“Every time you encounter a problem, there's treasure to be mined. That mental polarity shift—from failure to learning—is how real innovation happens.” — Marty Neese
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir chats with Rob Williams, co-founder and CTO at Read AI, about what it truly means to be an AI-native company. Rob shares how Read AI uses its own tools internally, how his small but mighty engineering team balances speed and structure, and the evolving role of AI in productivity workflows. Whether you're building AI products or trying to adopt them effectively, this conversation offers a unique peek behind the curtain of a startup navigating the future of work.
💡 Key Takeaways:
AI adoption without intentionality fails. Many companies are experimenting with AI tools, but without clear goals, adoption is often aimless.
“Tech debt” is outdated. Rob prefers specific discussions around scalability, readability, and maintenance over the vague term “tech debt.”
Internal AI usage drives efficiency. Read AI uses its own product to streamline workflows like onboarding, reducing repetitive knowledge transfer.
Small teams thrive on focus. Being a smaller company is an advantage when it comes to agility, focus, and avoiding bureaucracy—especially in AI.
⏱ Timestamped Highlights:
00:35 – What Read AI is and how it differs from big platform players.
02:19 – Why intentionality matters in successful AI adoption.
04:41 – How building AI-native products changes the cost/benefit mindset.
06:28 – Rob’s hot take on the term “tech debt” and why he avoids it.
09:45 – How they divide engineering time between R&D, product, and internal needs.
12:19 – Using AI to eliminate repetitive tasks like onboarding and documentation.
15:34 – How startup culture encourages practical AI tool adoption.
18:08 – Closing the gap between engineers and customer feedback.
20:45 – Competing with tech giants by focusing narrowly and moving efficiently.
🧠 Quote of the Episode:
“If we know something will serve our customers well for the next three to six months, we do it. Anything beyond that is just as likely to be wrong as it is right.” – Rob Williams
If you'd like to see Read AI in action, this link will take you to the transcript their AI produced of the episode: https://app.read.ai/analytics/meetings/01JPJXY1SFAXE509NJ4S5P0W5X?utm_source=Share_CopyLink
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Abhi Sharma, CEO and Co-Founder of Relyance AI, to unpack the philosophy of "unreasonable hospitality"—a framework for building unforgettable customer and team experiences. From small gestures like a humidifier in the interview room to culture-embedded rituals, Abhi reveals how this principle fuels trust, retention, and performance at every level. If you're building teams or scaling a company, this one is packed with actionable insights.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Unreasonable hospitality = memorable + maximizing + mentionable. It’s not about going the extra mile—it’s about doing the unexpected in personal, meaningful ways.
Small gestures can drive huge impact. Whether winning deals or recruiting talent, personalized touches create emotional connections that close the loop.
Culture is built through consistent rituals. From Slack channels to awards like “Golden Lion,” Reliance AI embeds their values in routines.
Founders must lead from the front. Embodying cultural values in visible, everyday ways—like flying out for a candidate interview—sets the tone company-wide.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
[01:21] — Defining “unreasonable hospitality” with the 3 M’s: maximizing, memorable, mentionable.
[05:19] — A personalized video tip wins a competitive deal.
[07:40] — A $30 humidifier makes an outsized impact in the interview process.
[09:45] — The 4-part framework to embed hospitality into company culture: Rituals, Empowerment, Feedback, Storytelling.
[14:15] — Balancing perfectionism and personalization in culture values.
[18:27] — Recruiting a new dad: flying in instead of flying him out shows care and commitment.
[21:00] — Why the small stuff carries culture and why consistency matters as a company grows.
💬 Quote to Share:
“If everything gets commoditized and we’re living in the fancy AI world... then the only thing that’s actually going to matter is the element of service—the human touch.” — Abhi Sharma
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sasha Gainullin, CEO of Battleface, to explore how focusing on a small, underserved niche in the travel insurance industry unlocked global opportunity. Sasha shares how Battleface used in-house technology to revolutionize the outdated travel insurance model, expanding from serving adventure travelers to powering major partners through their service platform, Robin Assist. This is a conversation about focus, customer empathy, and tech-driven disruption—valuable for any founder or product leader.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Start Small, Win Big: Battleface began by solving a single problem for niche adventure travelers. That focused approach laid the foundation for global scale.
Tech as a Differentiator: Building the entire platform in-house enabled real-time risk pricing, scalable customization, and operational agility.
Customer Connection Wins: Even as CEO, Sasha remains hands-on with customer service to ensure product relevance—an often-missing link in insurance innovation.
From Product to Platform: The launch of Robin Assist extended Battleface’s reach, now powering services for other travel insurance providers worldwide.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights
00:49 – What is Battleface? A travel insurance company that customizes micro-products using tech.
02:23 – Why they focused on one underserved segment: journalists, surfers, adventure travelers.
05:35 – The pricing problem solved with real-time tech under Lloyd’s of London guidance.
09:48 – How building in-house tech enabled flexibility, scalability, and global compliance.
12:08 – Competitive advantage: fast iteration, informed by decades of industry experience.
14:33 – GenAI isn't a threat—it's a tool. The focus is on solving customer problems, not chasing trends.
18:54 – How the pandemic revealed broader market applicability and led to Robin Assist.
24:05 – Distribution cost challenges and exposing why traditional insurance often fails customers.
26:07 – Partner insights: why offering relevant, flexible insurance products is the future.
💬 Quote Worth Sharing
"Technology is just a feature. If you lose that touch with the customer, you’ll stumble—and that’s what’s happening in travel insurance today." — Sasha Gainullin
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In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Tony Speller, Division SVP of Technical Operations and Engineering at Comcast, to explore how AI is quietly but powerfully transforming the customer and employee experience at one of the world’s largest media and technology companies. From self-healing network devices to predictive outage detection, Tony walks us through Comcast’s internal innovation playbook—blending in-house AI solutions with strategic partnerships. Whether you’re a technologist, operator, or just someone who's ever rebooted a modem, this episode peels back the curtain on what keeps the digital world running.
🔑 Key Takeaways
AI at Scale: Comcast uses AI to manage over 50 million modems with technologies like Octave, optimizing performance and preventing issues before they affect customers.
Self-Healing Networks: With tools like virtualized CMTS, the network can perform 300,000+ upgrades autonomously, solving issues before customers notice.
Field Tech Empowerment: AI tools like RoC and fiber telemetry empower technicians to locate problems faster, saving time and reducing downtime.
Innovation Culture: Comcast builds many AI solutions internally, while also integrating partner technologies for field operations and advanced routing.
Celebrating the Unsung Heroes: Tony highlights the importance of daily team syncs that recognize not only fast fixes, but also problems prevented—a culture of proactive excellence.
⏱ Timestamped Highlights
01:45 – Defining Tony’s role and Comcast’s AI priorities
03:00 – AI for teammates vs. AI for customers
04:12 – How Octave optimizes 50M+ modems with 4,000 data points
05:30 – Virtualized CMTS: Self-healing, automation, and 300K+ autonomous changes
08:20 – Empowering field techs with RoC and fiber telemetry for precise outage detection
11:00 – The rigorous lab-to-field AI testing process
13:44 – Build vs. buy: Comcast’s hybrid innovation model
15:33 – Roadmap pillars: network automation, teammate tools, and customer simplicity
18:24 – The impact of streaming and how it drives network innovation
21:34 – How Tony celebrates behind-the-scenes teams daily
💬 Featured Quote
"We're not just celebrating the fixes—we're celebrating the problems that never happened because of the technology our teams built. That's how we show them their work matters."
Connecting with Comcast: You can keep up with all the innovations and surround sound moments from Comcast’s Center of Excellence by visiting South.Comcast.com.
More about Tony:
Tony Speller is the Senior Vice President of Technical Operations and Engineering at Comcast’s Central Division headquarters in Atlanta. Tony started his long and successful career as a technician for Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) in 1989. He has nearly 35 years of industry experience, holding numerous leadership roles across Comcast, including key positions in Pennsylvania, Boston, Western New England, and Houston. Named a “Cable TV Pioneer” in 2018 by the SCTE, Tony has been heavily involved in several charitable organizations, including the United Way, the Urban League, and the Greater Houston Partnership. His work has been recognized with the Urban League of Greater Hartford’s Community Service Award, with the NAMIC Luminary Award, and most recently with the NAMIC Diversity in Technology Award in 2024.
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In this episode, Amir sits down with Nirman Dave, co-founder and CEO of Zams, an enterprise AI platform built to help businesses design and deploy AI agents with ease. They dive into Nirman's founding story—launching during the pandemic, navigating the evolution of the AI ecosystem, and the unique challenges of maintaining customer focus amid shifting trends and rising competition. Nirman also shares lessons from pitching investors, building trust with customers, and the art of product prioritization.
📌 Key Takeaways
Differentiation Through UX: Zams is not just another AI tool—it aims to be the browser for AI, giving enterprises a seamless UI to work with agents.
Customer Over Competition: Success has come from solving real business problems—not chasing trends or investor hype.
Trust Through Design: A 30-second loading delay helped build trust in Zams’ lightning-fast models, proving psychology matters in UX.
Resilient Startup Strategy: Focusing on sustainable growth and user love—not vanity metrics—is what keeps investors coming back.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights
00:40 – What Zams does and how it’s helping enterprises with AI agents
02:14 – Starting a business in college during the pandemic
04:21 – Evolution of AI from AutoML to LLMs and product-market fit
07:15 – Staying customer-centric as terminology and trends change
09:43 – Manufacturing case study: 20 hours/day saved with AI agents
12:25 – Why the “browser moment” for AI is coming
14:33 – Balancing roadmap flexibility with intentional focus
17:34 – Fundraising lessons: sustainable growth beats glamor
24:08 – Listening to customers—but not too literally
26:11 – The 30-second delay that changed customer perception
💬 Memorable Quote
“At the end of the day, businesses care about three things—saving time, saving money, or making money. Everything else is noise.”
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, I sit down with Artem Rodichev, Founder & CEO of Ex-Human, to explore the emerging world of empathetic generative AI. We discuss how today’s LLMs fall short on emotional intelligence and how Ex-Human is building AI that can emotionally connect with users. Artem shares the vision behind their product Botify AI, its real-world applications—from gaming and education to mental health—and the crucial role of guardrails in ensuring safe, ethical AI development.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Current LLMs lack emotional depth. They're designed to solve tasks quickly, not to engage in human-like, emotionally resonant conversations.
Empathetic AI can reduce loneliness. These systems aim to connect with users on an emotional level and offer meaningful companionship.
Real use cases span industries. From gaming and language learning to mental health support and education, empathetic AI has broad applications.
Data-driven improvement. Wattify AI learns through millions of conversations and user feedback, fine-tuning its responses for empathy and memory.
Safety is a must. As AI gets more emotionally intelligent, strong ethical guardrails are essential to prevent misuse.
🕒 Timestamped Highlights
00:34 – What is X-Human? Creating customizable, emotionally intelligent AI characters
02:05 – Why current LLMs feel robotic (task vs. engagement-driven design)
04:38 – Defining “empathetic AI” and how it’s different from classic chatbots
06:06 – Use case: Solving loneliness and building emotional connections
07:50 – Applications in gaming, Discord bots, and immersive NPC experiences
09:40 – Language learning via informal practice with emotionally aware AI
10:50 – Supporting mental health by providing judgment-free companionship
12:25 – How Wattify AI gathers and uses data for emotional accuracy and memory
16:10 – Technical details: short-term vs long-term memory, voice & visual integration
19:23 – The importance of safety, ethics, and guardrails in emotionally intelligent AI
23:06 – The broader opportunity in education, tutoring, and emotional engagement
23:57 – Where to try Wattify AI and connect with Artem
💬 Featured Quote
"Empathetic AI companions don’t just respond—they remember, support, and emotionally connect. That’s what makes them powerful and personal." – Artem Rodichev
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What does it mean to find out what your team is actually good at—and how do you use that insight to grow, scale, and lead effectively?
In this episode, Amir sits down with Pallavi Pal, Head of Product at Grata, to unpack the nuanced art of identifying strengths within product teams. From hiring with purpose to fostering technical and soft skills, Pallavi shares how she built her team from the ground up and established a culture of collaboration and excellence. Whether you’re a product leader, aspiring manager, or simply navigating your growth path in tech, this conversation is packed with frameworks and hard-earned lessons.
✨ Key Takeaways
“Good” is personal and team-specific – Recognize where individual team members naturally lean in and where they need support.
Hiring with intention matters – Building a team from scratch allows leaders to define what “good” looks like for each role early on.
Balancing technical and soft skills is crucial – Successful PMs don’t just understand the product—they empathize with users and collaborate effectively.
Path to people management starts with mentorship – Use mentorship as a low-risk way to identify potential managers.
Culture isn’t just top-down – Product teams should reflect company values while fostering technical curiosity and peer collaboration.
Metrics can’t be mandated – Teams need to co-create their North Star metrics and OKRs to stay engaged and aligned.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights
[00:20] – Introducing Pallavi and the focus on identifying what your team is great at
[02:05] – Observing behaviors to identify strengths and hesitations
[05:22] – Hiring to match specific skill sets across different product functions
[08:20] – The balance between domain knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills
[12:03] – Identifying future people managers within your team
[16:21] – Building a product culture that aligns with company values but has its own identity
[21:06] – How to define and align around standards and metrics in product
[24:21] – How to connect with Pallavi for follow-up questions
💬 Quote of the Episode
“It’s a lot more art than science. Good is seeing where people lean in—what excites them—and building the team to amplify that.”
– Pallavi Pal
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In this episode, Amir sits down with Zach Barney, Co-founder and CEO of Mobly, the system of record for event marketers. Zach’s story takes us from his early ambitions of joining the NSA to a career-altering injury, a serendipitous fall into sales, and eventually the founding of Mobly. This episode explores not only the career pivots that led Zach to entrepreneurship, but also the mental, financial, and strategic challenges he faced along the way.
If you’ve ever thought about switching paths or launching your own thing — especially from a non-technical background — Zach’s journey is proof that drive, vision, and grit can get you there.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
Pivot Points Can Define You: A severe knee injury and life changes redirected Zach’s path from NSA hopeful to tech founder.
Sales is Entrepreneurship Training: Zach views sales as the most entrepreneurial job short of being a founder — giving him the skills and mindset for startup life.
Solve Real Problems: Mobly was born from Zach’s own pain points in the field — and customer validation made the case.
Execution Over Everything: Despite the harsh fundraising climate, Mobly thrived by focusing on product and market fit.
Founding Doesn’t Require Code: Zach’s non-technical background didn’t stop him — and his story encourages others in the same boat.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
00:20 – Intro to Zach Barney and Mobly — from spreadsheets to sales tech for event marketers.
01:50 – Zach’s drive to control his financial destiny, inspired by his upbringing as the oldest of 8.
03:23 – The “spy-to-startup” journey: NSA offer, Russian fluency, and a career-altering knee injury.
06:15 – How a devastating injury forced Zach to pivot, finding a sales job that set the foundation for his future.
08:29 – Falling in love with sales: the accidental career path that turned into a calling.
10:20 – Constant learning: how podcasts, books, and early-stage exposure prepared him for founding.
12:07 – Making the leap: risks, fears, and financial tradeoffs of starting Mobly with five kids to support.
14:07 – Co-founder chemistry: 30 years of friendship becomes a business partnership
16:20 – Building the MVP without a CTO and the power of scrappy execution.
17:48 – Navigating the economic downturn and fundraising panic attacks in a tough VC market.
20:12 – Why Zach is bullish on execution over economic prediction — and how Mobly is thriving.
💬 Quote to Share:
“Sales is the most entrepreneurial job you can have without being an entrepreneur.” – Zach Barney
🔗 Connect with Zach:
📱 Find him on LinkedIn (just don’t automate your message — he can sniff it out instantly!)
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Join us in this insightful conversation with Eric Valasek as we explore the crucial relationship between CEOs, product teams, and engineering leaders. Eric shares his expertise on managing prioritization, strategic tech debt, and ensuring engineering teams stay focused and insulated amidst business dynamics.
Key Takeaways:
Balance is Crucial: A company's success depends heavily on balancing business goals, product demands, and engineering capabilities.
Strategic Tech Debt: Not all tech debt is harmful. Strategic tech debt can accelerate business growth, but must be managed and planned carefully.
Upskilling for Growth: Investing in your team's skill development can pay long-term dividends, especially when tackling new technology domains.
Transparency vs. Focus: Protecting your team from constant business shifts ("horse trading") is essential to maintain productivity and morale.
Engineering's Voice: In tech-driven companies, the engineering team often carries significant influence. Leaders must balance innovation with practical business outcomes.
Timestamped Highlights:
00:41 - Eric's introduction and overview of engineering-product-business relationships.
01:30 - Balancing the business, product, and engineering "trifecta."
05:01 - Effective strategies for team skill development and training.
07:26 - Adjusting team velocity and maintaining quality during upskilling.
09:44 - Navigating potential dips in quality when adopting new technologies.
11:57 - Strategic considerations when intentionally incurring tech debt.
14:31 - Managing transparency and team insulation from business volatility.
17:40 - The importance and impact of engineering's voice in technology-centric businesses.
Quote:
"You can't have speed and quality with the same size team with new technologies. You need to plan that development cycle carefully—some trade-offs are necessary."
— Eric Valasek, Engineering Leader
Connect with Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evalasek/
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Shang Wang, Co-founder and CTO of CentML, to explore the dynamic landscape of open source AI technologies and how enterprises are rapidly adapting to this growing ecosystem. Shang offers expert insights into why open source solutions are becoming essential in AI development, the advantages in security and privacy, and how CentML strategically contributes to this evolution.
🌟 Key Takeaways:
Open Source Dominance in AI: Open-source technologies have become foundational to AI development, promoting innovation, transparency, and faster problem-solving.
Enterprise Adoption Shift: Enterprises are increasingly embracing open source solutions in AI, driven by the need for greater transparency, data privacy, and community-driven innovation.
CentML’s Impact: CentML leverages open source through developing tools and infrastructure that optimize AI model deployment, training, and performance at scale.
Security and Privacy Advantages: Open-source AI solutions provide enterprises with enhanced control over data privacy and security, challenging traditional assumptions that closed-source means more secure.
💬 Notable Quote:
"Open source gives you more control. If there’s a security flaw, you can fix it. If there’s a privacy issue, you can build safeguards. Closed source leaves you hoping nothing goes wrong.” – Shang Wang
⏰ Timestamped Highlights:
00:00: Introduction to Shang Wang and CentML
01:28: Origins of open source AI in academia
03:30: Differences in developing with open vs. closed-source solutions
05:10: Impact of open-source tools on talent development and recruitment
07:16: Predictions on the future of open-source AI
10:05: Deep dive into CentML’s tools and open-source integrations
19:46: Real-world applications of CentML, exemplified through banking
22:57: Addressing misconceptions about open source security
27:42: How to connect with Shang Wang
📞 Connect with Shang Wang:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shang-sam-wang-52851489
🎙️ Subscribe, Rate, and Review: Let us know your thoughts and stay updated with future episodes of The Tech Trek!
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In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Andrew Levy, CEO and Co-founder of AirCover.ai, to explore how agentic AI is transforming the sales landscape. Andrew shares how AirCover builds real-time digital assistants that empower sales teams, the role of humans in AI-driven workflows, and how enterprises—both nimble and traditional—are adopting these tools to leap ahead. From change management to trust-building and the rise of “little language models,” this conversation unpacks what it really means to bring AI into the heart of go-to-market strategies.
🔑 Key Takeaways
1. Real-Time AI for Real-World Sales AirCover.ai builds AI agents that operate in real time alongside sales reps, surfacing the right information at the right moment, and helping teams scale more effectively with digital counterparts.
2. Scaling Expertise, Not Replacing Teams Rather than replacing humans, agentic AI amplifies expertise—like turning one sales engineer into six through virtual counterparts, unlocking growth, not cuts.
3. Human-in-the-Loop Is the Bridge Especially in regulated industries, “human-in-the-loop” AI design helps companies automate workflows while maintaining control, transparency, and trust.
4. Model Confidence Matters for Adoption Andrew emphasizes trust-building in AI by surfacing high-confidence data and leveraging behavior signals to continually improve user experience and relevance.
5. Little Language Models Are the Future Expect a shift from massive models to specialized ones—“little language models”—tailored per team or even per individual, making AI more personalized and effective.
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights
00:00 – Meet Andrew Levy
Intro to Andrew and AirCover.ai – building digital agents for live sales calls.
02:21 – The Origin of AirCover
Andrew shares the story behind the idea, influenced by challenges scaling sales enablement at VMware.
06:50 – Spotting the Market Gap
When tech and market timing intersect: how AI-native thinking unlocked new possibilities.
08:53 – Change Management From Day One
Why ease of use and seamless workflow integration were key in early product design.
11:26 – Enterprise AI Adoption Trends
Big companies are leapfrogging past previous tech gaps by going all-in on AI.
13:55 – AI as an Extension, Not a Replacement
How AI fills capability gaps without threatening job loss—and why that’s a key adoption driver.
16:47 – Agentic Workflows in Action
Examples of tasks AI handles autonomously vs. where human oversight is essential.
20:07 – Confidence, Trust, and Adoption
Andrew talks about how AirCover builds trust through transparency, high-confidence responses, and adaptive learning signals.
22:34 – The Shift to Smaller, Smarter Models
A peek into the near future of AI: narrow, task-specific models that are ultra-personalized.
23:24 – Final Thoughts & How to Connect
Andrew’s contact info and closing takeaways from Amir.
💬 Featured Quote
“This isn't about replacing your team with AI—it's about giving them superpowers. Imagine taking your best solution engineer and scaling their expertise across your entire team.”
— Andrew Levy, CEO of AirCover.ai
- Visa fler
