The Tech Trek

The Youngest in the Room and Still Leading It

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 stude...

Engineering with Empathy — How to Lead Align and Grow

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 engineeri...

Winning Your First 90 Days as a Data Leader

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Hiring for Potential, Not Just Pedigree

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Navigating Leadership at Every Stage

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 constan...

Scaling with Purpose: Building the Future of Green Hydrogen

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 indu...

Engineering Culture in an AI-First World

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. R...

Building Culture Through Unreasonable Hospitality

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Find Your Edge in a Crowded Market

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Behind the Uptime: How AI Keeps the Internet Running

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Tony Speller, Division SVP of Technical Operations and Engineering at Comcast, to explore how AI is quiet...

Building AI Agents with Purpose

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Building Emotionally Intelligent AI

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 generativ...

Finding the Good: Building Product Teams with Intent

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 episod...

From Spy Dreams to Startup CEO: A Founder’s Journey

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Engineering Leadership: Driving Business Outcomes from Engineering

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join us in this insightful conversation with Eric Valasek as we explore the crucial relationship between CEOs, product teams, and engineering leaders....

Exploring Open Source AI

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sourc...

Unlocking Sales Productivity with Agentic AI

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sa...

Improving & Automating Healthcare Data Quality

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Viraj Narayanan, CEO of Cornerstone AI🔑 Key TakeawaysHealthcare data is messy by default. It's generated by countless sources with diffe...

Startup Playbook: Building Product-First Teams with Engineers

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of The Tech Trek, we're diving deep into the intersection of engineering, product, and business thinking with Vineet Goel — Co-F...

How to Build an Effective Onboarding Plan

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir sits down with Meg Henry, Head of People & Talent at Companyon Ventures, to unpack a critical—yet often overlooked—aspec...

Data Culture: Building the Data Engine Driving WHOOP

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Carlos Peralta returns to The Tech Trek to dive deep into data culture in the wearable tech space, sharing how WHOOP turns petabytes ...

Founder’s Playbook: Startup Lessons for the Long Game

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Max Mergenthaler-Canseco, CEO and co-founder of Nixla, to explore the nuanced reality be...

Building a Cybersecurity Startup with NSA Tech

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Rogers, CEO & Co-Founder of Invary, to explore an unconventional approach to building a cybersecurity start...

From Data to Decisions: Why the Right Questions Matter

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Founder’s Playbook: Turning Passion into Product

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Boat...

Driving B2B AI Innovation

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 rig...

A CEO’s Guide: Aligning Business & Engineering Teams

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 engin...

The Leadership Blueprint: Building High-Performing Tech Teams

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Vijay Sankararaman breaks down how to intentionally build a low-churn, high-impact team culture. Whether you’re a tech leader, mana...

Tech Leader’s Guide: Building Data Products

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

From Finance to Founding a Tech Startup

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How to Be an Effective CTO: A Guide to Balancing Vision, Execution, and Building Trust

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 bala...

Why AI Adoption Fails & How to Fix It

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

How to Drive Gen AI Experimentation and Adoption

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 iden...

The Engineering Leader’s Guide to Purpose-Driven Teams

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Jeremy Goldsmith, VP of Engineering at Branch, to explore leading with purpose and how it impacts enginee...

The CTO’s Guide to Special Projects & Emerging Tech

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Rethinking Deadlines: Building Happier, More Effective Engineering Teams

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Join Amir Bormand in a captivating discussion with Anand Madhavan, VP of Engineering at Everlaw, as they explore innovative development models, the ar...

How Agentic AI is Transforming Enterprise Knowledge

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand welcomes Scott Persinger, CEO of Supercog AI, to discuss the rise of agentic AI and its applications in modern businesse...

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

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand chats with Jake Moshenko about his journey from engineer to founder, the challenges of identifying the right startup ide...

Integrating Gen AI into Engineering

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Srini Rajagopal joins us to discuss how Generative AI (Gen AI) is transforming the engineering landscape. We explore the challenges o...

Simplifying Data Governance

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Jay Como to discuss how organizations can simplify data governance. Jay shares insights on shifting the per...

Engineering Excellence: Culture, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Ganesh Datta, Co-founder & CTO of Cortex, to dive deep into engineering excellence—what it means, h...

Bringing Gen AI to Highly Secure Enterprises

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond proofs-of-concept and into real-world production—but how do you make it work in highly secure environments?...

Operationalizing Gen AI

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Balancing Leadership and Execution: How to Thrive in Startup Engineering

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 dec...

Execution Over Titles: The Mindset That Drives Career Growth

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 lead...

How You Can Fund Your Startup Without Venture Capital

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Jeremy Whittington shares his journey of building a startup without relying on traditional venture capital. Instead, he leveraged alt...

Engineering Without Borders

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we dive into blurring engineering lines, full-stack engineering, and the evolving role of software engineers in a rapidly changing la...

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

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we dive into the evolving role of engineering leadership with Andy Elmhorst, VP of Engineering at Bolt. We explore the delicate balan...

How AI (LLMs) Are Revolutionizing Data Products

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode,Sasha Bartashnik shares her insights on howlarge language models (LLMs) are transforming the development ofdata products, making advan...

The CTPO: The Future of Tech Leadership

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we dive into the evolution of theChief Product and Technology Officer (CPTO) model, the blending of traditional engineering and produ...

Mastering Change: How to Drive Digital Adoption

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, JD Williams joins Amir Bormand to dive into the critical role ofchange management in driving successful digital adoption. From leadin...

Foundational Data Challenges and Leveraging AI for Growth

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode ofThe Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Stephen Harris, former Corporate Vice President of Global Data Science and Growth Analyti...

Pivoting with Purpose: Navigating Startup Challenges

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Marty Kausas, Co-founder and CEO of Pylon, a groundbreaking customer support platform for B2B companies. Ma...

Hiring Challenges for Founders

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Tanaz Mody shares insights on the hiring struggles founders face as they scale their companies. We explore how founders navigate the ...

First-Time Founders and Leadership Styles

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful episode, James Evans dives into the unique challenges and growth opportunities for first-time founders. From building leadership st...

How a Lawyer Became a Tech CEO

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this inspiring episode, Amir Bormand chats with Matt Martin, Co-Founder of Clockwise. Matt shares his unique career trajectory, transitioning from ...

Exploring Data Enablement

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Scott Peachey, Director of Data Governance and Oversight at Bread Financial, to explore ...

AI: Leveling the Playing Field in E-Commerce

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Vinod Ramachandran, CEO and Co-Founder of Big Sur AI, and Arnaud Weber, Co-Founder and CTO, to discuss how ...

Customer-Centric Engineering

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Jake Peters, co-founder, CTO, and CPO of Fora, a modern travel agency platform. Together, they delve into t...

From Rural Roots to AI Founder

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Curtis Northcutt, CEO and Co-Founder of CleanLab. Curtis shares his inspiring journey from humble beginnings ...

From QA to Engineering Leadership

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Mayuresh Hajirnis, Director of Engineering at Altruist, to discuss his fascinating journ...

From Founder to Enterprise Leader: Transitioning Back

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Amir Bormand interviews Jehangir Abdulla, Head of Back Office Development at Schoenfeld, to discuss his unique journey from bein...

Mapping Business to Data Strategy

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir sits down with Spencer Lourens, Chief Data Officer at CLA, to discuss the intersection of business strategy and data strategy. S...

The Shift to Platform Engineering

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Jason Luce, CTO of Paperless Parts, to discuss the evolution from DevOps to platform engineering....

Navigating Product and Technology Leadership

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Kevin Trilli, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Amount Financial, about balancing product and technolog...

Reimagining Data Teams

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this engaging episode, Amir Bormand interviews Marko Vasiljevic, CTO at Ghost, about the evolving nature of data teams and how businesses can bette...

Leveraging Machine Learning for Healthcare Transparency

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Urvish Parikh, Co-Founder and CTO of Nirvana, to explore how machine learning is transforming the healthcare ...

Building the Future of Advertising and Media

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Michael Hudes discusses the evolving landscape of advertising and media, focusing on how connected screens are reshaping consumer eng...

Building Better Products Through Customer-Driven Engineering

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Andrew Bihl, Co-Founder & CTO at Numeric Overview:In this episode, Andrew Bihl discusses how engineering teams can better integrate custome...

Navigating Global Supply Chains with Data and Machine Learning

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful episode, Amir Bormand speaks with Peter Swartz, Altana's Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder, about using data science and machine...

Excelling in Data Strategy and Governance

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Greg Hahn, a data strategy and governance leader, shares deep insights on building a robust data strategy, navigating AI readiness, a...

Navigating Leadership Transitions – Hiring External Tech Leaders

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

,In this episode, Amir hosts Steve Van Lare, VP of Engineering at Anjuna Security, for an insightful discussion on hiring external technology leaders....

Grounded Leadership in Data

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Amir sits down with Amit Sahani, Global Head of Data at StoneX, to delve into data leadership's practical and strategic aspects....

SW Engineering Career Growth: The I.C. and Manager Relationship

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir sits down with Shawn Stewart, VP of Engineering at Apartment List, to unpack the complex dynamics between ...

Lowering the Cost of Curiosity in Data

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand is joined by Neil Bhandar, VP of IT Enterprise Data Analytics and Innovation at Generac Power System...

Navigating AI Governance

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir sits down with Jim Olsen, CTO of ModelOp, to explore the essential role of AI governance in today's organizations. Jim shares pr...

Engineers as Innovators: Beyond Just Writing Code

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand talks with Ken Kao, VP of Engineering at Rad AI, about the evolving role of engineers in driving b...

Redefining Tech Debt: Conscious Decisions and Agile Engineering

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Guest: Jordan Kaye, Head of Technology at Belvedere Trading Episode Summary:In this episode, Jordan Kaye redefines technical debt through a practical ...

Building Startup Resilience

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Episode Overview: In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Amnon Mishor, CTO of Gynger, to discuss startup resilience, founder mindset, and naviga...

Leveling Up: Engineering Leadership and Career Progression

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a deep dive into career progression in tech with Anant Gupta, SVP of Engineering and Data Science at Included Health. This episode explore...

Navigating AI Models and Business Security

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand sits down with Ron Williams, founder and CEO of Kindle, to explore the evolving world of AI models...

Data-Driven Innovation and Empowering Engineers

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand speaks with John Coles, VP of Data Science and Analytics at ACV Auctions. They dive into what it means to lead with a da...

Technology and Business Engagement

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful episode, Amir Bormand interviews Anil Choudary, CTO at Alliant Credit Union, about bridging the gap between technology and business...

Navigating the CTO role

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, host Amir Bormand chats with Dana Lawson, CTO at Netlify, about the complexities and nuances of stepping into a CTO ...

Exploring the Senior Engineering Role and Career Growth

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this engaging episode, Amir sits down with Utkarsh Sangi, Head of Engineering at EarnUp, to explore the intricacies of the senior engineering role ...

Balancing Scale and Tech Debt in Engineering

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Brian Young, Director of Engineering at Grindr, about navigating the complexities of scale and managing techn...

Revolutionizing Patient Care: Meeting Patients Where They're At

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Naama Stauber Breckler, Co-Founder and CEO of Better Health, and Adam Breckler, Co-Founder and...

Scaling Strategies and Navigating Exits

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Dave McCann, CTO at Self Financial, to dive deep into scaling strategies and the art of ...

Scaling Leadership: Building Effective Engineering Teams

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Nadav Eiron, SVP of Cloud Engineering at Crusoe, to discuss the nuances of leadership, team dynamics, and s...

How to Build High-Performing Teams in Tech

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir Bormand sits down with Harshit Shah, CTO of Kyruus Health, to discuss cultivating high-performance engineering ...

Exploring the Role of Technology in Social Care

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand is joined by Mukta Nandwani, the CTO of Findhelp, to explore the critical role of technology in social care. Mukta share...

From Founder to CEO

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rebecca Price joins Amir to discuss the critical transition founders face when evolving into successful CEOs. Rebecca, leveraging her...

Why Org Charts Matter for Scaling Companies

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Chris Fahey, SVP of Talent and HR at Volition Capital, discusses the often-overlooked value of org charts for growing companies. He d...

The Value of Hiring Data Professionals Early

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand chats with Christina Stejskalova, Director of Data at Ontra, about the pivotal role of data professionals in startups an...

Navigating Data Challenges & AI

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we dive into how businesses leverage data platforms and AI to serve the business effectively. Addhyan Pandey shares insights into Zor...

How to Structure Startup Equity

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I sit down withMatt Birnbaum, Partner atPear VC, to discuss one of the most critical aspects of early-stage startups:structuring equi...

The Lonely Journey of Founders: A Roadmap to Success

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand speaks withSandeep Bhadra, General Partner at Vertex, about the journey and challenges of early-stage founders. Sandeep ...

Unlocking Automation in Insurance

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with John Cottongim, Co-Founder and CTO of Roots Automation, to explore how automation and generative AI (GenA...

From Prototype to Production: Building Gen AI Solutions

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Michelle Avery, Group VP of AI at WillowTree, a TELUS International Company. They discuss the process...

Learning Shouldn’t Be One-Size-Fits-All

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if the best way for your child to learn wasn’t in a traditional classroom?In this episode, Amir Bormand sits down with Amir Nathoo, Co-Founder ...