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From Elephant Butts to Ethical AI — Duncan Curtis on De-Risking GenAI at Sama

Episode intro
Duncan Curtis, SVP for GenAI & AI Product + Technology at Sama, has shipped everything from autonomous-vehicle platforms at Zoox to game-changing data products at Google. Today he leads a 160-person team that’s reinventing how training data is curated, labeled, and audited so enterprises can ship production-ready GenAI—without the lurking model risk. Sama’s newest release, Sama Automate, is already cutting annotation time by 40 percent while keeping quality above SLAs, and Duncan says they’re “aiming for a 10× improvement by 2025.” (aiuserconference.com, sama.com)

If you want the inside track on AI ROI, ethical guardrails, and why A’s hire A’s (but B’s hire C’s!), lean in—this one’s for you. (And yes, we do get to elephant butts.)

Timestamped roadmap

• 00:46 Meet Duncan Curtis
• 03:51 The Duncan Brand
• 05:52 Making Time for Yourself
• 08:47 Autonomous Cars — 9× Safer
• 12:21 Favorite Jobs
• 13:24 Inside Sama
• 14:39 Data & LLM Training
• 16:04 De-Risking Models
• 19:08 Ethical AI
• 22:43 Stopping Hallucinations
• 27:18 Data Labeling Deep-Dive
• 31:56 Production-Ready GenAI
• 33:44 AGI Horizons
• 35:34 What Makes Sama Different
• 36:31 Calculating AI ROI
• 38:50 State of the LLMs
• 44:48 Elephant Butts & Closing Thoughts

Quick links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-curtis/
• Sama: https://www.sama.com/
• Latest blog: “Sama Introduces New Data Automation Platform” (sama.com)
• Hear more: Duncan on “Human Guardrails in Generative AI” (DataCamp podcast) (datacamp.com)

Hashtags

#MakingDataSimple #AIProduct #GenAI #DataLabeling #EthicalAI #AIROI #AutonomousVehicles #Podcast

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

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🎧 Episode Description:
This week on Making Data Simple, we welcome David Hirschfeld, Founder and CEO of Tekyz. With a background spanning major tech firms and startup trenches, David brings grounded, data-backed insight into what makes or breaks a startup. From tackling the #1 reason startups fail to exploring the value of validation and the real meaning of product-market fit, this episode is a no-fluff masterclass in entrepreneurial strategy. David’s message is clear: "Don’t focus on your product. Focus on the client’s problem."

Whether you're a first-time founder or scaling your next venture, David offers hard-earned truths, including surprising takes on unicorns, VCs, and what really matters more — the founder or the technology?

⏱ Time Markers:
01:20 – Meet David Hirschfeld
05:55 – THE Reason Startups Fail
08:50 – Lifetime Value
11:33 – The Value of Validation
14:48 – What Do the VCs Say?
16:20 – Startup Success Rate
17:10 – Tekyz
23:01 – Product Market Fit
29:18 – Startup Ideation
31:37 – Unicorns
38:12 – Unexpected Truths
42:45 – Founder or Technology?

🔗 Connect with David:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhirschfeld

Website: https://tekyz.com

 #MakingDataSimple #StartupAdvice #ProductMarketFit #TechLeadership #VCInsights #FoundersJourney #Entrepreneurship #DataDrivenDecisions #StartupFailure #Innovation #ClientCentric #Podcast

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

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This week on Making Data Simple, we welcome Ralph Gootee, CTO and co-founder of TigerEye, a company reshaping strategic sales intelligence with a data-driven edge. Ralph’s journey spans Pixar, Sony, and PlanGrid — and now he’s building tools to help sales leaders see around corners. From the secrets behind TigerEye's intuitive reporting to the realities of entrepreneurship and the affordability of LLMs, this episode hits both the business brain and the tech heart.

• 00:52 Meet Ralph Gootee
•  01:43 TigerEye
•  04:49 PlanGrid
•  07:43 Monetization
•  08:50 TigerEye's Objective
•  12:38 Reinventing Reporting
•  17:06 How it Works
•  22:21 The Secret Sauce
•  27:48 LLM Affordability
•  34:14 Last Call
•  38:57 The Entrepreneur Dilemma
•  39:47 Where to Reach TigerEye
•  40:07 Do Code Assistants Work?
•  47:32 For Fun

🔗 Connect with Ralph & TigerEye
LinkedIn: Ralph Gootee
 Website: TigerEye
Blog: TigerEye Blog

#MakingDataSimple #SalesIntelligence #AIinSales #EntrepreneurMindset #LLMs #StartupLife #PixarToPipeline #DataDrivenDecisions #TechLeadership #TigerEye

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

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🎧 REPLAY ALERT: The Future of Risk, Powered by AI
In case you missed it the first time — we’re bringing back this incredible conversation with Kathy Stares, EVP of North America at Provenir.

Kathy dives into how Provenir’s AI-powered risk decisioning software processes over 4 billion transactions annually across 50+ countries. From fintech to traditional banking, learn how this platform is shaking up risk strategies with automation, innovation, and global reach.

🌍 Why does risk decisioning need AI?
 🚀 What’s driving the next wave of banking transformation?
 📊 How can Gen Z shape the future of financial services?

Timestamps:

•  01:14 Meet Kathy Stares
•  04:34 The Start of Summer
•  08:01 AI-Powered Risk Decisioning
•  11:31 The Tech Behind Provenir
•  13:42 Models
•  14:32 Data Source
•  16:43 The Business Problem
•  17:33 Banking Strategies
•  18:48 Platform Scope
•  20:28 Automation
•  21:46 Provenir’s Differentiator
•  22:47 Millennials & Gen Z
•  29:05 Trends to Watch
•  31:57 Kathy’s Takeaway
•  33:28 Connect with Provenir
•  35:25 The Wealthy Barber

🎙️ Guest: Kathy Stares
🔗 Learn more: provenir.com

#AIinFinance #FintechInnovation #RiskDecisioning #FinancialServices #AIReplay #Automation #FutureOfBanking #GenZFinance #WomenInTech #MakingDataSimple #TechPodcast #ProvenirAI #PodcastReplay

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

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We’re back for Part 2 of our Automation deep-dive—and the hits just keep coming! Host Al Martin reunites with IBM automation aces Sarah McAndrew (WW Automation Technical Sales) and Vikram Murali (App Mod & IT Automation Development) to push past the hype and map out the road ahead.

🎬 Episode Highlights

• 00:12 Observability – why seeing everything is half the battle
• 04:17 IBM Concert – orchestrating dev, ops & business in one score
• 07:42 Tech vs. Culture – the million-dollar question
• 11:34 Real-world use cases that ship value today
• 13:65 Scanning the Future of Automation (spoiler: it’s closer than you think)
• 15:32  Hashi – tooling that scales with you
• 17:42 Top resources to learn more and stay ahead of the curve
• 18:13 Lightning-round fun to wrap it up

Whether you’re wrangling legacy systems or architecting cloud-native dreams, this conversation will spark ideas, bust myths, and give you action items of immediate value. Smash that play button, tag a colleague, and join the movement to #MakingDataSimple!

 🔗 Connect: Sarah McAndrew LinkedIn | Vikram Murali LinkedIn
🌐 Explore IBM Automation: ibm.com/automation

#MakingDataSimple #IBMAutomation #Observability #TechPodcast #FutureOfWork

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

Send us Fan Mail

Buckle up—automation is shifting into high gear! In Part 1 of our Automation mini-series, host Al Martin VP WW Technical Sales sits down with IBM insiders Sarah McAndrew (VP WW Automation, Technical Sales) and Vikram Murali (VP App Mod & IT Automation, Development) to decode the now and next of enterprise automation.

🔑 What’s inside

• 00:53 Meet Sarah McAndrew VP WW Automation, Technical Sales
• 01:29 Meet Vikram Murali VP App Mod & IT Automation, Development
• 03:25 A crisp, boardroom-ready definition of automation
• 09:21 Why observability is automation’s super-power
• 11:45 The latest breakthroughs propelling innovation faster than ever
• 22:29 How Aspera rockets data transfer into warp speed
• 23:43 The big “Why IBM?”—and why it matters for your bottom line

Expect practical tips you can deploy tomorrow, myth-busting insights, and bold predictions that will have your Dev & Ops teams buzzing. Hit play, share with a tech-curious friend, and let’s #MakeDataSimple—together.

 🔗 Connect: Linkedin Sarah McAndrew | LinkedIn Vikram Murali
 🌐 Explore IBM Automation: ibm.com/automation

#MakingDataSimple #IBMAutomation #AI #Observability #TechPodcast #FutureOfWork

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this powerhouse episode of Making Data Simple, we welcome Dave Martin—CEO, tech entrepreneur, investor coach to elite CEOs, and bestselling author of Mega Thinking: A Simple, Powerful Process to Think Smarter and Make Better Leadership Decisions.

From Silicon Valley to boardrooms worldwide, Dave breaks down how top leaders think differently, make high-stakes decisions with clarity, and unlock their full leadership potential. Whether you’re scaling a startup or leading a Fortune 500, these are the insights that move the needle.

⏱️ Episode Breakdown

• 02:38 – Meet Dave Martin: From tech entrepreneur to investor coach—Dave’s leadership journey
• 05:27 – Silicon Valley Secrets: What makes this innovation hub tick?
• 08:17 – The Inception of Mega Thinking: Where breakthrough leadership strategies begin
• 10:57 – Startups Unfiltered: What it really takes to succeed (and survive)
• 14:00 – What is Mega Thinking?: The simple yet powerful framework to level up your leadership
• 21:05 – Mega Thinking in Action: How top performers apply it daily
• 24:07 – What Holds People Back?: The hidden barriers between you and your next big idea
• 27:26 – Mega Thinking Summary: Your rapid-fire leadership playbook
• 33:06 – Reminiscing IBM: Timeless leadership lessons from a tech giant
• 34:28 – The Most Powerful Leaders: How they think differently—and why it works
• 36:42 – Final Thoughts: Dave’s rapid-fire leadership advice you can apply today
• 38:46 – How to Reach Dave Martin: Continue the conversation and go deeper

🔗 Connect with Dave:
LinkedIn
🌐 Website: megathinkingbook.com

#MegaThinking #LeadershipUnlocked #ExecutiveMindset #ThinkSmarterLeadBetter #StartupSuccess #SiliconValleySecrets #BusinessInnovation #LeadershipDecisions #MakingDataSimple #CEOInsights #TechLeadership #PodcastPower

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

Send us Fan Mail

What makes IBM TechXchange different — and why is it a must-attend for techies? In this episode, we’re joined by two powerhouses behind the scenes: Amy Tennison, VP of IBM TechXchange & Client Advocacy, and Graeme Noseworthy, TechXchange Content & Experiences. We explore the ethos of TechXchange, how it's curated for technologists of all skill levels, and why it's more than just an event — it's an experience that continues all year long. From strategic content design to the future of tech conferences, you’ll hear insider insights and behind-the-scenes stories that bring TechXchange to life.

⏱️ Time Markers:

• 03:06 Meet Amy Tennison
• 03:54 Meet Graeme Noseworthy
• 05:51 What IS TechXchange
• 10:31 TechXchange is Always On!
• 16:32 The Cost of Learning: Time
• 22:12 Targeting Different Skill Levels
• 27:07 Where Are Tech Events Heading?
• 28:52 Session Curation
• 33:03 The WHY of TechXchange
• 34:00 Finally, What to Know
• 36:29 For Fun

💡 Whether you're a hands-on architect, an emerging developer, or a tech lead looking to sharpen your edge — this episode is for you.

 #TechXchange #IBMPodcast #MakingDataSimple

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

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👤 About the Guest
Dr. Ruchir Puri is IBM Fellow and Chief Scientist at IBM Research. He’s a master inventor with 70+ patents and decades of leadership in scalable AI, chip innovation, and open-source contributions. From Watson to watsonx, he’s been shaping the AI landscape for decades — and he’s not slowing down.

Inside This Episode In Part 2, Ruchir unpacks the macro forces shaping AI — from Jensen Huang’s bold prediction to IBM’s leadership in open-model ecosystems and the emerging blueprint for AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). It’s a mix of sharp insight, grounded realism, and future-forward thinking.

⏱️ Chapters & Timing

• 00:12 – Jensen Huang's Prediction
  Ruchir’s take on NVIDIA’s CEO and whether the 2029 AGI forecast holds water.
• 04:15 – The Open-Model Ecosystem
  Why IBM is betting on openness — and what that means for enterprise AI.
• 07:21 – Why IBM Granite?
  A breakdown of Granite’s strengths, flexibility, and why it’s built to scale responsibly.
• 09:58 – Model Indemnification
  The legal side of LLMs. Ruchir explains how IBM handles risk and accountability.
• 11:32 – AI Implementation Challenges
  Beyond the hype: What really gets in the way of successful AI deployment?
• 14:20 – AI in Politics
  A frank look at how AI is already reshaping elections, media, and power dynamics.
• 15:35 – AI Chipsets
  From GPUs to custom silicon, Ruchir highlights what’s next in the AI compute race.
• 18:37 – AGI = IQ, EQ, RQ
  Artificial General Intelligence, demystified. Why intellect alone isn’t enough — and how reasoning and empathy fit in.
• 24:15 – The Human Brain’s Efficiency
  What AI can learn from 20 watts of organic genius.

💬 Key Ideas

🔥 Why You Should Listen This episode goes beyond buzzwords. If you're serious about what’s coming next in AI — how we’ll build it, govern it, and live with it — Ruchir offers a rare combination of technical clarity and visionary leadership.

🎧 Subscribe for More Don't miss upcoming episodes that help you lead with clarity in the AI era — the Making Data Simple way.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun. 

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️  Ruchir Puri (Part 1): From Prompt Engineering to Agentic AI Guest: Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist at IBM Research
📍 Website: ibm.com/watsonx
🎧 Host: Al Martin, Worldwide VP, Technical Sales, IBM
📨 Want to be a guest? Email us at [email protected]

👤 About the Guest
Dr. Ruchir Puri is IBM Fellow, Chief Scientist of IBM Research, and one of IBM’s most prolific inventors. With over 70 patents and a lead architect behind IBM’s AI breakthroughs including Watson and watsonx, Ruchir is a globally respected authority on AI, chip design, and scalable compute. He’s led groundbreaking work from Deep Blue to Agentic AI and is shaping how AI will drive the next era of enterprise transformation.

🧠 What’s Inside This Episode This episode is a masterclass in where AI is headed. Ruchir takes us on a journey from the fading relevance of prompt engineering to the rise of agentic AI systems that think, plan, execute, and reflect. You’ll hear his candid views on inference at scale, memory in systems, and why 2025 is the year of agents.

⏱️ Chapters & Timing

• 01:22 – Hints for the IBM THINK Conference
  Sneak peek into what’s coming at THINK — and what not to miss.
• 04:09 – What Drives Ruchir
  From childhood curiosity to global impact. How does a mind like his stay inspired?
• 10:00 – Where Are We Now: Feedback Systems
  Why the “training is done” mindset is outdated and how feedback loops change the game.
• 12:21 – Prompt Engineering Gone!
  Hot take alert! Ruchir declares the death of prompt engineering — and what replaces it.
• 13:39 – Inference Scaling
  How scaling inference (not just training) is the next AI frontier.
• 16:26 – Systems with Memory
  Why “forgetting” systems are failing us — and how memory transforms intelligence.
• 17:56 – Agentic AI: Think, Plan, Act, Execute, Observe, Reflect
  A full walkthrough of what makes AI “agentic” and where we’re headed next.
• 21:02 – Future of Work and MCP (Multi-Contextual Personas)
  AI in the workplace isn’t about job replacement — it’s about augmentation.
• 23:45 – 2025: The Year of Agents
  Why this year will be the breakout moment for agents in enterprise AI.
• 23:58 – The Open Ecosystem
  Open-source meets enterprise grade. Ruchir breaks it down.
• 26:38 – Agentic AI Leader
  Final thoughts on leadership in AI and how to stay ahead.

💬 Quotes to Remember

🔥 Why You Should Listen If you want a front-row seat to the future of AI — especially in enterprise environments — this is it. Ruchir combines deep tech insights with strategic vision, all while keeping it practical and human.

📩 Subscribe & Stay Ahead Follow us on your favorite platform and never miss an episode that helps you lead with tech — simply.

Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple?  Reach out to us at [email protected] and tell us why you should be next.  The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.