Numbers and Narrative

Lowell Putnam - Co-founder and CEO of Quovo

Summary: How to build a data science startup for investment data

Interview Timeline 

- Introduction to Quovo and basic terminology

- (08:00) What gave birth to Quovo after the crisis?

- (16:50) How Quovo uses data and could use other types of data

- (21:10) Security

- (23:01) How Putnam got interested in numbers

- (26:15) Putnam as a self-taught developer and managing Quovo

- (37:30) Communicating with investors - overconfidence

- (38:40) Startups, disruptors, and big business

- (40:30) Reflections on the current economy and predictions for the future

- (47:10) Where has your peer group moved?

- (50:15) Hiring, recruiting, and retaining

Alan Wilkis - Head Honcho at Wildcassettes, an independent record label

Summary: Turning Big Data and post-modern paranoia into a hit band

Interview Timeline  

- (04:44) Stories from traveling on the road and Wilkis' music career

- (09:24) How Allan got started in the music industry

- (13:24) Wilkis describes his music, lifestyle, and influences

- (23:55) How Wilkis started forming bands and becoming successful in the music industry 

- (30:06) Wilkis finds Joywave and the growth of Big Data the band 

- (40:34) Podcast conclusion and Wilkis plugs Big Data

Jordan Bar Am - VP, Sales and Business Development at DipJar

Summary: Labor activist turned-tech entrepreneur chases passion and profit

Interview Timeline

- (01:19) Introduction to Dipjar

- (04:25) Building the team with nontechnical co-founders

- (06:48) Finding and vetting engineers

- (08:35) How does Dipjar motivate the engineering team?

- (10:21) Dipjar's status

- (14:11) Why Jordan started Dipjar

- (15:18) Jordan's career path

- (17:23) Bringing a data driven approach to business

- (20:24) How starting Dipjar changes Jordan's perspective

- (24:08) Realizing the vision of Dipjar

- (26:05) How did you increase your technical knowledge?

- (28:06) Jordan, where are your colleagues now?

- (30:41) Moving from a analytic idea to a compelling narrative

- (32:38) The future of Dipjar