Paul and Paul Podcast

How prepared is your organization for the next major outage? In this episode, Paul Papasavvas and Paul Varnedoe break down the business case for resilience, explain modern AWS disaster recovery strategies, and share practical guidance on selecting the right recovery model, defining RTO and RPO, and validating your plan through testing and chaos engineering. Learn how resilience can become a competitive advantage—not just an IT requirement.

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!

Paul Papasavvas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/

Paul Varnedoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

If your organization is exploring or already using generative AI, this episode is a must-listen.

Without proper governance, even the most promising AI initiatives can quickly lead to sensitive data leaks, surprise six-figure bills, compliance violations, or outputs that erode customer trust. Gartner predicts that up to 40% of agentic and advanced AI projects will be scrapped by 2027 due to governance gaps.

We sat down with our colleague Andy Mears to break down a practical, fast-to-implement approach to AI governance.

1/ How to form a cross-functional Steering Committee 

2/ Four essential initial policy areas:

- Content Safety & Acceptable Use

- Data Handling, Privacy & PII Protection

- Model Selection, Approval & Fairness

- Cost Management & Resource Allocation

3/ Quick wins using powerful AWS tools:

- Guardrails for Bedrock

- Bedrock Model Evaluations

- AWS Budgets

This isn’t a months-long theoretical project. You can put real governance guardrails in place in hours and start iterating from there.

You can find Andy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmears1/

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!

Paul Papasavvas - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/⁠⁠
Paul Varnedoe - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

We sat down with Juan-Carlos Gutierrez, Managing Director of Tech & Innovation for N. America at AWS, for a thoughtful conversation into what often gets overlooked amid all the AI buzz: the human element. We cover:

- Why leadership virtues like humility, kindness, diligence, patience, and gratitude (not just technical skills) are essential for thriving in an AI-augmented world

- Building an Agentic-first mentality — shifting from wishing to doing, auditing roles for AI augmentation, and experimenting daily to build "AI muscle memory"

- The critical role of emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and co-creation — because AI amplifies human potential but can't replace empathy, judgment, creativity, or true collaboration

- Formula 1-inspired insight: The best results come from intense partnership with the "machine" (AI agents), not passive use — just like legendary drivers who co-engineered their cars to dominance

Whether you're a leader navigating AI in your org, a professional looking to future-proof your career, or just curious about the intersection of tech and humanity—this one's for you.

You can find JC on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juancarlosgutierrez/

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!

Paul Papasavvas - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/⁠

Paul Varnedoe - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

Discover how Agentic AI is transforming the cloud migration and modernization journey. In this episode, Paul and Paul sit down with AWS leader Bob Kellogg to explore AWS Transform—a groundbreaking AI-driven service that automates assessments, accelerates VMware migrations, modernizes .NET apps, and even refactors mainframes. Learn how human-in-the-loop AI tools like Q Developer are reshaping development speed, reducing risk, and redefining what’s possible in the move to the cloud!

You can find Bob on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertbkellogg/

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!

Paul Papasavvas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/

Paul Varnedoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

Dive into the cutting-edge intersection of sustainability and custom silicon in cloud computing with the Paul & Paul Podcast. Join hosts Paul Papasavvas and Paul Varnedoe as they welcome Ron Hayman, a Senior Leader in AWS Customer Solutions. Discover how AWS's innovative chips like Graviton, Trainium, and Inferentia are revolutionizing energy efficiency and performance. Learn about sustainability OF, IN, and THROUGH the cloud, and how companies are leveraging these technologies to reduce costs and carbon footprints. Don't miss this insightful exploration of the future of sustainable computing!

And you can also read Ron’s blog on how you can achieve Sustainability goals with a Cloud Center of Excellence: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/apn/how-aws-partners-can-achieve-sustainability-goals-with-a-cloud-center-of-excellence/

You can find Ron on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronhayman/

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!

Paul Papasavvas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/

Paul Varnedoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

Dive into Amazon's innovation playbook with Amanda Henke, a senior AWS leader, as she reveals the four key pillars that drive Amazon's culture of invention: Culture, Mechanisms, Architecture, and Organization. Learn how Amazon transforms bold ideas into reality through customer obsession, calculated risk-taking, and the 'Working Backwards Framework.' Discover practical insights on fostering innovation, from two-way door decisions to learning from failures, and understand why speed matters in today's business landscape.
You can find Amanda on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-leigh-henke-b12380a/
As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!
Paul Papasavvas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/
Paul Varnedoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/

Hello Paul and Paul listeners and welcome to the first episode of 2025! Today we will dive into the world of data analytics with AWS expert Lesong Chang, a Principal Specialist in Data and Analytics, to discuss what it truly means to be data-driven and why it's crucial for business success. We uncover common analytics use cases, challenges in implementing data strategies, and insights on how Gen AI is shaping the field. Whether you're a data novice or a seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable perspectives on leveraging analytics to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge in today's data-rich landscape.

You can find Lesong on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesong-chang-14b7695/

As always, let us know if you have ideas for future episodes, and what you’d like to hear us talk about!
Paul Papasavvas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-papasavvas/
Paul Varnedoe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvarnedoe/