The Hitchhiker's Guide Podcast

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney welcomes Matt DeBergalis, co-founder and CEO of Apollo GraphQL, to explore how enterprises can tame API sprawl, accelerate development, and unlock scalability through a federated approach to APIs.

DeBergalis has spent his career at the intersection of open source, developer experience, and enterprise architecture. From his early days championing the social vision of open-source software to leading Apollo in redefining how APIs power modern applications, his journey underscores the deep connection between technical progress and human collaboration.

The conversation covers:

• Why API complexity has exploded in the era of microservices and multi-cloud — and what that means for dev and infra teams
• How GraphQL simplifies orchestration across fragmented systems, from retail logistics to omnichannel hospitality experiences
• Why API federation helps teams ship faster while minimizing coordination overhead
• The role of APIs in powering next-generation AI agents and hyper-personalized customer experiences
• Real-world examples from The New York Times, Major League Baseball, and Cisco showing how GraphQL enables scalability and innovation
• Practical steps for IT leaders to modernize legacy systems and API strategies without overwhelming their teams

Whether you’re navigating legacy systems, seeking to unify siloed APIs, or preparing your infrastructure for the AI-driven future, this episode offers a clear roadmap for moving faster — without sacrificing security, performance, or developer experience.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney sits down with Nabil Bukhari, Chief Technology & Product Officer and GM of Subscriptions at Extreme Networks, to explore how IT leaders can scale smarter in today’s hybrid, AI-driven landscape—where every infrastructure decision has ripple effects on agility, cost, and resilience.

With decades of experience leading infrastructure transformation across global enterprises, Nabil shares how organizations can move beyond tactical decisions to build scalable, outcome-aligned strategies. He breaks down why functional silos are breaking down, how platforms are replacing scattered SaaS sprawl, and what it really takes to prepare for the future of AI and edge computing.

The conversation covers:

• Why starting with business outcomes—not technology—is key to smart infrastructure decisions
• How to avoid vendor lock-in while maintaining strong strategic partnerships with cloud providers
• What distinguishes a true platform from a bundle of SaaS tools—and why that matters for scale and governance
• The ARC model (Accelerate, Replace, Create) for deploying AI initiatives that matter
• How AI is reshaping leadership expectations—and why C-suite roles must evolve or risk becoming obsolete
• Preparing for the shift from centralized AI to edge-native intelligence

Tune in for a bold, business-first perspective on what’s next for IT infrastructure, from one of the industry’s top voices in networking and cloud innovation.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney is joined by Jaro Tomik, Chief Technologist and Digital Enablement Expert at CDW UK, to tackle a big question: How many human-centered designers does it take to implement AIOps?

As IT teams face growing pressure to automate, predict, and self-heal, Jaro breaks down why cultural roadblocks, poor data hygiene, and outdated processes continue to stall progress. With a sharp focus on end-user experience and data orchestration, he outlines a vision for zero-ticket futures where automation quietly resolves issues—before users even notice them.

You’ll learn:

• Why IT still struggles with bad data and invisible processes
• How zero-ticket ops flip the script on traditional service desks
• The role of human-centered design in scaling automation
• What predictive self-healing actually looks like in practice
• Why the real risk isn’t AI—it’s ignoring how to use it effectively
• How business leaders are bypassing IT’s self-reported metrics

Jaro’s perspective blends practical experience with big-picture thinking. If your team is exploring automation, AIOps, or just wants fewer support tickets, this is your starting point.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney sits down with Justyn Hornor, CEO of I/ONX, to explore how heterogeneous compute is reshaping enterprise infrastructure. With two decades of experience across AI, ML systems, and hardware optimization, Justyn shares why a flexible, composable approach to infrastructure is essential for scaling high-performance and AI workloads.

The conversation covers:

• Why traditional CPU-GPU models are no longer enough for AI-driven enterprises
• How heterogeneous compute unlocks performance, power efficiency, and cost savings
• A real-world use case where pre-processing on ASICs cut GPU needs by 40%
• The orchestration layer needed to manage diverse chips across racks and data centers
• What IT leaders can do to start small without ripping and replacing
• How composable infrastructure future-proofs organizations for evolving workloads

Whether you're training complex models, optimizing inference, or just trying to get more from existing infrastructure, this episode delivers practical insights for navigating today’s compute demands.

Listen in to learn how to move beyond vendor lock-in, reduce energy consumption, and build an infrastructure that grows with your AI strategy.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney sits down with Justyn Hornor, CEO of I/ONX, to explore how heterogeneous compute is reshaping enterprise infrastructure. With two decades of experience across AI, ML systems, and hardware optimization, Justyn shares why a flexible, composable approach to infrastructure is essential for scaling high-performance and AI workloads.

The conversation covers:

• Why traditional CPU-GPU models are no longer enough for AI-driven enterprises
• How heterogeneous compute unlocks performance, power efficiency, and cost savings
• A real-world use case where pre-processing on ASICs cut GPU needs by 40%
• The orchestration layer needed to manage diverse chips across racks and data centers
• What IT leaders can do to start small without ripping and replacing
• How composable infrastructure future-proofs organizations for evolving workloads

Whether you're training complex models, optimizing inference, or just trying to get more from existing infrastructure, this episode delivers practical insights for navigating today’s compute demands.

Listen in to learn how to move beyond vendor lock-in, reduce energy consumption, and build an infrastructure that grows with your AI strategy.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney is joined by Jaro Tomik, Chief Technologist and Digital Enablement Expert at CDW UK, to tackle a big question: How many human-centered designers does it take to implement AIOps?

As IT teams face growing pressure to automate, predict, and self-heal, Jaro breaks down why cultural roadblocks, poor data hygiene, and outdated processes continue to stall progress. With a sharp focus on end-user experience and data orchestration, he outlines a vision for zero-ticket futures where automation quietly resolves issues—before users even notice them.

You’ll learn:

• Why IT still struggles with bad data and invisible processes
• How zero-ticket ops flip the script on traditional service desks
• The role of human-centered design in scaling automation
• What predictive self-healing actually looks like in practice
• Why the real risk isn’t AI—it’s ignoring how to use it effectively
• How business leaders are bypassing IT’s self-reported metrics

Jaro’s perspective blends practical experience with big-picture thinking. If your team is exploring automation, AIOps, or just wants fewer support tickets, this is your starting point.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney sits down with Esteban Sancho, CTO for North America at Globant, to unpack how enterprise IT leaders can scale with clarity—balancing innovation, AI adoption, and infrastructure reliability across legacy and cloud-native environments.

With decades of hands-on transformation experience for brands like Disney, Formula One, and the LA Clippers, Esteban shares how organizations can move beyond hype cycles to architect purposeful, sustainable change. From digitizing physical customer experiences to avoiding AI overreach, he highlights the human, operational, and technical layers that make or break enterprise modernization.

The conversation covers:

• Why technical hurdles are rarely the biggest blockers in IT transformation
• How to focus AI efforts by mapping end-to-end processes, not just experimenting with tools
• Balancing innovation with operational discipline in cloud and legacy systems
• The role of nearshoring in high-touch, global IT delivery
• Common misconceptions about digital transformation that hold companies back
• A forward-looking take on robotics and the next phase of the AI revolution

Tune in for a practical and insightful roadmap to modernizing infrastructure with purpose, not panic.

In this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney sits down with Esteban Sancho, CTO for North America at Globant, to unpack how enterprise IT leaders can scale with clarity—balancing innovation, AI adoption, and infrastructure reliability across legacy and cloud-native environments.

With decades of hands-on transformation experience for brands like Disney, Formula One, and the LA Clippers, Esteban shares how organizations can move beyond hype cycles to architect purposeful, sustainable change. From digitizing physical customer experiences to avoiding AI overreach, he highlights the human, operational, and technical layers that make or break enterprise modernization.

The conversation covers:

• Why technical hurdles are rarely the biggest blockers in IT transformation
• How to focus AI efforts by mapping end-to-end processes, not just experimenting with tools
• Balancing innovation with operational discipline in cloud and legacy systems
• The role of nearshoring in high-touch, global IT delivery
• Common misconceptions about digital transformation that hold companies back
• A forward-looking take on robotics and the next phase of the AI revolution

Tune in for a practical and insightful roadmap to modernizing infrastructure with purpose, not panic.

For IT leaders navigating the SAP S/4HANA migration, the biggest mistake is thinking it’s just another routine upgrade. In this Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT soundbite, Christopher Carter, Chairman and CEO of Approyo, shares three critical steps every organization must take to ensure a successful transition.

First, have a real plan of action. Many IT leaders, Carter says, are still approaching S/4 as if it were a simple ECC upgrade. It’s not. Second, prioritize organizational change management. Your team may know ECC, but S/4 is an entirely different environment—and they need support to adapt.

Finally, partner with experts who’ve done it before. “It’s not just bits and pieces,” Carter explains. “It is a whole platform evolution.” S/4 is more than a technical shift—it’s a strategic one.

In this Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT soundbite, Pete Sacco, Founder and President of Inspirica IT Solutions, highlights a critical evolution in infrastructure thinking: the normalization of hybrid data centers. Even among cloud-heavy enterprises and government organizations, there’s a growing understanding that hybrid environments are here to stay.

Sacco points to Pfizer as a leading example. Despite being a highly cloud-centric organization, Pfizer operates more than 1,100 edge sites globally—proof that even companies fully invested in the cloud still maintain distributed infrastructure for resilience, performance, and strategic flexibility.

According to Sacco, this shift isn’t unique to global giants. Enterprises of all sizes are recognizing that a balanced mix of cloud, edge, and co-location is essential for managing modern workloads and preparing for future demands.