The Tech Trek

In this episode, Shadi Rostami, the Senior Executive VP of Engineering at Amplitude, joins the podcast to discuss the role of prompt engineering in fueling innovation and speeding up hackathons. She emphasizes that prompt engineering is a team sport and explores how experimentation and data analytics can impact business outcomes. Amplitude aims to help companies build better products by leveraging data and user behavior insights. Shadi also shares her responsibilities overseeing engineering, security, and support at Amplitude. Tune in for an insightful conversation on driving innovation through prompt engineering.

Highlights:

[00:00:22] Hackathons and LLMs speeding up innovation.

[00:06:27] Features originated in hackathon.

[00:11:13] Prompt engineering and model changes.

[00:17:23] Hackathon ideas and roadmap.

[00:19:58] Relying on user behavior.

[00:22:00] Balancing hackathon experience for developers.

[00:26:06] AI as a tool for innovation.

[00:29:06] Hackathons impact business outcomes.

Shadi Rostami is SVP of engineering at leading digital analytics platform Amplitude. She is a passionate, seasoned technology leader and architect experienced in building and managing highly proficient engineering teams. Before Amplitude, she was VP of Engineering at Palo Alto Networks. She has innovated and delivered several product lines and services specializing in distributed systems, cloud computing, big data, machine learning, and security. She has a Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of British Columbia and a B.Sc. from Sharif University of Technology. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadi-rostami-b6a636/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode, Amir interviews Siddharth Ram, the CTO of Velocity Global, about the impact of hackathons on innovation. They discuss the benefits and challenges of hackathons, as well as the importance of compliance in today's borderless work environment. Siddharth explains that Velocity Global helps companies navigate hiring and compliance regulations worldwide. The hackathons at Velocity Global provide engineers with four days of uninterrupted work, fostering creativity and collaboration. Tune in to learn more about the power of hackathons in driving innovation.

Highlights:

[00:02:45] Impactful hackathon projects.

[00:05:58] Happiness and productivity in hackathons.

[00:08:37] Surprising customer impact.

[00:14:21] AI and generative AI.

[00:15:10] Celebrating customer feedback.

[00:19:07] The genesis of giving everyone three uninterrupted days.

[00:23:07] R&D/hackathon budget.

Guest:

Siddharth Ram is the CTO of Velocity Global, which helps businesses hire and manage employees in 185 countries worldwide. Before Velocity Global, he was the CTO of Inflection.com/GoodHire.com, which was acquired by Checkr.com in 2022. He held leadership positions at Intuit before this.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthram/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir talks with Keenan Wyrobek, co-founder and CTO of Zipline, about building one of the world’s largest autonomous logistics platforms. From delivering life-saving supplies in remote regions to scaling precision delivery in urban areas, Keenan shares how Zipline combines first-principles thinking, tight hardware-software integration, and customer obsession to create a mission-critical product that redefines what's possible.

🔑 Key Takeaways

Talk to the Customer, Not Just About Them: True product breakthroughs come from deeply understanding—not just listening to—customers.

Parallel Innovation: Zipline tackles hardware and software together, with dedicated teams focused on de-risking product-critical challenges.

Celebrate Speed of Learning: Zipline rewards the pace of iteration over polished perfection to maintain forward momentum.

Architect for Simplicity: Complexity is the enemy—every system must be ruthlessly simplified during the design process.

🧠 Standout Quote

“Shut up, get out, go understand what the customer needs… Every trade we make should be based on what matters to the customer.” – Keenan Wyrobek

⏱️ Timestamped Highlights

00:04 – Why engineering leaders spend a third of their time recruiting

01:50 – How Zipline evolved from medical supply drops to metro-area deliveries

04:51 – Field research before code: trips to Central America and Africa

08:18 – Prototyping from first principles and failed assumptions about drone availability

11:40 – Why Zipline had to build software reliability from scratch

14:32 – Keenan’s favorite interview technique to find first-principles thinkers

16:44 – “Bet the company” checkpoints and the conceptual/alpha/design phase breakdown

22:58 – Why risks, not domains, dictate Zipline’s team structure

25:58 – Organizing Zipline’s hardware/software teams around systems and simplicity

29:58 – How Zipline sustains motivation through customer connection and rapid learning

Privacy engineering is booming—and you don’t need a JD to join the movement. In this episode, Amir sits down with Hoang Bao, Global Head of Privacy and Data Privacy Officer at Axon (formerly at Netflix, Google, Twitch), to break down what privacy engineering is, how it overlaps with data governance, and why it’s one of the most accessible and high-impact areas emerging in tech today. Whether you're a software engineer, data professional, or policy nerd, this episode shows you how to pivot into privacy—no legal background necessary.

📌 Key Takeaways:

Privacy engineering is still defining itself—and that's an opportunity.

You don’t need a legal degree to work in privacy, but you do need to understand regulations.

Certifications + champion programs are a great entry point into the field.

The rise of AI and data complexity is accelerating demand for privacy talent.

Diverse paths exist—privacy roles can sit in legal, security, engineering, even marketing.

⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:

[00:01:06] What is privacy engineering? Why there's no universal definition yet.

[00:03:52] Data governance vs. privacy—how they intersect and where they differ.

[00:06:00] How data governance pulled Hoang into privacy nearly 20 years ago.

[00:08:00] The impact of GDPR and global regulations on team growth.

[00:10:13] The historical dominance of legal backgrounds in privacy—and why that’s changing.

[00:13:24] How non-lawyers can break into the field: certifications and community.

[00:17:00] Becoming a “privacy champion” inside your org as a tactical first step.

[00:20:00] Where privacy lives: legal, infosec, engineering, or elsewhere.

[00:21:00] Will the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) become more common?

[00:22:49] DPO vs. CPO—compliance vs. strategy roles.

[00:24:45] Why people are finally realizing they can become privacy engineers.

Featured Quote

"Even though a legal degree is not necessary, understanding the regulation and the law is important. What I've found that could help folks get that foundation is to think about certification that will give you one foot into the door."

Career Action Items

Immediate Steps:

Research IAPP certifications and privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

Identify your company's privacy team or who handles privacy functions

Connect with privacy professionals on LinkedIn

Medium-term Goals:

Volunteer as a privacy champion at your current company

Attend privacy engineering meetups and conferences

Build relationships in the privacy community

Long-term Strategy:

Consider formal privacy certification

Look for privacy-adjacent roles in your current organization

Explore opportunities at data-heavy companies

Resources & Links

International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) - iapp.org

Privacy Engineering Advisory Board

GDPR and global privacy regulations research

Why This Matters Now

With AI driving increased focus on data governance and privacy regulations expanding globally, privacy engineering sits at the intersection of technology, law, and business strategy. Companies need professionals who can implement privacy by design, not just react to compliance requirements.

The bottom line: This is your chance to get in early on a field that's about to explode. The community is small enough that networking actually works, companies desperately need help, and you don't need to go back to law school to make the transition.

Ready to explore privacy engineering? Share this episode with someone who's looking for their next career move in tech.

In this episode, Adam Jacob, CEO and co-founder of System Initiative, joins the podcast to discuss the reasons behind less than ideal results in DevOps. He explains the failure rates and highlights important insights to look for in reports. Adam also discusses the second wave of DevOps tools and their impact. The conversation delves into the work of System Initiative. This company has reimagined the workflow for DevOps work by creating a collaborative power tool that removes the challenges faced in current DevOps practices. The goal is to enhance collaboration, shorten feedback loops, and create high-fidelity models while allowing for higher-level abstractions.

Highlights

[00:00:23] Rethinking DevOps workflow.

[00:03:46] Ideal implementation of DevOps.

[00:08:35] Collaboration in remote culture.

[00:10:19] Collaboration in remote work.

[00:14:35] What's wrong with our DevOps outcomes?

[00:17:46] Lead time for cloud infrastructure.

[00:21:19] Transparency and collaboration.

[00:24:08] Collaboration and complexity in deployments.

[00:27:14] Second wave of DevOps.

[00:31:18] Second wave DevOps and change.

[00:36:02] Building something better than mediocrity.

[00:38:03] Building new deployment automation scripting language.

[00:41:15] Fixing Bad Outcomes.

Guest:

Adam Jacob is an engineering and product innovator with decades of experience designing, building, and managing large production systems. He is the CEO, Chairman, and Co-founder of System Initiative. Adam previously co-founded Chef Software was the original author of Chef, served as CTO, and was on the board of directors.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjacob/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode, Gary Cao, an Analytics leader, joins the podcast to discuss proactive and reactive states of data, defensive and offensive strategies, and the value of data in both contexts. Gary shares his extensive experience as an analytics officer leader and offers insights into how companies often misunderstand the true value of their data. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of how to leverage data for revenue generation and strategic decision-making.

Highlights:

00:01:36 Unlocking data value: Offensive vs Defensive

Guest:

Gary Cao, known as 'Mr. Ge,' provides expert guidance to CEOs and boards on analytics and AI strategy, taking on roles such as a fractional Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO) or Chief AI Officer (CAIO). Boasting a 20-year tenure as a CDAO and a seasoned founder of internal analytics startups, Cao has demonstrated a robust track record across eight companies, with revenues ranging from $40 million to $120 billion.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garycao/

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Tech Trek, and we would appreciate it if you would take a minute to rate and review us on your favorite podcast player.

Want to learn more about us? Head over at https://www.elevano.com

Have questions or want to cover specific topics with our future guests?

Please message me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

Aaron Wilkerson, Senior Manager of Data Strategy and Governance at Carhartt, joins Amir to explore how data strategy connects directly to business performance. In this conversation, Aaron shares how Carhartt’s 130 year old mission of serving hardworking people shapes every data decision, from governance and forecasting to AI adoption. He explains how data leaders can move beyond reporting and plumbing to owning outcomes, influencing revenue, and earning a true seat at the table.

Key Takeaways
• Data strategy only works when it’s tied to the company’s “why.” At Carhartt, that means reflecting the brand’s values of durability, service, and accountability across every data initiative.
• Earning a seat at the table means proving that data impacts sales, cost savings, or risk reduction, not just reporting.
• Governance and change management are about people, not just processes. Education and accountability drive transformation.
• AI and advanced analytics create value only when rooted in solid data and business alignment.
• The Chief Data Officer role is shifting from defense (governance) to offense (growth and revenue influence).

Timestamped Highlights
[02:15] Connecting brand identity to data strategy and why “wearing the product” matters for understanding the business.
[06:57] Making the case for data as a revenue critical process and the real meaning of having a seat at the table.
[10:46] Balancing long planning cycles with fast moving marketing and e commerce needs.
[18:21] Change management as the hidden skill behind successful data governance.
[25:33] Why data teams struggle to show ROI and what they can learn from marketing.
[28:29] The evolution of the Chief Data Officer role and why accountability is the next frontier.

A Line That Sticks
“Even the best AI can’t outwork a bad process or a team that doesn’t know how they fit into it.” — Aaron Wilkerson

Pro Tips
• Tie every data project to a measurable outcome such as revenue growth, cost reduction, or efficiency.
• Build internal champions by solving real problems, not by adding extra work.
• Learn from sales and marketing since they’ve mastered attribution and ROI storytelling.

Call to Action
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