The Tech Trek

In this episode, Engin Anil, the VP of Software Engineering at Gatik, joins the podcast to discuss the complexities and challenges in the autonomous vehicle space. Amir and Engin explore the sophistication of autonomous vehicle technology and the need to build confidence and trust in these vehicles. The episode sheds light on the intricate nature of coding for autonomous vehicles, comparing it to the coding required for Boeing or Airbus airplanes. Tune in to gain insights into the impacts and complexities of autonomous vehicles and the software behind them.

Highlights:

[00:01:05] Complexity of autonomous vehicles. 

[00:05:48] Differentiating between vehicles. 

[00:10:38] Transferable skills in computer vision. 

[00:13:41] Ramp up on history 

[00:18:04] Cross-disciplinary work in perception. 

[00:19:13] Perception problem in AI algorithms. 

[00:23:01] The magnitude of ambition.

Guest:

Engin Anil is the VP of Software Engineering at Gatik. Engin focuses on operational excellence in autonomous technology and robotics by hyper-focusing organizations on what is important. He empowers engineering, product, and operations teams to take products to market quicker by rapid development and customer feedback iterations. He bridges his teams and executive leadership, ensuring open communications. Engin creates a safe environment where people can lean on both individual and team strengths while continuing to learn and grow. Engin earned a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University.

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

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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, Phanii Pydimarri, Head of Strategic Planning and Partnerships at Healthcare Service Corporation, joins the podcast to discuss the topic of productizing data. They explore this process's opportunities, challenges, and common mistakes. Phanii shares insights on the mindset required to view data as a product effectively. Tune in to gain valuable insights into productizing data and its impact on healthcare analytics.

Highlights:

[00:02:33] Productizing data. 

[00:04:23] Transitioning to digital productization. 

[00:07:17] Siloed nature within an organization. 

[00:13:10] Data product manager roles. 

[00:15:28] Data products in organizations. 

[00:19:27] Internal vs. external data products. 

[00:23:32] Internal products and data leaders. 

[00:25:59] Lack of clear vision.

Guest:  

Phanii Pydimarri is an industry-agnostic Global Digital, Product, and Data Analytics Leader in driving Digital Transformation, Commercialization, and end-to-end Data Management with key focus areas such as Strategy, Data Analytics, Business Transformation, Product Management, and Customer Success. He has a Master of Science in Computer Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and an Executive MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

Phanii has extensive experience working for organizations across the US in different industries. He is a strong believer in economies of scale, is outcome-driven, and is passionate about solving key business challenges by using Digital and Data technologies. He has strong experience using Data Science to drive innovation and improve key operational metrics and has experience standing up Data Governance programs across various public and private sector organizations. Phanii has successful experience in Productizing Data, AI, and other Digital products with the right Go-To-Market strategies and achieving commercial value for Fortune 500 organizations. Over the years, Phanii has transformed cultures and delivered digital and data solutions that can be leveraged to deliver measurable outcomes to drive organizational goals.

Phanii sits on multiple Data & Analytics and Product advisory boards and is a regular public speaker. Some notable organizations include Chief Data Officer Magazine, Modal.ai, the International Society of CDOs (isCDO), and Evanta. He won CDO 40 under 40 and the Top 50 Data & Analytics Professional award for 2023.

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

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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 meat https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirbormand (Amir Bormand)

In this episode, Amir Bormand interviews Joel Dolisy, the CTO of WellSky. They discuss different aspects of organizational design regarding innovation versus transformation, PE versus VC, and different company sizes. Joel also explains how WellSky provides software solutions and analytics capabilities to help healthcare organizations optimize patient care and performance across the acute, post-acute, and community care continuum. 

00:03:30 Organizational design requires maximizing collaboration.

00:05:28 Anticipate changes and innovate.

00:10:49 Software as an enabler.

00:16:23 Balancing innovation and risk.

00:23:08 Context is vital for growth.

00:28:56 Design principles guide organizational growth.

Guest:

In his role as chief technology officer, Joel Dolisy manages both product development and information technology for WellSky. Before joining WellSky as CTO, Joel was CTO of Kinnser Software, leading the company’s engineering and product organizations. Before Kinnser, Joel was SVP, CTO, and CIO for SolarWinds, a leading provider of IT management software. With more than 20 years of experience in product strategy and software engineering, Joel is a leader in developing and delivering commercial software products to market.

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

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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, Kris Shinn, the VP of Engineering at Consensus, shares insights on scaling a single-focus engineering team to a broader or different type of engineering team. The conversation covers the impact on engineering leaders and engineers, managing tribal knowledge, and accommodating different preferences in organization size. Kris also provides an overview of Consensus, a blockchain company specializing in the Ethereum ecosystem. Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on navigating team growth and adapting to a changing industry.

Highlights:

00:00:09 Scaling a single-focused engineering team

00:05:45 Leaders must evolve and adapt.

00:11:08 Managing change requires clear communication.

00:18:10 Navigating career growth in scaling companies.

00:22:10 Importance of process in scaling.

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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 podcast episode, Amir Bormand interviews Cassie Brown, the VP of Engineering at Bitly. They discuss the importance of the relationship between customer success and engineering teams in improving customer experience. They delve into topics such as feedback loops, improving triage, and ultimately driving adoption and usage. Cassie shares her responsibilities as VP of Engineering at Bitly and the company's mission as a connections platform. Overall, this episode highlights the significance of collaboration between customer success and engineering in enhancing the customer experience.

Highlights:

[00:02:50] Bridging the gap between engineering and customer support.

[00:06:25] Michelin star restaurant analogy. 

[00:08:27] Investigating and resolving issues. 

[00:13:22] Building relationships for success. 

[00:18:22] Service stewardship and bug management.

Guest:

Cassandra Brown is Bitly’s VP of Engineering. She is a people-first leader who manages engineering efforts for Bitly's core product – she ensures that the functionality takes into account user experience and that Bitly can scale and provide a quality experience for all of our users.

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

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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 Bormand interviews Salil Joshi, the VP of Engineering at Viant Technology. They discuss the topic of new managers and how to help them succeed. They also touch on the importance of building on their strengths and what they should do in anticipation of becoming a manager. They explore how to measure the effectiveness of a new manager. Salil explains the role of digital advertising and the demand side platform in connecting advertisers with consumers. Overall, this episode offers valuable insights for new and aspiring engineering managers.

Highlights:

[00:01:02] Advertising platform explained. 

[00:07:33] Essential and effective management. 

[00:11:02] Mentorship and career growth. 

[00:12:05] Closing the skills gap. 

[00:18:04] AMC Framework 

[00:21:31] Asking the right questions. 

[00:26:34] Hiring pressure for new managers. 

[00:30:09] Adjusting the hiring bar. 

[00:34:09] The definition of done. 

Guest:

Salil Joshi is a VP of Engineering at Viant Technology. He has 23 years of software industry experience, including 17 as a line manager, 5+ as a manager-of-managers leading multiple onsite and off-shore engineering teams, and 10 years of hands-on software development experience in scalable, distributed, cloud, storage, virtualization, and networking systems. He has experience in SDLC / waterfall, Agile development, and Scrum processes. Salil has worked in Startups and large organizations, service-based and product-based. He holds six patents granted by USPTO and has more than four patents pending.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salil-joshi-52a2334/

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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 Bormand interviews Vinny Sharma, Managing Director at Ernst & Young, about delivery frameworks. They discuss the importance of being a good listener and understanding the root cause of a problem before implementing a solution. Vinny shares his expertise in cloud engineering, cloud-native development, IoT, and agile delivery.

Highlights:

 [00:01:33] Consulting and listening skills. 

 [00:03:52] Short-term wins and long-term vision

 [00:09:05] Transformation Approach in Business. 

 [00:13:32] Creating a value framework.

 [00:16:57] AI and its impact. 

 [00:19:33] Tech maturity and data reliance.

Guest:

As a Transformation Leader, Vinny Sharma leads Emerging technology practices, including Cloud transformation, Cloud native development, Industry 4.0, IOT, DevSecOps, and tech modernization globally. Playing a key technology leadership role around how the various Emerging Technologies, processes, and strategies tie into end-to-end Digital transformation roadmap to drive additional value and efficiencies for Fortune 500 organizations worldwide.

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

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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 Ryan Fox, VP of Engineering at Super, about their journey with developer internal tooling and CICD. Ryan talks about the growth of the engineering team and the current focus on internal tooling. He discusses how the team views these internal tools as a competitive advantage.

Highlights:

[00:00:00] Super's journey and growth. 

[00:04:27] Mission-aligned teams. 

[00:08:33] Elastic Beanstalk's limitations. 

[00:13:26] Canarying support. 

[00:17:00] Deploy time and frequency. 

[00:19:27] Engineering team competitive advantage. 

[00:24:37] How to measure team productivity. 

[00:26:55] Continuous deployment and lessons learned. 

[00:31:09] Maintaining end-to-end testing.

Guest:

Ryan Fox is the VP of Engineering at Super.com, a mobile commerce and fintech platform focused on saving money for people who need to save, not just want to save. Super.com is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in North America and has raised more than USD 100 million to date. Previously, Ryan worked as both a SWE and SRE at Google, where he worked on systems handling millions of requests per second.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-m-fox/

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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, Carlos Peralta, the Director of Data Engineering and Cloud Platform at Moderna Therapeutics, joins Amir Bormand to discuss data transformation and its role as a growth driver. He also highlights his responsibilities as the Director of Cloud Data Platform, which include data strategy, acquisition, and organization. Tune in to learn more about aligning company needs, ROI and overcoming challenges in delivering short-term and long-term data solutions.

Highlights:

[00:02:34] Data transformation and growth.

[00:03:40] Cloud infrastructure and services.

[00:09:09] Offensive capabilities of data.

[00:12:30] Enabling business stakeholders with data.

[00:16:28] New trends in technology.

[00:19:34] Handling urgent requests outside the roadmap.

[00:24:33] Cloud transformation challenges.

[00:25:36] Skill transfer to the cloud.

Carlos Peralta has built, acquired, and scaled technology companies from inception to successful acquisitions by publicly-traded large enterprise companies as a strategic and cloud data platform enthusiast.

Throughout his 18+ year career, he has managed, developed, and launched state-of-the-art cloud data platforms, including the Moderna Cloud Data Platform that supports multiple studies today.

Additionally, Mr. Peralta has been selected to present multiple times at AWS Reinvent on Data Management, Data Platform, AWS Data Exchange, and ETL tools and how they speed, improve, centralize, and standardize data acquisition across the pharma space.

Carlos Peralta holds a BS In Computer Science from the EAN University in Colombia and recently completed an Executive HBS Program at Harvard focused on Data Enablement / AI. He has extensive experience in strategic partnership development, distributed systems, AWS Services, data centers, and cloud infrastructure operations at scale.
Outside of work, Carlos enjoys playing golf, world traveling, practicing CrossFit, and spending time with his wife.  His profile can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-a-peralta/

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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, Randy Bean joins the podcast to discuss the evolving role of data and AI leadership. As an advisor to Fortune 1000 CEOs and a best-selling author, Randy shares insights on the challenges companies face in becoming data-driven and how to build a data culture. He draws from his diverse background in the industry to provide valuable expertise on leveraging data for business success. Tune in to learn more about the lessons in data-driven leadership in an age of disruption, big data, and AI.

Highlights:

[00:03:06] The evolving role of data and AI leadership. 

[00:04:00] Evolution of the CDO role.

[00:09:01] Power of data in organizations. 

[00:12:20] Culture as a barrier. 

[00:17:05] Adoption of digital banking. 

[00:21:06] Getting business value from data and analytics investments

[00:24:00] Ethics and privacy in data.

Randy Bean has been an advisor to Fortune 1000 organizations on data-driven leadership for 3+ decades.  He was CEO of NewVantage Partners, an advisory firm to Fortune 1000 firms on data leadership, which he founded in 2001 and was acquired by Paris-based global consultancy, Wavestone in December 2021.   Randy is the author of the bestselling Fail Fast, Learn Faster: Lessons in Data-Driven Leadership in an Age of Disruption, Big Data, and AI, and a current contributor to Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and MIT Sloan Management Review. Randy serves as Innovation Fellow, Data Strategy for Paris-based consultancy Wavestone.  You can follow him on LinkedIn at RandyBeanNVP.

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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)