If you’re on a DevOps team and managing clustered apps needing rapid scaling and deployment, you may use an open-source solution called Kubernetes.

This technology is an ideal platform for cloud-based applications. But like everything in the modern era, the technology in it and around it changes too rapidly for most companies to manage. You’d need a team of ten experts in your organization to keep up—and that wouldn’t be very cost-effective.

This is the problem Haseeb Budhani recognized when he co-founded Rafay, a company that offers a Kubernetes management solution. On this edition of UpTech Report, Haseeb explains how this technology works and how it’s helping companies handle a rapidly evolving marketplace.

In part one of my conversation with Sam Caucci, the founder and CEO of 1huddle, he discussed his effort to merge corporate training with the world of mobile gaming.   

In this second part of our conversation, Sam takes us through his journey of starting a tech company with hardly any knowledge of technology, and how he managed the problem of when to build, when to sell, and when to get funding.

Perhaps one of the keys to the success of Starbucks is their digital rewards experience. You pay with your phone, earn stars, get a free drink on your birthday, and the customers love it.  

There are plenty of solutions out there for smaller businesses to compete, but they often require people to fumble through emails, QR codes, and obscure apps.   

Ivan Matkovic, the founder and CEO of Spendgo is trying to fix all that with a fully integrated commerce and marketing system for restaurants and retailers. In this edition of UpTech Report, Ivan tells how the system works and how, as he claims, it produces even better results than Starbucks.

In part one of my conversation with John Jahnke, the co-founder and CEO of Tackle, he talked about his commerce platform for software companies seeking cloud-based revenue streams.  

In this second part of our conversation, John tells us about his unlikely journey from being a college dropout to leading a technology startup—and he delivers some essential tips on the importance of understanding the people on the other end of the product.

Anyone who’s spent five minutes on the internet has encountered a myriad of personality tests—many humorous, some serious, but all offering a new reflection of what sort of person you are.   

And if you happen to be an HR person, you may want that same insight into what sort of company you have. Unfortunately, there are scant few tools to help deliver that insight. At least, that’s what Crystal Huang noticed—and that’s why she started ProSky, a company that offers a software platform to help HR managers better understand the state of their workforce so they can chart an informed course forward.   

On this edition of UpTech Report, Crystal tells us about the origins of this idea and how she hopes it will help people build stronger, more diverse companies.

In part one of my conversation with Dan Reich, the founder and CEO of Troops, he discussed his vision to build an AI assistant that bridges information between employees and software with the ease of sending texts to a friend.   

In this second part of our conversation, he talks about the importance of building a team and a product to get the funding, and he shares some thoughts on how telecommuting has dramatically increased the importance of a healthy corporate culture.

If you’ve ever been onboarded to a major company, you’ve most likely had to complete some kind of corporate training. And it was likely a painful and dispiriting experience. The materials are slow, unengaging, and for some reason perpetually antiquated. Sam Caucci, who spent his entire career managing sales teams, knew this all too well. That’s why he founded 1huddle, a company that turns corporate training into mobile gameplay.   

On this episode of UpTech Report, Sam talks about his efforts to make corporate training fun and engaging, and how he harnesses competition as a positive force in the workplace.

In part one of my conversation with Cindy McLaughlin, the CEO of Envelope, she talked about how her startup helps developers navigate the complexities of zoning laws, and the unique partnership approach they employ in their business model.   

In this second part of our conversation, Cindy tells us how she’s learned to work through all the apparent catastrophes of running a business, and how she believes a great CEO must be a great story. 

Perhaps the most significant transformation in software distribution over the past ten years has been the increasing dominance of cloud marketplaces.   

But software developers wishing to engage in a cloud marketplace are often faced with two major problems: adapting their business model and quickly completing the integration. And when you find a good marketplace opportunity, you can’t always wait six months for the engineering team to make it work.   

That’s what John Jahnke noticed when he co-founded Tackle–what he describes as a commerce platform for software companies to embrace new pathways to revenue via the cloud. In this episode of UpTech Report, John discusses the evolution of this idea, and how it works.

In part one of my conversation with Erinn Valencich, the founder and CEO of StyleRow, she discussed the platform she developed that’s targeted to bridge the needs of product management and sales for luxury designers.   

In this second part of our conversation, she tells about her early years as a horse trainer, then running the business for a lifestyle expert before starting her own interior design company at the age of 24. She also discusses how she struggled launching a new startup—but eventually managed to succeed once finally connecting with the right people.