The Tech Trek

In this episode, Ofer Shterling, CTO of Amberflo.io, joins the podcast to discuss the evolution of the CTPO role (Chief Technology and Product Officer). They dive into why this role is becoming a trend and why companies are adopting it. Ofer also explains the main problem his company solves - the pricing problem for businesses. They believe that measuring usage and understanding customer behavior can help companies achieve their pricing objectives. The conversation also touches on Ofer's decision to join a startup and the importance of product and ideation in his role. Please tune in to learn more about the CTPO role and its impact on companies. Highlights: [00:01:02] Solving the pricing problem. [00:05:11] The CTO as CPO. [00:10:11] Not scalable as CTO. [00:14:23] Balancing passion, compassion, and inner peace. Ofer Shterling is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Amberflo.io. He joined the company nearly three years ago, shortly after it secured seed funding, as one of the first two founding engineers. Ofer played a pivotal role in developing many of Amberflo's core pipelines and now serves as the CTO, guiding the company's technological direction. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofer-shterling-32739b31---- 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, host Amir interviews Ramiro Berrelleza, the founder and CEO of Okteto. They discuss the concept of building software cheaper and faster, exploring the changing landscape of development costs and productivity. They also delve into the impact of tools like GitHub Copilot on team efficiency and delivery. Ramiro highlights how Okteto's platform automates development workflows in Kubernetes, allowing developers to focus on coding and creating value rather than setting up environments manually. The conversation explores the challenge of balancing cost, speed, and quality in software development. Tune in to gain insights into optimizing development processes and achieving cost-effective results. Highlights: [00:02:30] Producing software cheaper and faster. [00:05:57] Cost savings through automation. [00:09:14] Sizing environments correctly. [00:12:04] Agile tools. [00:17:07] Feedback loop in development. [00:20:23] Customer feedback. [00:23:45] Bridging the gap as companies grow. [00:27:39] Innovating the web experience. Ramiro Berrelleza is the CEO and Co-founder of Okteto, the leading platform for Development Experience Automation. With over 20 years of experience in engineering, Ramiro is a seasoned professional with a passion for building developer tooling. A visionary, Ramiro is always looking for ways to improve the software development process. He firmly believes that building modern applications is a team sport and understands the importance of removing friction from the development process. He is also a passionate advocate for building a more inclusive tech industry. With Ramiro at the helm, Okteto is well-positioned to continue to grow and shape the way companies architect development experience for their teams. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramiroberrelleza/ ---- 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 Ugur Tigli, the CTO of MinIO, a high-performance object storage company. They discuss the infrastructure components of cloud storage, data protection, operating models, and costs and how they tie into AI workloads. Ugur explains that MinIO is an open-source, S3-compatible distributed object storage solution popular for its simplicity and ease of deployment. They also delve into why MinIO chose the open-source path and its benefits. Listen to the episode to learn more about cloud and AI workloads and the impact on cloud costs.  Highlights [00:02:40] Dual licensing model. [00:04:15] Open source and security. [00:07:36] AI and data growth. [00:14:15] Complex data infrastructure evolution. [00:16:39] Object storage simplification. [00:20:19] AI and storage cost. [00:24:07] Integrating with external systems. Ugur Tigli is CTO at MinIO. In this current role, he oversees enterprise strategy and interfaces with MinIO’s enterprise client base. He helps clients architect and deploy API-driven, cloud-native, and scalable enterprise-grade data infrastructure using MinIO. Ugur has almost two decades of experience building high-performance data infrastructure for global financial institutions. Before MinIO, he was a technology leader at Bank of America, serving as the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Hardware Engineering. He joined Bank of America through the acquisition of Merrill Lynch, where he was the Vice President for Storage Engineering. Ugur has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lafayette College. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ugur-tigli-9a9323/ 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, we have Max Bruner, founder and CEO of Anzen, a marketplace for executive liability insurance. Max shares his unconventional journey from foreign policy to becoming a founder in the insurance industry. He discusses Anzen's mission and how they are working to accelerate change in the insurance sector. Additionally, Max talks about the impact of AI and the challenges of securing funding. Tune in to gain insights into Max's unique career path and the innovative work being done at Anzen. Highlights: [00:01:18] A path through foreign policy. [00:04:10] Educating about the world. [00:08:12] Learning about new technology. [00:13:12] Risk insurance and its appeal. [00:15:20] Applying AI to existing industries. [00:19:06] Becoming a technology company. [00:23:44] Helping founders and building companies. Max Bruner, CEO and Founder of Anzen Insurance, a platform that is saving insurance brokers and companies thousands of hours and tons of stress, that has raised $10 Million in funding.--- 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 introduces two guests, Ajax Trueblood and Chris Ieva, who discuss the book "Bastards and Brothers" written by Ajax. The book focuses on the Marines and their fight for al-Qaim in Iraq. Ajax, a retired Air Force intel officer, shares his motivations for writing the book, while Chris, a Marine who served in Iraq, provides his unique perspective. The conversation delves into the book's significance and connections to everyday experiences, including agile practices.  Highlights [00:03:53] Dark times in Iraq. [00:07:36] Marine battalion's fascinating story. [00:14:48] John Boyd and the OODA Loop [00:16:27] The OODA Loop concept. [00:20:23] Thinking in cycles [00:25:51] Rules for winning firefights. [00:29:19] The courage it takes. [00:34:26] Coordinated strike on enemy. [00:36:14] Marines rushing headlong into combat. [00:39:10] Tying explosives on a rope. [00:47:20] Communication techniques and gratitude. [00:50:27] Building trust through honest communication. [00:54:18] Risk and decision-making. [00:59:02] Fighting with a small footprint. [01:02:32] Outreach to local tribes. [01:07:46] The ripple of wartime experience. --- 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)

Prashanth Sarpamale, CEO of Althea.ai, joins to break down the changing world of healthcare analytics and what it takes to move from chief analytics officer to the top seat in a company. He explains how data, AI, and real patient needs come together inside complex health systems. He also shares what leaders need to learn if they want to make the jump from technical roles to full business ownership.Key Takeaways● Healthcare analytics is shifting from simple reporting to a core driver of outcomes, cost control, and patient experience.● Interoperability remains the biggest blocker. Systems must share data faster so AI can actually help with prediction and prevention.● The analytics leader of today is expected to impact revenue, cost, and long term strategy rather than only produce dashboards.● Moving from CDAO to CEO requires a strong focus on customers, P and L ownership, and comfort with business level risk.● Leaders who want to grow must learn to speak the language of the business and embrace unfamiliar challenges.Timestamped Highlights00:48 How Althea.ai brings health equity and patient engagement together with analytics02:59 What healthcare analytics really tries to solve for patients and payers08:27 Why data sharing and interoperability still slow the entire system15:11 Where AI will show real progress first inside healthcare18:44 How a chief analytics officer builds the right base to lead a company23:02 What technical leaders should practice if they want to move toward a CEO roleA Standout Idea“Data and analytics used to support the business. Now it increasingly is the business.”Pro Tips Shared in the Conversation● Always connect analytics work to business outcomes and customer value.● Learn how your data products fit into the day to day operations of the company.● Take on roles that stretch you beyond technology so you can practice real ownership.Call to ActionIf this conversation helped you think differently about data leadership, follow the show and leave a quick rating. Share the episode with someone who wants to make the jump from technical expert to business leader.

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/ --- 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)