The Tech Trek

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. Before Bitly, Cassandra earned a Master’s in Computer Information Systems and held roles at Cloud Elements and Oracle. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandradbrown/ --- 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/ --- 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/ --- 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/ --- 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/ --- 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. --- 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 Emilio Schapira, VP of Engineering at Clear Street. They discuss the importance of innovation and migrating applications and processes with care. Emilio shares insights on the challenges and impact of migrations, especially in the complex world of finance. With his expertise in modern technology and infrastructure, Emilio sheds light on how Clear Street is revolutionizing the industry by rebuilding traditional banking practices using cloud-based solutions. Tune in to learn more about the role of engineering in the prime broker space and the careful approach required for successful migrations. Highlights: 00:02:07 Migrations require careful planning. 00:06:52 Agile testing enables faster innovation. 00:12:09 Testing and comparing systems for data quality during migration. 00:17:21 Deep specialization in the finance industry. Guest Emilio Schapira is VP of Engineering at Clear Street, a fintech prime broker building a completely cloud-native prime brokerage and clearing system designed for a complex, modern global market. Before joining Clear Street, Emilio founded two Google Cloud Platform services, Pub/Sub and IoT Core, and led engineering for Waze Ads & Monetization. Emilio has led teams of 60+ engineers and is a founding member of VideoMining Inc., which uses ML and Computer Vision for passive customer behavior research. He has a master's in Computer Science and Engineering from Penn State University and a bachelor's in Computer Science from Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela. --- 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, Hrishank Jhildiyal, the Head of Analytics at Rokt, discusses the impact and growth of engineering in data. He explains how data is becoming more software engineering and how data is becoming more complex to deliver. Tune in to learn more about the evolving role of engineering in data. Highlights: 00:04:33 Analytics drives business impact. 00:09:56 Metrics drive team performance and impact. 00:12:03 Engineering mindset is key. 00:19:26 Exploring new technologies drives value. Hrishank is an Analytics and Data Science leader with a strong track record of transforming teams to drive value to organizations through data, models, analyses, and structured analytical thinking. He loves all things data and believes in driving business outcomes by forging a connection between company strategy and data. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hrishank/ --- 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 speaks with Vikas Kumar, the Head of Data, AI, and ML at CNA Insurance. Vikas discusses the importance of a holistic approach to data transformation in moving from legacy to cloud systems. He emphasizes the need to tie this journey to business value, starting with small KPIs, metrics, and OKRs, and involving the business from the beginning to get the best value from the journey. 00:00:12 Productize data with business value. 00:07:44 Data product needs stakeholder trust. 00:13:31 Build based on customer needs. 00:19:34 Crawl, walk, run philosophy. 00:21:34 Leadership style adapts to situations. 00:27:30 Always be learning. Guest: Vikas Kumar is the Head of Data, AI & ML at CNA Insurance. He is a customer-focused visionary, an accomplished executive, technologist, change agent, innovator, inquisitive, and entrepreneur with over 20+ years of building software, data products, and platforms with solid leadership/technical/product management experience. Deep knowledge in data, AI/ML, on-premises to cloud transformations, and analytics space. Intentional, methodical, and progressive track record at C-level in building and growing teams from start-up to large enterprise with ownership of overall data transformations and product strategies and delivery functions. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vksnov9/ --- 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 Utkarsh Sengar, the Director of Engineering at Webflow, about growth engineering and measuring customer behavior. They discuss Webflow's mission to make website building accessible to everyone, regardless of their coding skills, through their no-code platform. Utkarsh explains his role in managing the growth team and building the third-party ecosystem. This episode provides valuable insights into growth engineering and its importance in driving business success. Highlights 00:03:13 Growth engineering bridges product and business needs. 00:09:21 Partnership with data drives growth. 00:12:03 Impact measurement challenges for growth teams. 00:20:14 Balance FOMO with concrete use cases. 00:22:35 Importance of growth engineering collaboration. Utkarsh Sengar is a Director of Engineering at Webflow, leading their Growth and Ecosystem pillars. He has previously held various roles at eBay, OpenTable, and Upwork. Moreover, he utilizes his expertise as a technical advisor for startups and as a scout for Cowboy Ventures. https://www.linkedin.com/in/utsengar --- 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)