The Tech Trek

In this episode, Amir chats with Jason Fellin, Head of Growth Engineering at OnX Maps, to unpack what makes growth engineering unique. Jason shares how his team focuses on speed, experimentation, and measurable business impact rather than long-term architecture. From hiring strategies to cross-functional collaboration with marketing, this conversation offers a tactical look at building and leading a growth engineering org.

🧠 Ke...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Brooke Motta, CEO and co-founder of RAD Security, to unpack her career pivot from sales leadership to becoming a founder in the cybersecurity space. Brooke shares how her go-to-market background shaped her approach to building RAD, the challenge of stepping into technical leadership, how she’s managing growth through hiring, and what’s ahead for security and AI. Whether you're a technical fo...

In this episode, Richard Girges, CTO at MNTN, breaks down the appeal and risk of emulating high-profile leaders like Elon Musk or Steve Jobs. From startup life to scaling teams, Richard shares how leaders can avoid the missteps of mimicry and instead cultivate their unique "mode of genius." You’ll learn how intuition, failure, and self-awareness play a vital role in effective leadership—and why copying the “death stare” w...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Brian McMahon, CEO and co-founder of Pickle—a fashion rental marketplace aiming to become the Airbnb for everyday items. Brian unpacks how Pickle solved the classic two-sided marketplace dilemma, why hyperlocal supply is their secret weapon, and how AI is powering everything from product tagging to customer support. They also dive into the evolution of Pickle’s fundraising strategy—from getting ...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, to explore how deepfakes and generative AI are reshaping identity security in the workplace. They discuss real-world attacks, such as the MGM breach, and how enterprises are responding with new technologies—from cryptographic identity verification to re-verification protocols. Aaron shares what companies are doing right, where they're vulnerable, and the role o...

In this episode, Amir speaks with Anna Patterson, founder of Ceramic AI, about what it truly means to lead an AI-first company. They unpack the differences between engineering and AI leadership, the chaos and creativity of early-stage research, how Ceramic AI is betting on emerging talent, and why managing AI roadmaps is an exercise in uncertainty and invention. Anna also shares perspectives from her experience at Google and how se...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Matt Moore, CTO and co-founder of Chainguard, to explore the escalating importance of software supply chain security. From Chainguard’s origin story at Google to the systemic risks enterprises face when consuming open source, Matt shares the lessons, best practices, and technical innovations that help make open source software safer and more reliable. The conversation also touch...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Christina Garcia, SVP of Engineering at Echo Global Logistics, shares her insights on integrating AI not as a replacement but as a partner in business operations. We unpack how organizations can holistically rethink processes, overcome adoption hurdles, and empower innovators inside the company to co-create AI use cases. Christina also opens up about the unique leadership pressures this wave of tra...

In this episode, Amir sits down with Anthony Jules, Co-Founder and CEO of Robust.AI, to explore how scaling lessons from the early days of Sapient translate into today’s rapidly evolving world of AI and robotics. Anthony shares stories from growing a company from 3 to 4,000 people, what scale teaches you about communication and change, and how being ruthlessly honest about your business creates strategic advantage. From the hype vs...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Joe Philleo, founder and CEO of Edio, an AI platform transforming K-12 education. Joe shares his journey from building websites in high school to writing a viral essay on Palantir that kickstarted his tech career. He dives into the critical role AI now plays in solving chronic absenteeism and driving measurable academic improvements. The conversation explores how tech is reshapi...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Sus Misra, SVP of Data & Analytics at Solve(D) (IPG Health), to unpack what true precision targeting looks like in one of the most regulated industries: pharma. Sus explains how healthcare marketers uniquely leverage individual-level data to connect with professionals like doctors and oncologists—something unheard of in most sectors.

But with great data comes great responsibi...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Brian Clifford, Chief Data Officer at Amica Insurance, shares how his team translates core company values—like exceptional customer service—into actionable AI and data strategies. We explore how Amica approaches pilots, vendor selection, internal adoption, and governance to scale AI effectively and responsibly.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Value-Driven Data Strategy: Amica anchors its AI and data strategy in co...

In this deep-dive episode, we explore what it truly means to be "AI-native" versus bolting AI onto existing products. Abhay Mitra, CTO of Nirvana Insurance, shares how his team is building industry-specific AI models to transform the $800B+ commercial insurance market, starting with trucking—one of the most complex and painful sectors in insurance.

From telematics data platforms to fine-tuned underwriting models, discover ...

In this episode, we dive deep into the evolving relationship between engineering and product with Pranab Krishnan, CTO of Zeal - a payroll and payments platform for staffing companies. We explore how the traditional boundaries between engineering, product management, and customer interaction are dissolving, especially in the age of AI. Pranab shares insights on building a product-centric engineering culture, the concept of "sh...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Vinayak Kumar shares how his team at Lynx strikes a practical balance between innovation and efficiency in the heavily regulated healthcare and finance space. He explains why innovation shouldn’t be forced, how to avoid the "tech in search of a problem" trap, and why pattern-driven execution helps startups scale faster without compromising flexibility.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Innovation Should Be Embedded,...

In this episode, Amir speaks with Ameya Brid, Global Director of Data & Analytics at Invista, about the maturation of GenAI conversations in the enterprise. They dive into the shift from hype to implementation, real-world challenges like data quality and change management, and how composable architecture is helping organizations adapt to rapid innovation cycles.

🔑 Key Takeaways

From Hype to Value: GenAI conversations are mov...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir sits down with Andy Beam, CTO of Lila Sciences, to explore how AI is transforming the messy, serendipitous nature of scientific discovery into an engineered, scalable process. From automating lab work to accelerating the speed of breakthroughs, Andy explains why the future of science may be less about eureka moments and more about AI-driven iteration.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Science as Engineering...

In this episode of The Tech Trek, Amir speaks with Alexander Schlager, founder and CEO of AIceberg, about how his company has tackled the AI talent shortage by partnering directly with universities. From building relationships with faculty to onboarding students into real-world R&D roles, Alex shares a unique, cost-effective strategy for hiring early-career tech talent and turning them into long-term contributors. It’s a compel...

Wyatt Smith, CEO of UpSmith, joins Amir to unpack how agentic AI is transforming the skilled trades industry. From dispatch optimization to human-in-the-loop workflows, Wyatt shares a practical and visionary lens on how AI can solve deep productivity challenges, empower call centers, and proactively generate business opportunities. If you think AI only disrupts digital industries, this episode will make you think again.

🔑 Key T...