Yan Robert joins us as our guest for Episode #092 of Underserved. Yan grew up in Quebec like JP Beaudry, one of our previous guests, and even attended the same university in this small world. Yan was ahead of his time with an Internet directory he founded in the late 1990s. We talk about his ongoing work with SAP and the new chapter in his career surrounding it. Yan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanrobert/ SAPTopia website : www.sap-topia.com SAPTopia LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.c...
May 01, 2023•38 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #091 features Sesh Tirumala, CIO of PagerDuty. Sesh is a podcast veteran, and shares with us his experiences implementing systems in 120-degree heat, being a technologist in Appalachia, and managing incremental IT costs. Sesh has felt the pain of having to justify IT's existence, proving it is a revenue generator and not just a cost center. We also talk about implementing charitable giving in small companies vs. large companies. Sesh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sesh-tirumala...
Apr 24, 2023•41 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Our guest for Episode 090 of Underserved is Joe Frascati. Joe moved several times as a teen, honing his skills in quickly sizing up new social situations and identifying the players and roles. This skill served him well in his career, from a retail startup to the legendary Silicon Graphics and beyond. We also talk about Stevedoring, electric buses and their charging demands, and VTOL as the flying car that might actually come to be. CIO Marathon: https://www.ciseeducationfund.com/marathon Merrit...
Apr 17, 2023•39 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast The Underserved Podcast kicks off Season 8 with Rob Moore, recording from across the pond in the UK. Rob figured out there is no grad school application deadline if you apply overseas, and fell in love with England. Early in his professional career, his company developed a podcast marketing tool (of all things!), which we discuss in detail. Also covered - NBA data analysis for fun at Per Thirty Six, CoPilot as a productivity enhancer, and tech decision reduction. Churnkey https://churnkey.co Per...
Apr 10, 2023•43 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast We cap off Season Seven with our guest Jason Oberg, Ph.D. Jason grew up in Hawaii surfing and enjoying the outdoors, but computer gaming brought him inside and online. After moving to California and earning three degrees, he left UCSB and UCSD to start a company in the hardware security space. We discuss American chip production, following the letter of the law on grant money, and the hardware root of trust. Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonoberg/ Cycuity website: https://cycu...
Jan 09, 2023•38 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Texas transplant Joe Forrester is featured in Episode #087 of Underserved. Joe wanted to be a pilot after watching the original "Top Gun", but colorblindness trumped his enthusiasm and determination. Instead, he cut his teeth in cellular billing software, which was followed by learning how to manage marketing data in the automotive industry. This skill treated him well for several years across many verticals, ultimately leading to a gig bringing this marketing horsepower to small and medium-size...
Jan 02, 2023•31 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast David Rose walks the road less traveled. A serial entrepreneur for over 30 years, David has envisioned and built more products than most people can imagine. In Episode #086, we talk about his "oscillation lifestyle" - moving back and forth from learning to teaching, teaching to implementing, investing to being invested in, and many more aspects of life. By staying humble and open to learning, David has founded many successful companies, authored two books, won awards and patents for his inventio...
Dec 26, 2022•53 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast Ben Hodson came in to record with us at Syrinx Studios in October. The first half of our conversation is Season Seven's Episode #085. We had a lot of ground to cover, and this bonus episode takes us from when we met one another at Monster up to the present day. Topics covered include the struggle to automate and version control relational databases, the jarring freedom of Prague, and how fast you can make a 1997 Supra go on Route 2. Best speaker system in the world! http://Www.sonos.com Info on ...
Dec 19, 2022•47 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast I have known Ben Hodson for over 20 years, and when he came in to record we went over most of those years and back a few more in Episode #085 of Underserved. The first part of our conversation is this regular episode entitled "Ancient History." We start with Ben's step-grandfather cultivating Ben's curiosity and love of experimentation/iteration to find solutions. This theme would follow Ben through his career, from hardware stores to online job boards to smart speakers. We continue the conversa...
Dec 12, 2022•44 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Our 84th episode features Madhu Rajagopalan, Head of Engineering at Wellframe. Madhu's eyes were opened early when he saw how much more malleable software was than hardware. He quickly moved from electrical engineering to software development. This career path led him to several interesting stints at Iron Mountain, HP, and DraftKings prior to his current job. Also discussed - distributed systems development, Boston's embarrassment of sports championship riches, and playing the mridangam. https:/...
Dec 05, 2022•43 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Rachel Cossar grew up a nationally ranked rhythmic gymnast in Canada. In Episode #083 of Underserved, we discover her journey from those early competitions to the Boston ballet to working with artificial intelligence to improve body language. It turns out that non-verbal body communication matters a lot (think of your last Zoom call!) and Rachel nurtured that idea through proof of concept into founding a company. We discuss making the tough transitions while remaining true to yourself, the Roux ...
Nov 28, 2022•37 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #082 of Underserved is our first one recorded 9.5 time zones apart. Naresh Pillai joined us from India, where he has returned to bootstrap a startup called OpineWorks. Prior to this, Naresh spent time developing software both in India and the United States. We worked together when he was in Texas, developing telematics software to power connected vehicles. We talk about being the trusted "proof of concept" engineer, technology disrupting the restaurant industry, motorcycling up mountains...
Nov 21, 2022•44 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast Amanda Richardson grew up and started her career on the East Coast, but it took just one trip to California to fall in love with the state. In Episode 081, we talk about the siren song of Stanford, being the janitor on strategy presentations, and the gamification of coding interviews. Also covered are being the acquirer vs. the acquired, the trauma of winding up a company, and Phase RAIL. Now the CEO of CoderPad.io , Amanda shares how her stints in product management prepared her for the role, a...
Nov 14, 2022•40 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Andrew Bauer is our guest for Underserved episode #080. Andrew is another guest who is a product of the Syracuse I-School. Combining business and technology skills, the I-School produces graduates with the rare skill set of being able to talk to both technical people and business folks (and living to tell about it!) Andrew has made a career of this, translating requirements into implementations with technologies ranging from IoT to SFDC. We talk about being an EMT on an ambulance (the second gue...
Nov 07, 2022•35 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 079 of Underserved features Shani Gentry Cincotti. Our first Alabama native on the show (Roll Tide!), Shani shares about growing up pursuing journalism but realizing that the tech industry might be more welcoming/pay better. A stint in electronic photo asset management bridged the two fields, and a love of relational databases cemented the transition into tech. We discuss when adding hardware actually slows things down, how the cleaning crew may forecast company closures, and mentoring w...
Oct 31, 2022•35 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast Adam Firestone is our featured guest for Episode 78 of Underserved. A recovering attorney and platoon leader, Adam believes as Robert Heinlein does: Humans are not meant for specialization. We should be capable in many realms. In Adam's professional life, this means understanding security holistically, architecture natively, and cryptography as a tool, not an end in and of itself. We discuss first aid as a hobby, foiling the magic cookie thieves, and the BFJT. Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linke...
Oct 24, 2022•37 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Michael Gallagher is featured in Episode #077 of Underserved. Michael spent his youth painting cars, running a collision business, and even getting his Massachusetts appraiser's license. A friend suggested he check out Putnam Investments and so began a career in financial services technology. Mastery of the NSCC led to several opportunities, but the 2008 financial crisis led to some soul searching that put Michael in an ambulance as an EMT. This would foreshadow moving back and forth between tec...
Oct 17, 2022•36 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast SEASON 7 of Underserved kicks off with our guest Paul Belt. In our 76th episode, we cover Paul graduating from running a BBS and the warez scene into software development. Paul realized quickly that many companies and hiring managers in the software industry insist that you have that "piece of paper", an undergraduate degree, before they will consider you. We also discuss the importance of the mission and the market, measuring software development productivity as well as drag, and how to recogni...
Oct 10, 2022•38 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #075’s guest Jeff Taylor was generous with his time, spending over two hours with me in the studio. We captured so much good material that we needed a bonus episode to squeeze it all in. In this bonus episode we talk about life after Monster, why you should run the meetings you attend, and setting the world record for water skiing behind a blimp. Links: Blimp record: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/03/23/executive-sets-blimp-skiing-record/ RoverTrophy: https://www.rovertrophy.com/ ...
Jun 24, 2022•36 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Our guest for Episode #075 is Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com and 14 other companies including most recently RoverTrophy.com. Jeff has always been ahead of his time, with boundless amounts of energy. This led him to create the world’s first job board in Monster, a revolutionary idea that spawned an entire industry. We discuss the resolve needed to champion your ideas, being the first URL on the radio, and when you know it is the right time to sell. Links: Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linked...
Jun 24, 2022•38 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast Neal Cao started out feeling the pressure common in many families - “You need to become a doctor or an engineer!” After his internship, he knew the medical field was not for him, and saw his brother killing it in software development. After many burst bubbles and industry changes, Neal found himself a principal in a financial services firm. We discuss putting med students in the party dorm, sports car perk programs, and sitting on both sides of the table for an audit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...
Jun 20, 2022•39 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast Our first former sheriff’s deputy, Shadd Schutte brings a unique perspective to Underserved #073. Being a police officer in Wyoming turned out to be good training for managing projects and customers in IT. Shadd talks about his memorable experiences, transitioning between industries, and becoming Agile, as well as motorcycle cruises and spoiling dogs. Shadd on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaddschutte/ Wyoming Department of Education: Home - Wyoming Department of Education Laramie Count...
Jun 13, 2022•34 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Episode 072 of Underserved features Brian Durkin, Sr. Group Manager & Head of User Experience, Data & Analytics at BNY Mellon. Brian leveraged his art degree into some web design work but found his true passion was in information architecture. He came to this realization in the middle of an interview, which he politely asked to terminate. Instead, he was offered a new IA job the next day! Also covered: World IA Day, getting fintech to understand IA, and the fun parts of working for Nickelodeon. ...
Jun 06, 2022•30 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Colleen Tartow was convinced investigating the heavens was her calling, studying astronomy all the way to a PhD. Once she realized the job market there was tiny and slow to advance, she moved to consulting in data and analytics. Colleen quickly found that data and software suited her and made a career of it. We talk about finding mentors, calligraphy, and the relative merits of a billionaire space race. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-tartow-phd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CT...
May 30, 2022•36 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast Why does John Blythe, our guest for Episode #070, believe in people first at technology companies? It could be his experience building teams, or influencing surgeons to help lower their delivery costs one hip at a time. We discuss making passion learning a business, what it means to be the Director of GIFs and comedic timing, and getting 10x throughput at 10% of the cost. metallica history with dave mustaine and kirk hammet 140db.com - built john mayer's website that inspired John curvolabs.com ...
May 23, 2022•43 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Eli Goldberg received a life-changing diagnosis from a sweat test - he found out he had cystic fibrosis. Rather than shy away from it, Eli leaned into sharpening his focus, leaving consulting, and starting a company to help people with similar afflictions drive better medical outcomes. Listen to Episode #069 to hear how that drove Eli to help define the “last mile” of healthcare delivery by a tech giant. https://www.centralwisconsinstatefair.com/p/other/worlds-largest-round-barn https://www.uwal...
May 16, 2022•44 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Kevin Jarnot, CIO of Uptime Institute, is our guest for episode #068. Kevin proves there is no set path to becoming a CIO. He was interrogated by the Secret Service in college, his band opened for Run DMC, and he ran a financial services company off the cable modem in his basement. Nowadays Kevin is a thought leader for some of the largest data centers in existence. Hear Kevin's story and transformation in our latest Underserved episode! The incredible Franklin Ace 1000 computer - http://oldcomp...
May 09, 2022•39 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Our guest from Episode #067, Parag Shah, foresaw the death of penmanship - something he happily announced at age 8. That didn’t save him from having to write a page of QBasic code each day before he could go out to play! Topics discussed include how serious you get about studying when you are paying your own tuition, decoupling storage and compute, and handling turnover at the top. https://learn.dvorak.nl/ https://www.umass.edu/living/residence/northeast https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necco https...
May 02, 2022•43 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #066’s guest is Matthew Wood, Deputy CTO, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Before ruling the IT end of Massachusetts roadways, Matthew grew up with technology in the United Kingdom. Some things were the same (the quest to build and play games), others very different (PC makers like the Alan Michael Sugar Trading company, aka Amstrad). We discuss differences managing when your workforce is unionized and in the public sector, and searching for the balance between...
Apr 25, 2022•43 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #065 features Pete Langois. Pete’s first buffer overflow exploit in 8th grade earned him a trip to the vice principal's office, but starting his own BBS out of his bedroom earned him a job. We talk about trade shows including MacWorld, Star Wars including action figures, and the ROI of investing in yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64 https://www.apple.com/leadership/phil-schiller/ https://www.derrynh.org/ https://www.skillshare.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-digital-photogr...
Apr 18, 2022•33 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast 
