What happens when a control room engineer gets fed up with clunky old systems and decides to rebuild them from the ground up? You get CruxOCM, a company shaking up pipeline automation with tools like PipeBot and GatherBot that sound like sci-fi but are very real (and very efficient). Vicki Knott shares how she went from pulp and paper mills to leading a tech company that blends first-principles engineering with machine learning to make pipelines safer, faster, and smarter. We talk outdated SCADA, automation that actually works, and how merging physics with AI is unlocking massive ESG potential in midstream.
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00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Best Places to Build Software Companies
03:20 - Evaluating Canadian Tech Talent
06:15 - Vicki's Journey to Krux
14:14 - IIoT vs SCADA Explained
15:27 - Overview of Krux's Services
17:50 - The Journey of Krux
19:34 - Pipet Technology Insights
20:35 - Data Access Solutions
23:35 - Historic vs Modern Architecture
26:50 - OUTRO
27:01 - Krux vs Competitors Analysis
28:30 - Understanding the Technology Stack
29:30 - Onboarding New Clients Effectively
34:00 - Krux and Microsoft Fabric Integration
36:10 - Optimizing Maintenance with Krux
37:23 - Krux's Connection to SCADA Systems
39:14 - Impact of AI and LLMs on Business
43:37 - Focus and Task Management Challenges
44:29 - ESG Benefits in Energy Sector
47:54 - Optimizing Energy Infrastructure Strategies
49:25 - Understanding the Energy Sector
50:55 - Silicon Valley's View on Energy Industry
54:28 - Recommended Books for Entrepreneurs
55:09 - Exploring Canadian Snacks
56:24 - Dining Recommendations in Calgary
57:20 - Favorite Vacation Destinations
58:01 - Understanding Canadian Slang
58:34 - Connecting with Vicki Knott
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