Code Story: Insights from Startup Tech Leaders

Greg Shove was born in Canada, raised in Britain, and eventually moved to the United States. Through all of these places he lived, he learned to believe in equal access for people, never to quit, and to work hard and win - all of this, respectively. When he moved to California, he was told to visit the local grocery store to meet more tech people than he would in a year in Canada. After business school, he worked for Apple and has launched or participated in 7 startups. Outside of tech, he loves to BBQ Argentinian style, inspired by the chef Francis Mallman.Six years ago, Greg started a company to teach people skills and how to become the best manager and executive they could be. The business did well, but mainly it was because of the pandemic. In 2023, he started playing with GPT, and he realized that he needed to pivot himself, and his business as well.This is the creation story of Section.SponsorsPaddle.comSema SoftwarePropelAuthPostmanMeilisearchMailtrap.TECH Domains (https://get.tech/codestory)Linkshttps://www.sectionai.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshoveSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/code-story-insights-from-startup-tech-leaders/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ravi Madabhushi finds that all of the stops along his professional journey were accidental. He grew up in a tiny village in the south of India - so small, it would take you 10 minutes to sprint across it, end to end. His goals back then were common - get a job, get married, etc. - but after he moved to Bangalore post school, he got acquainted with startups... and was hooked. Outside of tech, he is married with 2 kids. He enjoys playing tennis, badminton, and squash. He got introduced to squash when he was playing tennis, it started raining, and they were forced inside to play "inside tennis"... IE squash.Ravi and his team had a successful exit from their prior company, and decided to give startups another go. They wanted to solve the authentication problem for builders wanting to focus on their product - not building auth. What they found was a new arena in the world of AI, agents, and authentication of everything in between.This is the creation story of ScaleKit.SponsorsPaddle.comSema SoftwarePropelAuthPostmanMeilisearchMailtrap.TECH Domains (https://get.tech/codestory)Linkshttps://www.scalekit.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravibits/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/code-story-insights-from-startup-tech-leaders/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Trevor Stuart was born in Florida, but raised in Seattle. He was the son of a tech CFO and an Episcopalian minister - so he learned life at many different angles. He graduated from Boston College, and went into investment banking at Morgan Stanley. Beyond that, he worked at RelateIQ prior to being acquired by Salesforce, which then led him to start his own thing. Outside of tech, he's married and expecting his first child soon. He lives in Sonoma, and loves wine - which type depends on his mood and the time of year.At RelateIQ, Trevor and his team had a core problem - pushing more code, and looking to move faster, but limiting the amount of quality issues. His co-founder built the early workings of a system he had seen at LinkedIn, around gate keeping features. Eventually, post acquisition of this company, they decided to start building this solution on their own... which led them toward their own acquisition.This is the creation story of Split andHarness.SponsorsPaddle.comSema SoftwarePropelAuthPostmanMeilisearchMailtrap.TECH Domains (https://get.tech/codestory)Linkshttps://www.harness.io/https://www.harness.io/blog/split-joins-forces-with-harnesshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorbstuart/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/code-story-insights-from-startup-tech-leaders/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dave Berner, Co-founder and VP of Engineering at Kinde, shares his unique journey from musician to tech entrepreneur. He candidly discusses the challenges of balancing customer demands with a clear product vision while building a SaaS platform. Dave reveals insights on creating scalable infrastructure and cultivating team culture, emphasizing the importance of hiring effectively in a tech-driven era. He also reflects on his 'low tech' family lifestyle and the significance of teaching fundamental skills without screens. Dive into his creative problem-solving approach!

Tiffany Johnson, Chief Product Officer of NMI, shares her adventure from Texas to California and an accidental career in payments. She discusses the intricacies of product development in the embedded payments space and the challenges of launching payment solutions for SaaS platforms. Tiffany highlights the importance of customer obsession and the scalability issues faced in delivering seamless solutions. Her insights touch on fostering a culture of learning and innovation, which are vital for aspiring entrepreneurs in tech.

Michael Howard, CEO of Protegrity, dives into the complexities of data protection, proudly standing as the 'Gene Simmons of Data Protection.' He critiques traditional type systems, calling them 'lame,' and discusses their failures in modern data management. Howard explores how quantum computing presents new challenges for encryption methods. He shares insights on Protegrity's innovative approaches to embedding security directly into data, advocating for dynamic policies that enhance data management in an evolving tech landscape.

Brennan Pothetes, CEO and co-founder of Infinity Constellation, shares his journey from launching the first bank on the iPhone to creating an AI services holdco. He discusses empowering founders with innovative SaaS products and the significance of building a minimum viable product. Brennan highlights how lean operations and effective teamwork drive growth in AI ventures. He also emphasizes the power of passion in entrepreneurship, encouraging young founders to align their work with personal interests for greater success.

Ben Lerner, Co-founder and CEO of Espresso AI and former Google and DeepMind engineer, shares his journey in the tech world. He reveals how large language models significantly enhance code understanding and their application in optimizing data workloads. Discussing the founding of Espresso AI, he emphasizes rapid product development and the critical role of customer success. He also touches on the importance of effective tech teams and strategic communication in fostering innovation and ensuring user-friendly experiences.

Kolton Andrus, CEO and Founder of Gremlin, shares insights from his experience at Amazon and Netflix, emphasizing the significance of chaos engineering for system reliability. He discusses Gremlin's evolution and the launch of Gremlin 3.0, designed to enhance user experience by identifying system failures. Kolton also delves into the cautionary role of AI in chaos engineering and shares advice for aspiring founders, highlighting the importance of self-trust in the startup journey. Exciting times lie ahead for Gremlin and the broader SRE community!

Buchi Reddy, Founder and CEO of Levo.ai, shares his dynamic journey from a farming family in south India to the tech landscape of Silicon Valley. He explores the critical gap in API testing he discovered while working at Traceable, which inspired him to create an automated solution for enterprises. Buchi discusses the rise of API vulnerabilities and the necessity of proactive security measures, emphasizing the balance between innovation and customer needs. His insights on team dynamics and the importance of listening make for an inspirational listen for entrepreneurs.