IT Visionaries

Working backward from problem to customer solution is the method that Harini Gokul uses in her role leading customer success at Amazon Web Services. Understanding what it means to be “customer-obsessed” is Harini’s favorite part of being on a team with “big builder energy.” Also, she describes some of the cloud-central innovations on the horizon that she is most excited about. Tune in to learn:How to turn a passion into a brand. (2:00)What does AWS do? (0:36)Why every millisecond matters in the customer journey. (4:02)What’s different about AWS culture? (8:12) What does it take to get companies to the cloud in a way that works for them? (21:13) IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platformMission.org is a media studio producing content for world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org. -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Empathy, in a time of stress or decision-making, goes a long way in making someone feel cared for and understood. What if the businesses providing our services, flights, meals, etc, were already thinking about our wants and needs, and laying out options that apply to us. This kind of consumer-focused empathy, driven by user data, is the trait that Genesys’s, CEO Tony Bates, deemed so important that he made it a part of the corporate decision-making process. As Tony describes in this podcast, and in his book, “Empathy In Action,” times have changed in terms of what consumers want and expect from companies that provide services to them.Main TakeawaysExperience As a Service: If you think about the customer experience as one of the services that you provide, that creates room to allocate more resources to improving it.  Bates found that priortizing and making space for experience as a service helped them strategize at Genesys about problem-solving in more individualized ways. Data Informs a More Empathetic Customer Experience: As Bates describes, every consumer has unique needs for customer service and interaction. Companies can streamline resources to be there for customers who want more personalized attention and also easily serve customers who are more suited for an automated process on an app or chat experience. Empathetic listening and analysis of data can paint a picture of what a customer wants to experience and how you can help them solve their problems. Empathy in the Decision Making Equation:  A company framework for decision-making that is built on empathy ensures that empathy is actually implemented through the company. Bates is keen on the believe that quantifying the value of empathy with a number makes it easier to equate with traditional business values like efficiency.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Top athletes duke it out to outperform their opponents; usually only winning by a slim margin. That margin is what matters, and part of having a competitive edge means having high-value information on what your competitors are doing. Crayon offers competitive intelligence and product marketing to its customers, and Erica Jenkins, their Chief Product Officer, shares that doing this well requires great communication.Main TakeawaysData Insight Helps Create Magical Products: There are a million different problems and a million different software products that could help solve them, but resources are limited. Using data to help determine where the needs are greatest can help you as a product leader to guide your team towards the most profitable product solutions. You Need to Repeat Yourself: Some would say repeating yourself, even often, is necessary. Repetition helps other people remember important information and act correspondingly if acting is required. For Erica, rephrasing her ideas is a way to know if her message is being communicated correctly.  You Need to Spell It Out: Don’t assume that just because the product you’ve built looks shiny and seems intuitive, people will readily understand how to use it. Even if it is painstakingly user-friendly, it never hurts to spell things out. Take advantage of creating walk-through tutorials for your products. It creates more value for your customers and highlights the features of the product. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’ve all had those repetitive work tasks that must be done, are a total pain, and waste time too. Chaim Mazal, SVP of Technology and CISO at Kandji, makes the case for automation being used to free people up so that they can focus on more important work. Main TakeawaysAutomating for Freedom: There’s lots of talk about automation as a part of platforms and products. Chaim lays out in simple terms that the reason for automation is about freeing people up so they can drill down on more important work. It’s helpful to remember that humanity should be the guiding light at the core of any technological innovation. The question ought to be: How is this tech serving people. Or even better: How is this tech serving the world?From Customer to SVP and CISO: For Chaim, he came across Kandji in a previous job and Kandji was able to help him solve problems he was having managing devices for the prior company on an international scale. First of all, this is a really cool story. Secondly, it’s a reminder that employees can come from any place and that passion can be uncovered in any situation. Building Products: Chaim makes a fascinating point about data and strategy. He suggests that many of the companies that he worked at previously focused on using data to make products better. Yet he also describes how he likes to think more on the strategic side of things. Strategy, for him, at least in part, seems to be more about bringing in knowledgeable people; then thinking together about where the overall industry might be headed and acting accordingly.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Metaphorically, the tech security world tends to look over a city-scape and hones in on a few shiny skyscrapers, protects them, and declares victory. These big buildings represent the largest institutions. But oftentimes, all the interconnected infrastructure of smaller homes remains unprotected — the smaller homes, in this context, are the SMBs and other various organizations. Sinan Eren, the VP of Zero Trust Access at Barracuda, broke down how security is interconnected across all institutions, regardless of size. Main TakeawaysAttackers Have a Market Now Too: Eren explains the challenges around the reality that cyber attackers have their own market now. Gone are the days when a singular attacker might be responsibile for conducting all elements of a criminal act. Instead, Eren reveals that an entire criminal community facilitates these acts. The Long Tail Must Be Protected: Eren points out that larger entities that have security in place can still be vulnerable through interactions with smaller and less secure entities in its supply chain. These smaller organizations include SMBs that often interact with larger companies. Furthermore, Eren suggests that there can be an ethical component to make sure that the entire community is secured, not only the largest companies and institutions. How to Secure SMBs: Since it is clear, from Eren’s point of view, that large businesses and SMBs are interconnected and therefore all must be secured or none will be, the question becomes: What is the best way to secure SMBs? Eren contends that security must be provided to SMBs through MSPs rather than as direct sales to SMBs. His argument is a very reasonable one — SMBs have too much on their plates already to handle security themselves.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Likely on the phone in your hand, while you’re playing this very podcast, is an app or site using Akamai in the background, so that you can listen, search, and discover new information as fast as you can think, type, or speak. Accelerating the delivery of the right content and blocking potentially harmful content are the nitty-gritty details that Akamai solves to give you a safe and seamless experience. Leading the charge to improve security and accelerate connectivity is Dr. Robert Blumofe, Executive Vice President and CTO of Akamai. Main TakeawaysPower and Protect Together: A common problem with security is that it slows things down for users and causes them to want to avoid using the security measures in the first place. To solve this problem, Dr. Blumofe explains that Akamai has integrated security and performance products on its platform so that they can work cooperatively. The lesson here for any sort of business is to constantly be considering how security and performance can function seamlessly so that neither is hindered by the other,Endpoint to Endpoint Mindset: Since the world is becoming more remote and more open, security must adapt to this environment. According to Dr. Blumofe, this means the framework of being on a network versus off a network is no longer really applicable. Instead, it is more helpful to consider how apps are connected together from one endpoint to another.The Office as a Coffee Shop: You can think about a new problem, like an increase in remote work, as being stressful, or as a chance to reframe it as an opportunity. Dr. Blumofe points out that returning to the office for face-to-face time will be even more purposeful — sort of like hanging out at the coffee shop with colleagues. He describes solving for the new remote office network as a high-performance coffee shop as being a “freeing and enabling concept.” The new perimeter-less architecture of access can actually facilitate collaboration.IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The next time you’re Sunday-brunching at your local breakfast joint and perusing the menu for Avocado Toast, you’re not likely to be disappointed. Restaurants want to know the foods that you are craving to keep you happy and coming back. The sooner they can jump on trends, the better edge they’ll have over the place down the street. Trendy foods, dishes, and ingredients are not easy to predict, but Jack Li, the CEO of Datassential has a deep passion behind his work for doing just that. Main TakeawaysBig Players Jumping Onto Early Stage Trends: As Li points out, more companies and large corporations are reacting to early-stage food trends in the landscape. Things are so competitive that any advantage a restaurant or chain can have they'll take it. When competition is fierce, even the small details can become cut-throat. Business is about the bottom line, after all. Seeing Opportunity for Art and Science to Align: According to Li, he and two of his “early business partners,” had a clear sense that they could combine their passion for the artful aspect of food with science to increase efficiency. The lesson here is that often art and science are not in different camps altogether. Instead, art and science can be integrated together for each part to sharpen the other.Tracking Data to Predict the Flavors of the Future: Having data is one thing, but sifting through it for potential predictive insight is what it’s really all about. Datassential is taking a close look at its data to attempt to determine what food flavors and trends are tracking up and can really break through in the market. There’s gut instinct, of course, but insights drawn from data to forecast food trends can really help businesses make quality decisions. Using data to predict where a market is heading cuts across all industries.  IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The world is changing quickly, and the everyday corporate landscape is changing with it. Every company has to prove compliance with different governmental agencies, from everything from environmental reports down to payroll. That’s where Lisa Edwards the COO at Diligent, comes in, bringing her focus on using technology to improve the process for all payers. Every company has governmental rules and regulations they must follow and governmental rules to adhere to. Audits can be tedious and can take valuable time away from innovation and growth. Edwards brings incredible passion and expertise in using technology to improve the process. Main TakeawaysAdapting to global and evolving client needs: At a corporation like Diligent with branches all over the world, adapting to the different regulations of different regions, is complex and nuanced and is one of the strengths of Diligent’s work according to Edwards. The mindset of preparing for current client needs and preempting future desires continues to drive the company forward. Corporate governance to lead a wave of social change: Diligent creates a streamlined interface where departments can interact with transparency, and this has allowed for positive changes in the cooperate structure. They have created ways for companies to diversify their boardrooms which, it turns out, makes for increased profit margins as well as improved social capital. It is also preparing for a very near-future reality where a company’s environmental impact needs to be reported and monitored. Improved operations mean faster, more meaningful growth: Operations might seem like the least interesting part of a business, but a streamlined system is, according to Edwards, the key to freeing a business to fly as high as it can. Without worrying about regulatory snafus, a business can just focus on what it does best: providing the best goods and/or services to the consumer. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an industry that relies on being ahead of the curve, the ability to see the potential in new innovations is a necessity. Eric Anderson, Partner of Scale Venture Partners knows how to look ahead, and gives us an inside look at how a cutting-edge venture capital firm finds and funds new technology that benefits the everyday user. Main TakeawaysThe depth of the problem is more important than the solution: According to Anderson, it’s important to come in with the empathy needed to sort out the problem set of any particular company, because innovations are grown out of the solutions. It might be intuitive to think that quick fixes mean quick growth, but Anderson cautions against it. Digging in and finding the deeper problems is well worth it, because longer solutions often lead to more meaningful expansions. Young insiders might be the key to innovation: While anyone can have a great idea, Anderson points out that it might be the younger players in older, “sleepier” industries that wind up being disrupters. He points out how as a child of dental distributors he was quick to see the need for a new way to distribute raw materials and bring in a new solution. Software Vs. Content: While, historically, consumers have been more interested in buying content over software, Anderson says that the small sale might change that. We shouldn’t ignore the power of the one-dollar design app you can carry on your phone – it might change the way people value software. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Setting up a network at home can devolve into a stream of choice words while pulling out your hair. A sudden, global shift to remote and hybrid work can lead to the same frustration for a number of reasons that may or may not include setting up a router. Morgan Teachworth, the VP of Engineering & Supply Chain at Cisco Meraki, suggests that his company was ideally positioned to support a hybrid workflow.Main TakeawaysSupporting Hybrid Workflows: It’s obvious that the working world has shifted to many more fully remote or hybrid models. Morgan shares how Cisco Meraki was in a good place to help people from home set up networks easily with what he describes as “plug and play” options. With so much of the workforce under strain, any products that quickly make working from home easier and more secure are valuable to employees and their companies. Straddling Engineering and Supply Chain: Being the VP of Engineering & Supply Chain is a pretty unique job title for Morgan. It affords him the opportunity to connect both worlds together. Fundamentally, it makes sense that any person who builds hardware ought to also be considering the supply chain. Though it may not always be easy, doing so will strengthen products.    Needing Engineers With Good People Skills: Teachworth describes how Cisco Meraki engineers embed with outside manufacturers to work as a team to produce products. He makes the point that it is important that these engineers are able to work well with these contractors. Even more importantly, he chats about how these relational skills can be developed when assisted by communicative management. This mentality can certainly be helpful across industries. On one hand, leaders need to find employees that have good relationship skills. On the other hand, these skills can also be leveled-up through clear conversations and training.Innovations in intelligence: In terms of future innovations, Morgan points out two primary areas concerning intelligence. The first is intelligence at the edge in terms of devices and gaining more insight into the physical world. The other intelligence aspect is gaining a greater understanding of what’s happening beyond one’s network into other areas of the world, and what he calls the “pipes,” since so much of what’s occurring is interrelated. Each of these types of intelligence could provide actionable insight to initiate changes.Democratizing Access: Many people still do not have network access or the ability to use the internet. This is true in the United States and around the world. Morgan contends that working toward democratization is essential. Making easy to use products can be helpful but they must be broadly shared. Morgan explains that leaning into the edge must be a part of the solution to democratize access for the entire world. IT Visionaries is brought to you by the Salesforce Platform - the #1 cloud platform for digital transformation of every experience. Build connected experiences, empower every employee, and deliver continuous innovation - with the customer at the center of everything you do. Learn more at salesforce.com/platform -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.