"AI needs visibility and controls."

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Oren Michels, co-founder and CEO of Barndoor AI, to talk about the future of work, the rise of agentic AI in the enterprise, and how governance and visibility will shape the next era of human–AI collaboration.

Oren shares insights from decades of experience building and scaling companies—from co-founding Mashery and selling it to Intel, to investing in breakout startups like Uber and eero, to producing Broadway shows. He explains why the future of work isn’t AI replacing humans, but AI handling secondary and knowledge tasks so people can focus on creativity, strategy, and innovation. The conversation explores managing AI access through strict protocols, bridging the talent gap in a world where fewer junior roles exist, and what leaders can learn about team building from both theater and startups.

The discussion also covers the critical need for governance in AI deployment, the role of collaborative intelligence in decision making, and why having a clear vision is essential for attracting both talent and investors in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

About Barndoor AI

As more AI agents take on work across your company, it’s not just harder to see which agents are doing what — it’s riskier. Barndoor brings visibility and control into one place, giving enterprise teams the granular access, policy enforcement, and oversight they need to scale AI safely. Now you can use AI with confidence across every team, tool, and action.

Takeaways

The future of work involves collaboration between humans and AI.

AI will increasingly handle secondary tasks, freeing up human creativity.

Governance and visibility are crucial for safe AI deployment.

Managing AI access requires strict protocols and oversight.

Collaborative intelligence enhances decision-making processes.

Bridging the talent gap is essential for future workforce development.

A clear vision is vital for attracting talent and investors.

Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined in teams.

Organizations must adapt to rapid technological changes.

Chapters

00:00 The Future of Work: Humans and AI Collaboration

00:55 Introducing Barndoor AI: Governance and Visibility for AI

03:52 Managing AI Access: Protocols and Responsibilities

08:03 The Evolution of Work: AI's Role in Knowledge Tasks

11:31 Collaborative Intelligence: Humans and AI Decision Making

14:53 Bridging the Talent Gap: Early Career Development

17:50 Building Teams: Lessons from Theater and Startups

20:38 Vision and Agreement: Attracting Talent and Investors

26:15 Roles and Responsibilities: Clarity in Teams

29:40 Adapting to Change: The Rapid Evolution of Technology

35:35 The Future of AI: Balancing Automation and Human Insight

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies

https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Growth Team with the Peak Operating System™

https://www.collective-genius.com/

#AI #FutureOfWork #BarndoorAI #Automation #Governance #AgenticAI #TechScenes #JeffMartin #Startups #Leadership #TalentDevelopment #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #Technology #TeamBuilding

"Trust is something holding them back." — Matt Auron, Co-Founder of Evolution

In this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff James Martin sits down with Matt Auron—Co-Founder of Evolution—to unpack the inner mechanics of leadership, culture, and coaching inside high-growth startups. With decades of experience helping teams like Slack, Snapchat, and Coursera scale with intention, Matt shares grounded insights on how coaching has evolved as a discipline, why culture isn’t soft stuff, and how trust issues quietly derail performance.

Together, they explore the difference between therapy and coaching, the craftsmanship behind effective organizations, and how the best leaders invest in themselves and their teams—not just their product. From building feedback loops to navigating team dynamics and scaling consciousness across companies, this conversation is a masterclass in human-centered growth.

Takeaways

* Coaching is present-focused and action-oriented; therapy is past-focused and healing-oriented.

* Leadership is a craft—great companies invest in developing it.

* Organizational culture must evolve as the company scales.

* Feedback loops and structure are essential for team alignment.

* Trust breakdowns are often the root of performance issues.

* Coaches play a key role in scaling both people and systems.

* Growth requires systems—not just hustle.

* Music and personal reflection can deepen leadership insight.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Therapy vs. Coaching

00:38 The Evolution of Coaching

04:41 Building Organizational Culture

10:35 The Role of Coaches in Leadership

16:57 Navigating Team Dynamics

23:12 The Importance of Structure in Startups

28:05 Craftsmanship in Organization Building

33:52 Personal Reflections and Music Choices

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies - https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ - https://www.collective-genius.com/

#techscenes #mattauron #evolution #leadershipdevelopment #coaching #startups #organizationbuilding #trust #teameffectiveness #culturematters #therapyvscoaching #emotionalintelligence #businessgrowth #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #collectivegenius

"The mentor-mentee relationship often evolves into a peer relationship." — Brad Feld, Partner at Foundry and Co-founder of TechstarsIn this special Tech Scenes Unplugged episode, Jeff James Martin sits down with Brad Feld, a pioneer in early-stage investing and co-founder of Techstars, to explore the power of mentorship, the philosophy of Give First, and the evolution of entrepreneurship over the last three decades. Brad shares candid insights from his newest book Give First, reflecting on the personal lessons he's learned from mentoring, writing, and navigating both venture capital and community building.This wide-ranging conversation goes deep on how real mentorship works, why peer relationships matter more than advice, and how founders can unlock compounding impact through generosity and intentional reflection. From Boulder to boardrooms, Brad’s clarity and authenticity make this a must-listen for founders, investors, and anyone passionate about building companies—and better humans.Takeaways:Mentorship is most powerful when it becomes a peer relationship.Shared experiences create trust faster than advice.Great entrepreneurship is global—not just coastal.Give First is a philosophy that compounds over time.Community and connection are at the core of startup success.Reflection and cadence are underrated skills.Writing books can unlock deep personal growth.AI must be approached with nuance and critical thinking.Mentors don’t need all the answers—they need real experience.Bigger isn’t always better. Better is better.Chapters00:00 The Magic of Mentorship02:21 Personal Reflections and Gratitude04:45 The Evolution of Entrepreneurship07:38 The Role of Mentorship in Startups10:25 The Importance of Peer Relationships13:09 The Structure of Effective Mentorship15:44 The Philosophy of Give First18:36 Learning Through Teaching21:03 The Dynamics of Mentorship23:46 Writing and Reflecting on the Book26:10 The Balance of Public and Private Life28:17 The Future of AI and Humanity31:16 The Importance of Reflection and Cadence33:41 The Role of Community in Entrepreneurship36:00 Navigating Life's Challenges38:53 Final Thoughts on Mentorship and AILearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companieshttps://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™https://www.collective-genius.com/#techscenes #bradfeld #givefirst #techstars #foundrygroup #mentorship #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #founders #startupjourney #startupwisdom #ai #startupcommunity #personalgrowth #leadership #startupfounder #startupmentor #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #collectivegenius

"You have to make the mistakes—they cannot take the mistakes for you." — Yossi Appleboum, CEO of SepioIn this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff James Martin sits down with Yossi Appleboum, CEO and Co-founder of Sepio, to explore the mindset and leadership it takes to build a deep-tech company from the ground up. Drawing on his experience in Israel’s Unit 8200 and multiple successful startup exits, Yossi shares the power of tension, the value of mistakes, and how to foster teams that argue fiercely and trust deeply.Sepio’s unique approach to device risk management—leveraging physics, machine learning, and trafficless monitoring—has positioned the company as a leader in asset visibility and control across IT, OT, and IoT. Yossi breaks down what it takes to build a truly interdisciplinary team, how Sepio entered a skeptical market, and why it's not just about building the right product—it's about building the right team to bring it to life.Whether you’re building in cybersecurity, scaling a startup, or evolving as a leader, this conversation brings clarity to the chaos of innovation.TakeawaysDon’t be afraid to make mistakes—they teach more than success.Sepio manages the risk of connected devices with a new, clean data source.Healthy conflict is a sign of team trust—not dysfunction.Teams need both focus and flexibility to thrive.Curiosity and questioning often drive better results than certainty.The most dangerous person is the one who thinks they know everything.Building the right team is as important as building the right product.Innovation happens when tension is acknowledged, not avoided.Chapters00:00 Embracing Mistakes in Innovation00:40 Introduction to Sepio and Its Mission03:07 The Unique Approach to Device Risk Management05:10 Challenges in Technology Development07:10 Market Entry and Initial Misconceptions09:52 Lessons from Past Experiences12:05 Team Dynamics and Collaboration15:01 The Importance of Healthy Conflict16:40 Navigating Team Communication19:26 The Balance of Focus and Flexibility20:50 The Role of Trust in Team Dynamics22:54 The Value of Questions and Curiosity25:41 Reflections on Career and Passion28:51 The Evolution of Leadership Roles32:04 Navigating Market Challenges35:41 Final Thoughts and AdviceLearn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companieshttps://a.co/d/hp5JtnuVisit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™https://www.collective-genius.com/#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #techscenes #cybersecurity #founderjourney #venturecapital #iotsecurity #unit8200 #hardwaresecurity #startupleadership #innovation #teamdynamics #deeptech #scalingstartups #entrepreneurship #jeffjamesmartin #yossiappleboum #sepio #leadership

"The best teams are closing learning loops quickly." - Manish Patel

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff James Martin sits down with Manish Patel, Founder of Nava Venture Partners, to unpack what truly separates high-performing startups at the Series A stage. Drawing from his time leading product at Google—on transformative platforms like AdWords and Google Maps—Manish brings a rare perspective at the intersection of human experience, technology, and venture investing.

Together, they explore how fast-learning teams outperform fast-moving ones, why fewer objectives often lead to greater traction, and how founder vulnerability can actually create strength and cohesion within early teams. This isn’t a conversation about hype—it’s about precision, clarity, and scaling sustainably.

Manish also reflects on Nava’s investment philosophy and why they’re backing companies that aren’t just improving markets but rewriting them. They dig into the role of human-centered design, the misuse of OKRs in growing companies, and the dangers of capital-fueled misalignment. Whether you're an early-stage founder, operator, or investor, this conversation offers powerful insights on the habits that create long-term success.

Chapters:

00:00 The Importance of Learning Loops in Venture Capital

01:42 Understanding the Series A Stage

05:21 Focus and Alignment in Startups

10:59 The Role of Vision and Objectives

16:56 The Dangers of Rapid Growth and Capital Pressure

21:07 Human-Centered Design in Venture

28:31 The Misapplication of OKRs

33:07 The Need for Vulnerability in Leadership

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies

https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™

https://www.collective-genius.com/

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #techscenes #nava #venturecapital #seriesA #learningloops #startups #okrs #leadership #growthstrategy #jeffjamesmartin #founderfirst #humancentereddesign #teamalignment #vc #scalingstartups #techleadership #startuplessons #buildinpublic #execution

"The old way of selling is already dead." - Mark Walker

In this episode of Tech Scenes, we sit down with Mark Walker, CEO of Nue.io, to talk about how the future of software, AI, and pricing is reshaping how go-to-market teams operate. Mark shares his lessons from leading SaaS and compliance companies, building execution-driven cultures, and navigating fast-moving tech cycles. From sales innovation to team alignment, we unpack how dynamic teams are winning in a world of rapid change.

Mark brings deep experience from his time leading Strongpoint, Blanketware, and other high-growth companies, where he’s helped teams scale through smarter systems and sharper focus. At Nue.io, he’s now tackling how RevOps can enable teams to adapt quickly, price creatively, and execute with confidence. Whether you're a founder, operator, or team lead, Mark’s playbook for managing complexity while staying customer-centric is worth taking notes on.

We also explore what it takes to build a culture that gets things done—where clarity, collaboration, and cadence replace chaos. From AI’s disruptive force to the very human elements of leadership, this episode cuts across strategy and mindset, giving you insight into the modern operating model of high-performance teams.

Chapters:

00:00 The Future of Software and AI

01:20 Introducing New: A Revolutionary System

02:33 Understanding User Personas and Use Cases

05:00 Navigating the Rate of Change in Pricing Models

08:13 The Evolution of Sales Strategies

10:02 Lessons from SaaS and System Integration

14:00 The Shift in Pricing Models

17:06 AI's Impact on Software Development

20:08 Running New: Interoperability and Flexibility

22:46 Adapting to Rapid Change in Organizations

25:59 Enabling Teams for Success

32:09 Cross-Functional Collaboration in Teams

35:13 The Importance of Pausing for Reflection

37:05 Focus and Clarity in Team Objectives

41:06 Leveraging Individual Strengths in Teams

46:54 The Seriousness of Project Management

50:55 Execution as a Core Principle

54:45 The Desert Island Album

Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #vbos #nueio #revops #startup #SaaS #ceo #leadership #techscenes #execution #pricingstrategy #teamalignment #growthcompany #venturebacked #jeffjamesmartin

"You can tell someone’s values when things go badly." - Donald Davidoff

In this episode, Donald Davidoff shares the journey of building REBA™, a modern analytics company changing how the rental housing industry uses data. From founding the industry-defining LRO system to launching REBA™, Donald brings a deep history of innovation, leadership, and strategic thinking. We talk about the role of core values in decision-making, building culture in growth-stage startups, and how REBA™ is creating clarity through better coordination, OKRs, and customer focus.

The conversation also dives into the rental housing industry's lag in adopting modern tech, how REBA™ helps leaders make better decisions faster, and the transition from startup mode to scale. Donald unpacks lessons on internal service, process design, team dynamics, and why reverse engineering objectives can unlock alignment across functions.

Takeaways:

• You can tell someone's values when things go badly.

• Strong leaders must balance zooming in and out.

• The rental housing industry is traditionally behind in technology.

• REBA™ aims to connect data systems for better decision-making.

• Cultural fit is crucial in hiring processes.

• Documenting goals helps teams stay on track.

• Organizational clarity supports cross-functional success.

• Process should serve the team, not hinder it.

• Internal customer service matters as much as external.

• Music matters: yes, he picked Meat Loaf.

Chapters:

00:00 Values Revealed in Adversity

02:50 The Transition from Startup to Growth

06:00 Revolutionizing the Rental Housing Industry

12:07 The Birth of REBA™: Timing and Vision

18:07 Building a Strong Company Culture

23:04 Setting the Vision and Objectives

26:34 The Importance of Coordination and Focus

28:25 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

32:01 Creating Clarity in Organizational Structure

36:24 Balancing Process and Flexibility

41:05 Customer Success and Internal Service

44:44 Desert Island Album Choice

📘 Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies™:

https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu

🌐 Visit Collective Genius™ to build your venture-backed team with the Peak Operating System™:

https://www.collective-genius.com/

Music by Andrew Applepie – https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie

#collectivegenius #peakoperatingsystem #peakos #vbos #reba #donalddavidoff #analytics #startupgrowth #leadership #founder #ceo #rentals #multifamily #realestate #teamculture #kpi #okr #customerexperience #venturecapital #techscenes #jeffjamesmartin