Join Aaron Fischer, an early Datadog employee, lawyer and entrepreneur with a passion for technology and startups, as he dives into engaging conversations with the brilliant minds building the next wave of technology companies in and out of New York City. On this podcast, you'll get a front-row seat to the stories, challenges, and triumphs of those shaping the digital frontier, highlighting expert advice and candid discussions. Whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or just a tech enthusiast, Aaron's wit and professional insight bring out the most of the guests, and explore a fun, light-hearted side of technology start-ups rarely seen in public. Tune in for a fresh perspective on what it takes to build and scale in today's fast-paced startup ecosystem.
Episode 13- What do Founders do? w Albert Wang (Bearworks) and Daniel Langer (Trackstar)
On this episode we are joined by previous guests Albert Wang, Co-Founder of Bearworks, and Daniel Langer Co-Founder of Trackstar, to catch up with what they have been up to at their startups and to learn about what Founders do. They open up about topics like fundraising, competition and how they leverage social media. We also discuss:
The role of VCs in their business
How Founders look at fundraising
Marketing tactics used to grow their businesses
The different models they are employing to foster growth
The role AI has in their respective businesses
Their takes and involvement on social media
https://www.bearworks.com/
https://www.trackstarhq.com/
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
10 Apr 2025
Episode 12 - AI Knows Your Business! w Ben Hills, CEO and Founder of Iris
On this episode we are joined by Ben Hills, CEO and Founder of Iris, the platform that leverages AI to find and gather data to respond to RFPs and other client due diligence requests. We dive into why this such a big pain point for companies and how generative AI is uniquely situated to solve this problem. We also discuss how Ben started the company and the inspiration he got from his grandparents. We also discuss:
The landscape of generative AI models
How investor sentiment has changed around application layer AI
Thoughs on return to office policies and in-person events
Ben's history in EdTech
Why Ben loves building in New York
https://www.heyiris.ai/
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
24 Mar 2025
Episode 11 - The Power of Customer Proof w Sunny Manivannan, Founder of Peerbound
On this episode we are joined by Sunny Manivannan, Founder of Peerbound, the AI platform that finds and unifies customer proof at scale. We dive into what customer proof is and why it is so powerful for influencing corporate purchases. We also discuss how Sunny discovered the power of customer stories and how his team is leveraging AI to unlock their previously hidden potential. We also discuss:
Social proof and its role in business
Sunny's different roles in tech
Why he is so bullish on AI
Lessons we've learned working at companies like Coupa, Datadog and Braze
Similarities between B2C and B2B aspects of social proof selling
The way we value wins and losses
What brought Sunny to NYC and why he loves it
https://www.peerbound.com
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
11 Mar 2025
Episode 10- Property Transaction Transparency Thanks To The Blockchain w Alexander McGee, Co-Founder of Balcony
On this episode we are joined by Alexander McGee, Co-Founder, CRO and Head of Government Affairs at Balcony, the property management system for governments, built on the blockchain. We are joined by Co-host Kiran Bath, Product Counsel at Chainalysis, the leading blockchain analytics company. We will learn about the decades old problems that Balcony is solving in the real estate records space and why blockchain is the right technology to tackle these challenges. We also discuss:
The history and landscapee of property records
The differences and difficuties of building and selling to governments
The benefits of using blockchain for transaction data
Some secrets of selling
Alex's background and thoughts on NYC
Tips for building a winning culture
https://www.balcony.technology/
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
https://www.kelseystreetpress.org/product-page/instructions-for-banno
11 Feb 2025
Episode 9 - How to lead and scale teams (and eat) w Andrew Wojszynski, Solutions Engineering Leader at WIZ
On this episode we are joined by Andrew Wojszynski, Solutions Engineering Leader at WIZ, as well as Co-host Kim Buhay. We discuss the problems that CNAPPs solve, how WIZ's products won Andrew over, and how his natural curiosity and problem solving skills led him on a path to NYC at companies like Google, Datadog, and WIZ. We also rap about:
How Andrew got into tech and leadership
The role Solutions Engineering plays in the sales cycle
Some secrets of hiring and scaling teams
How GTM motions differ based on ICP size and profling
The difference we feel in solving problems for Enterprises vs SMBs
What makes a good leader
A few hidden gem food spots in NYC
https://www.wiz.io/
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
https://www.kelseystreetpress.org/product-page/instructions-for-banno
21 Jan 2025
Episode 8 - AI Phone Agents and the Arts, with Yael Goldstein, Lead Product Manager at Regal.ai
On this episode we are joined by Yael Goldstein, Lead Product Manager at Regal.ai as well as Co-host Kiran Bath. We discuss the current state of AI models and how Regal.ai is empowering customers to meaningfully connect with their clients via AI Phone Agents. We also rap about:
• Our reactions to interacting with AI phone agents
• The secret sauce to building AI products
• Yael's background and how she got her start in tech
• Similarities with math and music
• Some of our favorite quotes to model behavior after
• The sense of discovery that NYC provides
• Some secrets to success we've found in our careers
https://www.regal.ai/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0piwnNEopscEGqxJy7LdUf
https://www.next-gen-law.com/
https://www.kelseystreetpress.org/product-page/instructions-for-banno
19 Dec 2024
Episode 7- Producing Impactful Events at Startups with Carolina Barberii, Head of Events and Field Marketing at Cortex.io
Carolina Barberii, Head of Events and Field Marketing at Cortex.io, joins Kim Buhay, Director of Field Marketing at Datadog, to share insights on the pivotal role events play in supporting growth at tech companies and scaling entrepreneurial spirits.
6 Dec 2024
Episode 6 - From Ad-tech to Acquisition with John Shankman, CEO and Founder of Hashtag Labs
John Shankman, CEO and Founder of Hashtag Labs, shares his journey from ad-tech to acquisition, highlighting the value he created for publishers in a space dominated by advertisers.
20 Nov 2024
Episode 5- From the Valley to the Alley with Rob Bailey, COO of CrewAI
Rob Bailey, COO of CrewAI, shares insights on democratizing AI access with a multi-agentic approach, unlocking its true potential for non-technical communities and transforming the tech landscape.
7 Nov 2024
Episode 4 - Spinning the wheel and finding fortune in Fintech w Johnathan Warrick, VP of Operations at dv01
On this episode we visit with Jonathan Warrick, VP of Operations at dv01, the world’s first end-to-end data management, reporting, and analytics platform for loan-level lending data. We learn about Johnathan's non-traditional path from tuba major to being the first employee at a NYC fin-tech company and how a popular TV game show played a major role. On this epsiode we discuss:
The current state of lending data in the financial markets and how we got here
Johnathan's unique journey into tech, including his experiences in Finance and how taking an interest in coding changed his trajectory
What it's like being an insider at a company being acquired and what has changed post acquisition
His experience being a winner on Wheel of Fortune
The role of creativity in the technology talent market
Why NYC is such a great city for music lovers
www.dv01.co/
www.kelseystreetpress.org/product-page/instructions-for-banno
www.next-gen-law.com
22 Oct 2024
Episode 3- Pivoting from Consultant to Co-Founder w Daniel Langer, Co-Founder of Trackstar, the universal API for Warehouse Management
On this episode we visit with Daniel Langer, Co-Founder of Trackstar, the universal API for Warehouse Management. In addition to learning about Trackstar and Daniel's role and jounrey as a Co-Founder, we will discuss:
The current state of E-commerce and warehousing
The origin story of the company
Lessons from Y-Combinator and how to pivot
Daniel's time at Google and as a consultant at McKinsey
Our interview stories at Datadog
The role "passion" plays in career
Building culture as a founder
What made Daniel fall in love w NYC
1 Oct 2024
Episode 2- From Finance to Fintech w Marie Pereda Ehrlich, Director of Partnerships at Capchase
On this episode we visit with Maria Pereda Ehrlich, Director of Partnerships at Capchase, a startup providing non-dilutive financing to other technology startups. In addition to learning about Capchase and Maria's role, we discuss:
The finance landscape for tech startups
The difference between debt and equity financing
Starting a company during a global pandemic
How Capchase is supporting today's tech startups
Maria's role and favorite parts of the job
The power of relationships in business
Maria's experience as a woman in make dominated fields
Our favorite aspects of NYC
Does Miami have next?
9 Sept 2024
Episode 1 - From Engineer to Product Manager to Founder w Albert Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of Bearworks
On our premiere episode we visit with Albert Wang, the CEO and Co-Founder of Bearworks, a NYC based productivity and team-building platform. Learn about Albert's journey into tech, what problems Bearworks is solving and his thoughts on the city that never sleeps!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
21,603
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.3 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
64
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
31
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