Welcome to Optym's premier podcast, where we discuss genuine insights and practical wisdom from industry veterans, who have dedicated their careers to the transportation sector. Tune in to Semi-Related to tap into the valuable expertise that has shaped the industry's evolution.
In this episode of The Semi-Related Podcast (www.optym.com/semi-related-podcast/), host Jacob Eischen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-eischen-80b595164/) sits down with Oliver Jones (https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-jones-936a0a58/), co-founder and CEO of Manifold (https://www.getmanifold.ai/), to explore his journey from software engineer to freight tech founder. Oliver shares his path from building large-scale storage systems to joining Convoy in its early days, where he helped shape automation in spot bidding, tendering, and integrations during the company’s rapid rise.
Oliver opens up about the lessons learned through Convoy, the pivotal decision to apply to Y Combinator, and the early days of building Manifold as a connectivity layer that unifies scattered spot freight opportunities. He talks about customer-driven product development, the role of AI in lowering barriers to tech adoption, and why the future of freight lies in making smarter, data-backed decisions rather than chasing standardization.
Whether you’re curious about the realities of startup life, the challenges of automating logistics, or how AI is reshaping freight technology, this conversation offers candid insights, hard-earned lessons, and a look at what’s ahead for the industry.
18 Jun 2025
Finding a 3PL fit | Matthew Hertz of Third Person
Matt Hertz, Third Person CEO, recounts his e-commerce logistics journey to Jacob Eischen, sharing firsthand lessons in scaling operations and navigating fulfillment complexities in this interview.
30 May 2025
Digital defense | Joe Ohr & Artie Crawford of The NMFTA
NMFTA's Joe Ohr and Artie Crawford inform Jacob Eischen about freight cybersecurity threats like ransomware and AI-forged emails, and preview defense tools for carriers in this interview.
Who has been a guest on Semi-Related
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Matt Hertz
Joe Ohr
Artie Crawford
Mike Robinson
Reach and audience
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
50
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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