Making Data Simple

Hosted by IBM Big Data & Analytics Hub

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411

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Hosted by Al Martin, WW VP of Technical Sales at IBM, Making Data Simple cuts through the hype to reveal how data and AI reshape the modern enterprise. Thought leaders, researchers, and innovators share firsthand lessons on leading teams, scaling analytics, and driving real-world impact—delivered in Al’s signature straightforward, witty style. Tune in to Making Data Simple today. From data and AI breakthroughs to leadership hacks, top experts drop actionable gems that help businesses thrive in a data-driven world. #MakingDataSimple #AI #Leadership

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August 19, 202651 min

Big Episode: IBM's AI Operating Model, Death by Powerpoint, and Behavioral Economics

Send us Fan Mail This episode unpacks IBM's ambitious AI Operating Model. We dig into everything from sales training strategies to architecture advantage, drawing on insights gathered through instrumented training programs. 01:44 Meeting The Team 04:17 Architecture Advantage 13:06 Death by PowerPoint 17:08 Behavioral Economics 24:28 Your Biggest Competitor 26:04 Statistics You Should Know 28:28 The AI Operating Model 29:50 Breaking Down the Op Model 35:01 IBM Differentiation 38:20 Sales Training Advice 42:30 Rapid Fire LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-hintermeister/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkderoos/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwkirby/ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

August 12, 202639 min

In case you missed it.... Live Data, Smarter AI with Snow Leopard founder Deepti Srivastava {Replay}

Send us Fan Mail What if AI could tap into live operational data — without ETL or RAG? In this episode, Deepti Srivastava, founder of Snow Leopard, reveals how her company is transforming enterprise data access with intelligent data retrieval, semantic intelligence, and a governance-first approach. Tune in for a fresh perspective on the future of AI and the startup journey behind it. We explore how companies are revolutionizing their data access and AI strategies. Deepti Srivastava, founder of Snow Leopard , shares her insights on bridging the gap between live operational data and generative AI — and how it’s changing the game for enterprises worldwide. We dive into Snow Leopard’s innovative approach to data retrieval, semantic intelligence, and governance-first architecture . 04:54 Meeting Deepti Srivastava 14:06 AI with No ETL, no RAG 17:11 Snow Leopard's Intelligent Data Fetching 19:00 Live Query Challenges 21:01 Snow Leopard's Secret Sauce 22:14 Latency 23:48 Schema Changes 25:02 Use Cases 26:06 Snow Leopard's Roadmap 29:16 Getting Started 33:30 The Startup Journey 34:12 A Woman in Technology 36:03 The Contrarian View 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedeepti/ 🔗 Website: https://www.snowleopard.ai/ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

August 5, 202643 min

Where's the Smart Money Going in AI? Rob May, Co-Founder & CEO of NeuroMetric AI, on Inference, ROI, and the Bets That Matter

Send us Fan Mail Rob May, Co-Founder & CEO of NeuroMetric AI, who’s revolutionizing how multi-model systems think and run, dramatically reducing expenses while boosting performance. Rob brings decades of experience as a founder, investor, and the creator of the popular ‘Investing in AI’ newsletter. 01:05 Meeting Rob May 04:22 The Investing in AI Newsletter 06:50 Starting Neurometric 11:39 Inferencing Defined 16:12 Future Investing in AI 20:24 Model Thinking w/ Guidance 23:40 Neurometric, a Token Engineering Platform 29:07 Data Center Investments 30:42 Real AI ROI 33:48 Where is the Smart Money Going? 35:37 What AI Leaders Must Get Right 39:09 Stock Picks 40:32 Rapid Fire Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

July 29, 202646 min

⚡In case you missed it....Surviving the AI Data Flood — Ajay Kulkarni, CEO of TigerData, on Time-Series, IoT, and What's Next

Send us Fan Mail This week on Making Data Simple, join Ajay Kulkarni, CEO and co-founder of TigerData, as we dive into the rapidly evolving world of data. Ajay shares his front-row perspective on the challenges and opportunities of building and scaling time-series databases in an era of AI-driven automation. From the mechanics of managing massive data streams to the bold bets shaping the future of IoT, this conversation goes deep into what's breaking, what's working, and what's next. Whether you're a data engineer, tech leader, or simply fascinated by the speed of AI innovation, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. 01:15 Meet AJ Kulkarni 04:29 TigerData 07:16 Timeseries 09:25 Use Cases 11:03 Why Progress? 11:58 Why TigerData 16:05 AI is Everything 21:06 The Fastest Postgres 25:45 Advanced Features 28:53 Future of IoT 36:48 The Future of TigerData 38:03 San Francisco 38:26 A Big Bet 41:06 Good Books LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajaykulkarni/ Website: https://tigerdata.com Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

July 22, 202647 min

When AI Stops Waiting for Instructions — Matt Glickman, Co-Founder and CEO of Genesis Computing, on Autonomous Agents

Send us Fan Mail We dive into the exciting world of autonomous AI agents with Matt Glickman, Co-Founder & CEO of Genesis Computing. Join us as we explore how this technology is shifting the role of the data engineer and redefining what's possible. 02:36 Meet Matt Glickman 09:32 Frontier Models 17:14 The Origination of Genesis 18:51 What is an Autonomous Agent 30:25 Machines Have Our Code! 32:32 Genesis's AI Level? 34:54 Autonomous Agent Quality Control 38:30 Genesis Differentiators 40:58 The Pace of Finance and Healthcare 42:17 The Future of Data Engineers 44:06 Rapid Fire Questions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewglickman Website: https://genesiscomputing.com Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

July 15, 202645 min

Dave Trier, CEO of ModelOp, explores the rapidly evolving world of AI in navigating safely deploying AI and navigating critical governance challenges

Send us Fan Mail Making Data Simple sits down with Dave Trieer, CEO of ModelOp, to explore the rapidly evolving world of AI – particularly what happens when it starts acting autonomously. From safely deploying AI in regulated industries to navigating critical governance challenges, Dave offers invaluable insights on this transformative technology. 01:22 Meet Dave Trier 04:22 The Terminator is Coming 10:33 The Definition of Autonomous 12:15 Pushing AI into Production 17:33 AI Misconceptions 21:12 Use Case Qualification 22:53 ModelOp Value Prop 29:59 The "One Thing" with AI Governance 33:13 AI Regulation 36:47 Predicting AI 39:45 Lightening Round LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidetrier Website: https://www.modelop.com/ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

July 8, 202646 min

In case you missed it...The Invisible Engineering That Keeps Mission-Critical Hardware From Failing — with Todd VanGilder & Ryan Smith, Genuen

Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it....For the Electrical Engineers in Test out there, this is your episode. Todd VanGilder, CTO and CRO, and Ryan Smith, Tech Fellow, for Genuen join the podcast to talk about achieving reliable performance through Systems Engineering and Custom Test Equipment. And their secret sauce: Replica. 02:26 Meet Genuen Leaders 08:33 Boeing 09:21 Genuen 15:11 2-min Pitch 16:11 Client Profile 18:25 Use Cases 23:00 Replica 33:10 Reflective Memory Secret Sauce 37:16 Monetizing Replica 40:06 Coolest Use Case 41:42 True but No One Agrees Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/todd-vangilder , linkedin.com/in/hryansmith Website: https://www.genuen.com/ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

July 1, 202637 min

Is RAG Dead? The Pioneer Who Invented AI's Memory Layer Answers — with Douwe Kiela, Co-Founder, Contextual AI {ICYMI}

Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it..... RAG didn't just survive the LLM boom — it became the backbone of how enterprises put AI to work. In this replay, we sit down with Douwe Kiela, the AI researcher who led the team that introduced Retrieval-Augmented Generation in 2020 and went on to co-found Contextual AI. Douwe unpacks whether RAG is here to stay, why most enterprise AI dies in the gap between a great demo and production, how to tame hallucinations, and what actually separates a real "agent" from the buzzword. A clear-eyed conversation on building AI that's grounded, useful, and safe to deploy. 00:46 Introducing Douwe Kiela 01:37 RAG - Here to Stay or Go? 06:59 LLMs with Context 08:20 Making AI Successful 10:34 Why Contextual AI? 17:18 LLM versus SLMs 20:28 Speed over Perfection 22:07 Hallucinations 26:02 Making AI Easy to Consume 28:50 Defining an Agent 32:53 Reaching Contextual AI 33:14 The Contrarian View 34:37 The Risks of AI 36:53 For Fun LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/douwekiela Website: contextual.ai Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

June 24, 202633 min

In case you missed it! Stop, Start, Succeed: Jacob Hicks on Time Management & Coaching with Guest Host Katherine Mayne

Send us Fan Mail In case you missed it.... Ready to reclaim your time and live with intention? In this episode, Katherine Mayne sits down with Jacob Hicks, Coach and Speaker , to explore the intersection of productivity and intentional living. We dive into the tools, habits, and strategies that can help you master time management, optimize your workflow, and unlock your full potential. From the Four Disciplines of Execution to Atomic Habits and the role of AI in coaching , Jacob shares practical, real-world insights you can put into action today. Whether you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or simply looking to get more out of your day, this conversation will give you the frameworks and mindset shifts you need. 🕒 Episode Timestamps 01:34 Meet Jacob Hicks 04:12 Mastering Time Management via WPRI 14:01 Four Disciplines of Execution 15:12 Time Management Misconceptions 21:30 What Stops People from Managing Time 23:32 Tools and Giving AI a Role 26:31 Atomic Habits 28:11 What to Stop 29:36 Coaching and AI 31:05 Jacob's Coaching Business 🔗 Connect with Jacob Hicks LinkedIn: Jacob Hicks Website: jacobhickscoach.com Podcast: Purpose Driven Progress Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

June 17, 202645 min

In case you missed it.... The Contrarian AI Takes Most People Won't Say Out Loud — with Dr. Sean Falconer, AI Entrepreneur in Residence, Confluent

Send us Fan Mail Most people building with AI are working from the same playbook. Dr. Sean Falconer isn't. As AI Entrepreneur in Residence at Confluent, Sean sits at the intersection of real-time data streaming and production AI — where the decisions get hard and the stakes are real. In this episode, he and Al get into what it actually looks like to run multiple LLMs simultaneously, what happened when Sean tested autonomous agents in real-world conditions, and why some of the loudest claims in AI deserve a second look. Sean also pulls back the curtain on Confluent's technology, explains why he chose the company, and shares his framework for thinking about where AI is actually headed — not where the headlines say it is. If you want a grounded, experienced perspective on building at the edge of AI innovation — from someone who is doing it — this one is worth a replay. Timestamps 04:38 Meet Sean Falconer 11:11 Lifelong Learning 12:31 AI Entrepreneur in Residence 16:28 Multiple LLMs in Action 21:07 The Tech Behind Confluent 25:51 Why Sean Chose Confluent 28:40 Invest or Short? 36:58 Testing Agents IRL 40:51 The Contrarian AI Take 42:27 Looking Ahead: The Future of AI Guest Links LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seanf/ Substack: softwarehuddle.substack.com/ Medium: seanfalconer.medium.com/ Want to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.