There's A Device For That

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This week Esper's own CEO, Yadhu Gopalan, returns to the podcast to chat about the exciting road to building Esper. He dives into his extraordinary journey from a curious 5th grader exploring a mainframe room to becoming the visionary behind a game-changing product. He reminisces about his first and only job interview and the innovative projects he's been a part of since. He shares about the challenging road of bringing together your vision with the reality of the market and he highlights the importance of being humble in order to learn.

2:30 - Yadhu’s journey into the tech and software industry
7:35 - How Yadhu created Esper
9:15 - Finding the right product-market fit
13:30 - How Esper makes device management easier
16:50 - Facing the challenges of building a business
22:20 - Upcoming industry trends

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Byron Baker is the Head of Design at Blink UX, an Evidence-driven Design™ firm solving customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) challenges for businesses. He joins the show to share his experience leading a team of design experts as they create user experiences that truly enhance the value and impact of devices. He dives into their diverse and fascinating portfolio, spanning from modernizing the trucking industry with a seamless on-the-road experience to a device that ensures your shower temperature is always perfect. He shares their comprehensive and effective methods for gathering customer insights that have helped them deliver on what truly matters to customers.

7:15 - What Blink UX does
8:15 - How Blink UX has helped customers upgrade their customer experience
19:20 - Helping Moen create a spa like experience at home
24:30 - Tips on gathering customer feedback to truly understand their needs
27:25 - Strategies for keeping innovation alive
32:30 - Where to learn more about Blink UX

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Ron Tobb is the Founder of Minor Decliner (minordecliner.com), a cutting-edge ID scanning system. He joins the show to share how their easy-to-use scanners help retailers prevent underage sales and avoid fines by verifying a customer's age in seconds. He reveals the strategies he’s used to make Minor Decliner a success including a focus on integrating technology that delivers direct customer value and quality customer service. He also shares how their partnership with Esper has taken their device operations to the next level with features like an intuitive console, secure kiosk mode, and automated device provisioning.

0:45 - Why and how Minor Decliner came about
7:00 - How Minor Decliner scanners work
11:35 - How Minor Decliner reduces risk for retailers
12:55 - Applications for Minor Decliner scanners
14:10 - Why Minor Decliner chose Esper to manage their devices
17:10 - The future of Minor Decliner

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Joe Scanlin is the co-founder and CEO of Scanalytics, which transforms physical spaces into intelligent environments through smart floor sensors and predictive analytics. In this episode, Joe reveals how Scanalytics is harnessing the power of sensor-enabled flooring to unlock valuable insights into how people move through space and time and how it impacts their behavior. He shares the benefits this can have across industries from optimizing traffic flow in bustling commercial spaces to detecting falls in senior living facilities to saving energy costs for smart buildings. Listen in to hear how this true innovator is helping create a smarter, more efficient, and more data-powered world. Content warning: Please note this episode mentions school shootings.

7:40 - How Joe co-founded Scanalytics
13:00 - The design of Scanalytics’ floor sensors
16:30 - Unlocking space utility and energy savings
18:10 - How Scanalytics’ floor sensors work
20:45 - Applications for Scanalytics technology
24:45 - How Scanalytics compares to IoT sensors and cameras
34:45 - Where to learn more about Scanalytics

Check out Joe’s TedTalk on responsive physical environments: https://www.ted.com/talks/joe_scanlin_the_implications_of_responsive_physical_environments

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Joe Saavedra is the founder and CEO of Infinite Objects, a revolutionary product that preserves your most cherished moving memories (like video and NFTs) in a whole new way. This week on the show he takes us on a journey through the inception of Infinite Objects, revealing the creative process that led to its unique and awe-inspiring product (including an unboxing moment straight out of Harry Potter). He delves into how he tapped into the hearts and minds of his target users to create a product that truly resonates with them. He also shares how Infinite Objects is navigating the ever-changing macroeconomic landscape with innovation and creativity. Listen in to this captivating conversation and use the link below to get 10% off your Infinite Object.

0:40 - What inspired the concept of Infinite Objects
11:00 - How Joe created Infinite Objects
16:00 - Determining and operationalizing product design principles
20:15 - Understanding customer behavior and desires
24:40 - What’s next for Infinite Objects
28:30 - Navigating the pandemic and changing macroeconomic landscape
35:37 - Where to learn more about Infinite Objects

Use this discount code for 10% off your Infinite Object: https://infiniteobjects.com/discount/ESPER10

Follow Joe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmsaavedra?lang=en

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Phil Duffy is the Chief Product Officer of Embodied, a groundbreaking robotics and AI company that's changing the face of human-centric care and wellness. In this episode, Phil shares the incredible work that Embodied is doing with their language-based robots to support children in overcoming social and emotional challenges. He discusses how his passion for robotics led him to focus on a unique mission, rather than simply chasing the latest tech trend. He shares valuable insights on how to get into the minds of customers and how to design technology that's truly adaptable to the real world. Please not this episode deals with topics around mental health and assisted suicide.

5:20 - What does Embodied do
8:30 - The upcoming rise of a ubiquitous hardware stack for robotics
13:35 - The importance of understanding user needs in product development
16:00 - How the Moxie companion robot works
22:20 - Benefits kids have seen using Moxie
26:00 - The future of Moxie and Embodied
33:50 - Where to learn more about Embodied

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Tom Falzani is the co-founder & CPO at Lula Convenience, a software company that enables delivery from convenience stores. He joins the show to share how Lula helps modernize the in-store experience to help convenience stores compete in the digital, post-pandemic era. He talks about his experience working in convenience stores from a young age and the complexity of managing them successfully. He shares how he and his co-founder brought Lula to life and discusses the importance of connecting technology with consumer behavior that already exists.

1:20 - Tom’s journey to Lula
6:00 - How and why Lula was created
8:40 - Technology and hardware Lula provides to convenience stores
10:55 - How Lula uses Esper to provision devices quickly
15:50 - What’s on the horizon for Lula
21:00 - Prioritizing customer feedback in product development
24:15 - How to get started with Lula

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Rashid Galadanci is the Co-founder and CEO of Driver Technologies, a mobile app that turns your phone into an AI-powered dash cam to help you protect your fleet and save money. Rashid rejoins the podcast to discuss how Driver Technologies can be used to protect small and large transportation fleets. He details how the app can help prevent the top causes of accidents, all while maximizing the hardware fleet owners have already invested in. He highlights how the app was built with drivers in mind, ensuring they have the capabilities they need and the privacy they want.

1:45 - Overview of Driver Technologies
8:45 - How Driver Technologies works for transportation fleets
16:30 - Building a solution with drivers in mind
18:40 - Using cloud technology to improve driving behavior
21:35 - Fundraising atmosphere for start-ups
26:10 - The future of Driver Technologies
29:25 - Driver Technologies cooler mount device

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Robin Mast is the Restaurant Technology Manager at Slice. Slice empowers independent pizzerias with the modern tools that have allowed major pizza chains to dominate until now. Robin joins the show this week to discuss how she found the best job she’s ever had with Slice. She highlights how Slice enables independent pizzerias to serve their digitally minded customers and move away from third-party apps. And she details the “aha” moments that led to Slice choosing Esper to better serve their customers.

1:20 - Robin’s career journey and role at Slice
2:10 - What Slice does
3:15 - What led Slice to working with Esper and how they are using it
7:10 - How Slice chooses the right technology for their business
7:54 - What’s next for Slice

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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Dan Brown is the President and CEO of CareMate, a continuous-data remote client monitoring solution that allows wellness agencies to provide a higher level of care for their clients. With a career spanning the military and telecom industry to becoming an entrepreneur in the tech space, Dan is a true innovator. He joins the podcast to discuss how CareMate breaks down silos to deliver real-time data to those needing it most. He details the unique features of CareMate, such as real-time monitoring for arrhythmias, that bring peace of mind to clients and their families. Listen in to hear how he brought wearables, wireless technology, and multisensory AI together to deliver a transformative solution.

5:45 - Dan’s journey to becoming an entrepreneur
10:08 - How CareMate was created
13:25 - Features of CareMate
23:00 - Technology infrastructure for managing remote monitoring devices
26:00 - MedTech industry trends and outlook

There’s A Device For That is hosted by Sudhir Reddy, SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlorsbourn/ (Carl Osbourn) is the author of https://www.deliveringthedigitalrestaurant.com/ (Delivering the Digital Restaurant) which gives restaurant leaders a roadmap to the Future of Food. https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-brian/ (Brian Reece) and https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-crowley-445b507/ (Steve Crowley) are the Principals and Founders of https://www.servicephysics.com/ (Service Physics) helping restaurants build systems that deliver world-class customer experiences at scale. This trio joins the podcast today to talk about how technology and data are helping solve the restaurant industry’s toughest challenges with guest host Emily Carrion. They discuss how innovations can make or break your guests’ experience and deliver crucial benefits like accelerating speed of service, enhancing customer loyalty programs, and providing a competitive edge. They detail how to assess whether a technology is right for your restaurant, whether it’s a tablet for managing orders or the latest KDS. And they highlight how new technologies, such as VR, AI, and geofencing, are paving the way for further operational excellence. 5:43 - Technology innovations that have changed the restaurant industry 9:45 - How has digitization uniquely impacted restaurants 14:40 - What challenges are restaurants facing today 21:30 - What devices are helping solve these challenges 30:30 - How to assess whether a technology is right for your restaurant 35:45 - Using VR and AI to unlock insights 38:22 - What do leaders of digital restaurants need to do to be successful

There’s A Device For That is hosted by https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjvreddy/ (Sudhir Reddy), SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-a-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/yadhug/ (Yadhu Gopalan) is the Co-founder and CEO of https://www.esper.io/ (Esper) and the author of https://www.amazon.com/dp/1387834843?ref=myi_title_dp (DevOps for Devices: The Innovator’s Guide to Enterprise Fleet Transformation). Yadhu joins the podcast today to discuss his career-long obsession with DevOps and why he thinks it’s critical to use a similar approach when managing a modern device fleet. He describes the trends that are driving a need for more agile fleets, like how ubiquitous devices are becoming, turning even common household appliances into cloud-connected, intelligent devices. He also highlights the crucial role infrastructure plays in a company’s ability to innovate and the advantages it brings them when delivering experiences to their customers. 6:45 - Why Yadhu wrote DevOps for Devices and what can readers get out of it 10:45 - Yadhu’s experience with DevOps and how he brought it to the device world 16:38 - Why DevOps for devices is important to apply now 20:00 - What makes Esper unique 22:02 - What DevSecOps is and why it’s so crucial 25:49 - How to get started with DevOps for devices

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishal-chandapeta-3b6236165/ (Vishal Chandapetta), Co-founder/CTO of https://portl.co/ (Portl Fitness), an Intelligent Home Mirror with applications spanning Healthcare, Fitness, and Wellness. Vishal joins the show to discuss the blooming connected fitness world that’s growing to include more than just workouts. He describes how PORTL custom-built an interactive mirror with highly customized content to deliver a personalized fitness and health experience. He highlights how they created a customer-centric product with thoughtful and unique features that consider accessibility and lifestyle factors. He also shares the serendipitous way Esper came into the picture and how it’s helped PORTL transform its business. 1:28 - How the fitness industry has changed 5:30 - How PORTL found their niche in the device market 7:50 - Unique features of the PORTL mirror 14:57 - PORTL’s custom hardware design journey 16:38 - How working with Esper impacted PORTL 19:40 - Where the connected fitness industry is going

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-tempel/ (Kelsey Tempel) is a Senior Product Manager at https://www.sonos.com/en-us/home (Sonos), a wireless home sound system that fills your home with brilliant sound, room by room. Kelsey comes on the show to dive into all things product development like how to stay focused on your customer through the development process and how to find innovation even with an established product. She discusses what makes Sonos so unique and how they’ve adapted to significant changes like the prevalence of the cloud and covid. She highlights the importance of automation and rapid iteration in product update cycles and shares what skills she thinks make the best product developers successful. 1:09 - How Kelsey got into product development 6:40 - What makes Sonos different and innovative 11:50 - Best ways to identify customer pain points and evolve a product 12:55 - Impact of Coivd at Sonos 15:20 - Role of automation and rapid iteration in product development 18:44 - How to keep innovation going as a product leader

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashid-galadanci/ (Rashid Galadanci) is the Co-founder and CEO of https://drivertechnologies.com/ (Driver Technologies), a mobile app that turns your phone into an AI-powered dash cam to help you stay safe and save money. In this episode, Rashid discusses how Driver uses computer vision to see the world using your just phone and deliver the next generation of mobility safety. He highlights new premium services and features, including real-time safety alerts, gas discounts, and roadside assistance, so you’re covered from the minute you get into your car. He reminisces on his diverse career, from grass-fed beef to fintech to solar energy, and how he’s always been focused on giving underserved communities better access to technology. 1:19 - Overview of the Driver Technologies app 3:07 - How Rashid got into the tech world 10:12 - Driver Technologies premium features 17:14 - Data privacy and security for Driver Technologies’ users 21:38 - How Driver Technologies helps drivers better work with insurance companies 23:14 - Where innovation is pushing the tech industry

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-hamblet-970582a1/ (Robby Hamblet) is the founder and CEO of https://www.tealcom.io/ (Teal Communications), which gives you the freedom to choose the network you want within one eSIM platform you control. In this episode, Robby discusses how other eSIM platforms have fallen short despite being around for decades and the ways TEAL’s solution fills the gaps. He highlights the increasing importance of solving roaming and data legislation complexities as the world gets bigger and smaller simultaneously and reflects on the security challenges within IoT. He enlightens Sudhir about innovative new devices like ground roving drones and laser shooting Zambonis. He grew up tinkering with cellphones and had a Blackberry until 2021, so you know he knows his stuff. 2:00 - How Robby got into mobility and the telco industry 5:30 - Overview of TEAL’s platform and what makes it unique 11:41 - Innovative customer use case examples 14:00 - What motivated Robby to create TEAL 16:32 - Important skills when you’re leading a company 18:10 - Challenges of IoT security

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/arpandesai/ (Arpan Desai) is the CTO of https://www.ordermark.com/ordermark-for-restaurants/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand-em&utm_id=ordermark&utm_term=brand&utm_content=rsa&salesforce_campaign_id=7014W000001FeJCQA0&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwJuVBhCAARIsAOPwGAS7wuBnuV21np3Vj5SXHzuvPtaTdUchWMYmjoT5zPbIkAcVpWofQNcaAnu7EALw_wcB (Ordermark), which helps restaurants take charge of their online ordering. He joins the podcast to talk about the true innovation that lead to the development of Ordermark and Nextbite. He explains how the platform enables restaurants to grow their business, even in hard times like the pandemic, and how they can scale with delivery partners without the operational overhead. He describes the partnership Ordermark and Esper have created and the tricky situation Esper was able to help them find a solution for. And most importantly, he reminds us all that faxes still exist and security is never something to sleep on. 1:32 - How Ordermark and Nextbite empower restaurants to grow their business 4:25 - How Esper helped Ordermark find true flexibility with their device management 6:23 - Effects of the pandemic and trends that will live on past it 8:22 - Where Ordermark falls on the DevOps maturity model 9:43 - The importance of moving security to the beginning of the development cycle 10:48 - What’s next for Ordermark and Nextbite

There’s A Device For That is hosted by https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjvreddy/ (Sudhir Reddy), SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-a-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/riley23/ (Ray Riley )is the Co-CEO of https://progressretail.com/ (Progress Retail), a retail operations and learning platform focused on the development of front-line retail teams of the future. A life long retailer, Ray describes the revolution reshaping brick and mortar stores into customer education centers. He discuss how talent drains, outdated tools, and undocumented legacy knowledge have created the need for innovative yet practical applications of technology in stores. He explains how tools, such as Progress Retail, can help turn brick-and-mortar environments into deeper customer engagement channels and drive innovation in an industry not traditionally known for it. Listen in to reminisce about floppy disks and hear proof that quitting college isn’t always a bad idea. 1:05- The main problems Progress Retail solves for retailers 3:55- How the landscape for brick-and-mortar retailers is changing 8:50- Role technology and devices currently play in the retail industry 11:30- How Progress Retail is helping to solve the technology gap in retail 20:07- How technology will evolve for the in-store retail environment

There’s A Device For That is hosted by https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjvreddy/ (Sudhir Reddy), SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-a-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinpmiller/ (Devin Miller) is the co-founder and CEO of https://www.securesave.com/ (SecureSave), an employer-matched emergency savings account that enables employees to feel more financially secure. A veteran start-up executive, Devin joins the show to discuss his latest company SecureSave and how it’s changing what financial security looks like. He explains the best ways to enable your innovations from devices to agile processes like DevOps to focused product development. He shares his personal framework for fostering innovation, and how falling in love with the problem and turning creativity into a muscle have contributed to his repeated success. This episode is full of memorable sports analogies, insights into the high-stakes world of FinTech, and steal-worthy advice. 1:10 - How apps and devices have changed over the years and how they are making our lives better. 0:59- What SecureSave does and what makes it unique 7:38- What drives adoption for SecureSave 10:15- Devin’s entrepreneurial framework 16:32- FinTech trends 23:52- Best practices for software development

There’s A Device For That is hosted by https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjvreddy/ (Sudhir Reddy), SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-a-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyvitus/ (Andy Vitus )is a long time investor with https://www.scalevp.com/ (Scale VP) and an https://www.esper.io/ (Esper) board member. In this episode Andy goes deep on what’s causing fundamental shifts in tech and the ways our world is becoming more connected. He explains the crucial relationship between software and devices- how both have evolved and the challenging dichotomy that exists between them. He then takes us to the bleeding edge of technology and highlights the device innovations catching his attention, from AI-enabled doorbells to warehouse robotics to quickly configurable rockets. Click play for the fascinating conversation, keep listening for the stories from two guys who remember a time before the internet. 1:10 - How apps and devices have changed over the years and how they are making our lives better. 8:26 - Why innovating on software and bringing those innovations to devices in a faster cadence is so important. 12:18 - Andy talks about his recent investments and what technologies are on the horizon 18:00 - The DevOps mindset needed to successfully deploy software rapidly to devices at scale. 23:00 - Why security is more than enough reason to use DevOps for devices.

There’s A Device For That is hosted by https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjvreddy/ (Sudhir Reddy), SVP of Engineering, of Esper. For more about Esper, visit us.

https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-a-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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A preview of our first episode with Andy Vitus, Esper board member and Scale VP investor. Get ready to hear about what’s causing deep fundamental shifts in tech, how to navigate the challenging dichotomy between software and devices, and the device innovations catching the attention of this long-time investor.

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Technology is bringing to life moments we once didn't think possible. Join our host Sudhir Reddy, Senior VP of Engineering at Esper, to discover the unprecedented device-based solutions changing the world around us. In each episode, we’ll chat with an industry leader who is driving cutting-edge technology to explore what kind of impact they’re making and what’s in store for the future. Uncover the progressive ideas transforming our daily lives and come away with that spark to go out and achieve your most aspirational goals. There’s A Device For That is brought to you by Esper, the industry's first and leading Android DevOps Platform. For more about Esper, visit us. https://blog.esper.io/ (Esper Blog) https://www.esper.io/ (Official Esper site) https://www.esper.io/book-demo (Book an Esper Demo)

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