“Leadership isn’t about having fewer fears — it’s about learning how to lead with them.” - Peter Brack

In this episode of Tech Scenes Beverly Hills, Jeff Martin sits down with Peter Brack, a trusted executive coach to some of the world’s most accomplished founders and CEOs.

Peter works with high-performing leaders backed by firms like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst, and Y Combinator, helping them build enduring companies while navigating the internal and external complexity that comes with growth. His career spans the full arc of company-building — from launching CNN and Turner Broadcasting in Asia at Time Warner, to serving as President of Time Inc. Asia Pacific, to co-founding and leading two companies through IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Now, as a credentialed executive coach (ICF), Coaching Fellow at the Institute of Coaching, and co-founder of an early-stage venture firm and startup studio, Peter brings rare perspective into what truly shapes great leadership over time.

The conversation explores fear, confidence, and decision-making at the highest levels, the methodologies behind effective coaching, and how founders and CEOs can scale themselves alongside their organizations. They also dive into team dynamics, organizational growth, and why the inner work of leadership becomes more—not less—important as companies grow.

Chapters

00:00 Leadership at the Highest Levels

04:12 The Role of Fear in Leadership

09:03 Confidence vs Certainty

14:27 Founder and CEO Dynamics

20:41 Coaching Methodologies That Work

27:18 Scaling the Leader as the Company Scales

33:56 Team Dynamics and Organizational Growth

41:02 Decision-Making in Complexity

48:15 Preparing for the Next Chapter

Watch now to hear how elite founders and CEOs think about leadership beneath the surface — and what it really takes to build companies that endure.

📘 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 OS™ 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #CEOLife #Founders #TeamDynamics #BusinessStrategy #PersonalGrowth #PeakTeams

“Always be transaction ready.” - Cody BarboIn this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff Martin sits down with Cody Barbo, Founder & CEO of Trust & Will, to explore how WealthTech, AI, and thoughtful design are reshaping one of the most overlooked — and most important — areas of financial life: estate planning.Cody shares the journey of building Trust & Will from the ground up, modernizing an industry that historically felt complex, expensive, and inaccessible. Since launching in 2017, Trust & Will has helped more than 1 million Americans start their estate plans, raised $83M+ in capital, completed the first electronic will in history, and partnered with institutions like AARP, UBS, Fifth Third Bank, Northwestern Mutual, and more.The conversation dives into the evolution of WealthTech, what it means to be AI-first in a highly regulated industry, and how Trust & Will’s newest platform, EstateOS™, is redefining how families and professionals plan, manage, and preserve legacies. Cody also reflects on scaling teams, staying transaction-ready as a startup, and balancing leadership, growth, and family as a founder and dad of two.Chapters00:00 The Evolution of WealthTech and AI Integration06:35 The Journey of Trust & Will: Founding Story13:28 Building a Digital Estate Planning Platform19:31 Scaling Operations and Team Dynamics35:07 Navigating Growth and Future Aspirations47:40 Personal Reflections and Future DirectionsWatch now to hear how Cody is transforming estate planning into a modern pillar of financial care — and why AI, trust, and experience design matter more than ever in building enduring companies.📘 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/⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessmentMusic by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com#TechScenes #TrustAndWill #WealthTech #AI #EstatePlanning #StartupJourney #Leadership #FounderStories #DigitalTransformation #PeakTeams

“Execution is everything in startups.” - Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Marshall Hawks, author of Venture Debt Deals and a longtime leader in venture banking and lending.

Before becoming an author, Marshall spent more than two decades in venture banking, including sixteen years at Silicon Valley Bank, where he held nine different roles across three countries. Most recently, he led SVB’s Relationship Management organization in Northern California and oversaw the bank’s in-house private credit team, the Strategic Capital Group. Over his career, Marshall has worked closely with hundreds of startups — including Airbnb, Twitch, Fitbit, Planet Labs, Tubemogul, and Egnyte — giving him a rare, front-row view into how founders use (and sometimes misuse) venture debt.

The conversation dives deep into the mechanics of venture debt, how banks actually think about underwriting risk, and why venture debt can be a powerful — but often misunderstood — tool for extending runway and minimizing dilution. Marshall also shares candid insights on team dynamics, execution, and how the venture lending landscape has evolved in the wake of SVB’s collapse.

They explore what great lenders look for, how founders should evaluate financing options, and why building strong relationships with capital partners is just as important as raising the money itself.

Chapters:

00:00 The Role of Banks in Venture Debt

01:34 Introduction to Venture Debt Deals

04:03 The Journey to Authorship

09:07 History and Evolution of Venture Lending

12:22 Understanding Venture Debt

17:49 The Underwriting Process in Venture Debt

21:44 When to Use Venture Debt

25:19 Evaluating Team Dynamics

29:33 The Importance of Team Functionality

36:31 Case Study: Airbnb’s Success

46:03 The Impact of SVB’s Failure

51:26 Conclusion and Book Release

Watch now to understand how venture debt really works, what founders often get wrong about it, and how the best teams use capital as a strategic advantage — not a crutch.

📘 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/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #VentureDebt #Startups #Financing #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #SVB #Leadership #TeamDynamics #PeakTeams

“AI is a gigantic multiplier.” - Boris Sofman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics

In this episode of Tech Scenes, Jeff Martin sits down with Boris Sofman, Co-Founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics, to explore how AI and robotics are transforming the physical world — starting with heavy machinery and construction.

Boris brings rare, deep experience across consumer robotics, autonomous vehicles, and now autonomous construction. Prior to Bedrock, he spent five years as an engineering executive at Waymo, helping scale autonomous trucking and the Waymo One robo-taxi network, which has logged over 100 million fully driverless miles. Before that, Boris spent a decade building Anki, shipping millions of robots globally and scaling the business to over $100M in annual revenue.

The conversation dives into the real challenges of physical AI, why edge intelligence matters more than ever, and how Bedrock’s vision of a “digital operator” for heavy machinery could unlock massive gains in productivity, safety, and predictability across construction and infrastructure.

They also explore team dynamics in advanced AI development, lessons from deploying autonomy in the real world, and how AI is reshaping creativity, work, and entire industries.

Chapters

00:00 The Role of AI in Productivity

02:22 Automation in Heavy Machinery

05:06 Insights from Waymo and Autonomous Driving

07:48 Challenges in Physical AI vs Digital AI

10:36 The Future of Edge AI and Robotics

13:19 The Evolution of Humanoid Robots

16:03 Managing AI Development and Team Dynamics

18:50 The Vision Behind Bedrock’s Digital Operator

21:51 Unlocking Construction Efficiency

24:38 The Shift in Team Collaboration and Structure

27:17 The Future of Work and AI’s Impact

29:50 The Democratization of Creativity

32:50 Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections

Watch now to understand why autonomous construction isn’t just a breakthrough — it’s an economic necessity — and how AI is becoming the ultimate force multiplier for the physical world.

📘 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/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up

👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #AI #Robotics #Automation #ConstructionTech #FutureOfWork #Productivity #Waymo #BedrockRobotics #Leadership #PeakTeams

"We want to create more capitalists."

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Seth Levine, Partner at Foundry and co-author of The New Builders and Capital Evolution. Seth has spent his career at the intersection of venture capital, entrepreneurship, and social impact — backing companies, funds, and ideas that aim to redefine capitalism for the modern era.

The conversation explores the intersection of technology, capitalism, and the future of work. Seth shares insights from his latest book, Capital Evolution, examining how AI, innovation, and ownership models can drive a more inclusive and dynamic form of capitalism — one that rebuilds the middle class, empowers employees, and strengthens community.

They also discuss lessons from interviews with CEOs, the need for collaboration between business and government, and why offsite meetings remain one of the most powerful tools for strategic alignment and leadership connection.

Chapters

00:00 Techno-Optimism and the Future of Work

01:38 Exploring the Future of Capitalism

08:23 Insights from CEO Interviews

11:43 Rebuilding the Middle Class

19:45 The Impact of AI on Employment

24:30 Collaboration Between Business and Government

26:55 Concrete Actions for CEOs

48:13 The Importance of Offsites and Team Alignment

53:51 Personal Reflections and Future Aspirations

Watch now to explore how Seth and the next generation of leaders are evolving capitalism — and why optimism, ownership, and collaboration are key to shaping a better future of work.

📘 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/

Music by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

#TechScenes #SethLevine #CapitalEvolution #Foundry #AI #FutureOfWork #Entrepreneurship #Capitalism #Leadership #EmployeeOwnership #PeakTeams

"You have to hire for judgment." - Chris Andrew

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Chris Andrew, CEO and co-founder of Scrunch — the platform helping brands navigate the AI-first customer journey. Scrunch enables companies to monitor their brand presence, gain actionable insights, and generate AI-friendly versions of their sites to influence LLM results.

The conversation dives deep into the transformative impact of AI on customer engagement and marketing, exploring how buyer journeys are becoming increasingly AI-driven. Chris shares lessons on building adaptable teams, optimizing content for AI search, and making fast, thoughtful decisions in an environment defined by constant change.

They also discuss leadership, empathy, and how the future of commerce will shift toward personalized, chat-based experiences — redefining how brands connect with customers in an AI-powered world.

Chapters

00:00 The AI Revolution in Customer Engagement

02:23 Building an AI-First Buyer Journey

05:18 The Role of Content in AI Search

07:56 Leadership and Team Dynamics in Startups

11:14 Hiring for Growth and Adaptability

13:39 Navigating Change in a Fast-Paced Environment

16:55 The Future of Commerce and Consumer Behavior

19:33 Personal Insights and Reflections

22:27 The Journey of Building Scrunch

25:30 Patience in Product Development

28:41 Decision-Making in a Rapidly Changing Landscape

31:18 Cultural Reflections and Personal Favorites

Watch now to explore how Chris and Scrunch are helping brands stay visible, adaptive, and authentic in the era of AI-driven commerce.

📘 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/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up 👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

Music by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com

#AI #Scrunch #TechScenes #CustomerJourney #Marketing #Startups #Leadership #Commerce #ContentOptimization #PeakTeams

"You’re using AI to build an AI product." - Jason Eubank

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Jason Eubanks, CEO and co-founder of Aurasell, the world’s first AI-native CRM built to replace Salesforce, HubSpot, and the bloated ecosystems holding teams back.

A multi-time CRO and go-to-market leader, Jason shares how years of building high-performance revenue teams inspired him to reimagine the CRM from first principles — not as another SaaS layer, but as an intelligent platform designed for how modern GTM teams actually work.

The conversation explores the future of AI in product development, how Aurasell is collapsing 15+ tools into one unified system, and why AI-native architecture is transforming how teams build, sell, and scale. Jason also discusses how his engineers and PMs use AI to accelerate innovation — from no-code AI agents to fully autonomous workflows — and what it means to unleash human potential through intelligent systems.

Chapters
00:00 The Acceleration of AI in Business
00:38 Building an AI-Native Architecture
00:44 The Fast-Paced AI Race

Watch now to hear how Aurasell is leading a new era of product development — where AI builds AI, and teams focus on what truly moves the needle.

📘 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/

⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up > https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment

Music by: andrewapplepie.bandcamp.com

#AI #Aurasell #TechScenes #ProductDevelopment #Innovation #Engineering #CRM #Startups #Leadership #PeakTeams

"You want to do well by doing good." - Austin GadientIn this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff Martin sits down with Anthony and Austin Gadient, the father-and-son founders of Vali Cyber — the company behind ZeroLock, the first Linux security platform to protect hypervisors against ransomware in real time.With deep experience spanning startups, software engineering, and military service, the Gadients share how they’ve built a company focused on protecting one of the most overlooked layers in cybersecurity — the hypervisor. They unpack the realities of fighting ransomware, the discipline behind risk management, and the lessons of building a business together as family.The conversation dives into the importance of communication, patience, and data-driven decision-making in scaling a sustainable company — and how Vali Cyber’s approach is transforming enterprise and defense-grade security for the Linux ecosystem.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Vali Cyber01:55 Understanding Hypervisors and Their Importance03:48 Market Focus and Competition in Cybersecurity05:44 Founding Story: Family Dynamics and Entrepreneurship07:42 The Impact of Ransomware on Society09:38 Building a Sustainable Business11:16 Organizational Structure and Military Influence15:23 Communication and Team Dynamics in Startups20:37 The Importance of Managing Risk23:25 Lessons in Patience and Persistence26:22 The Learning Loop in Growth Companies28:41 The Role of Data in Decision Making30:29 Teaching Entrepreneurship: Key Insights34:39 Future Product Developments and PatienceWatch now to hear how Anthony and Austin are redefining Linux and hypervisor protection — and what it takes to scale a mission-driven cybersecurity company from the ground up.📘 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/⏱️ Got 5 minutes? Take the Peak Teams Assessment to see where your team can level up👉 https://www.collective-genius.com/peak-teams-assessment#Cybersecurity #ValiCyber #ZeroLock #TechScenes #Startups #LinuxSecurity #Entrepreneurship #RansomwareProtection #Leadership #PeakTeams