In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Dr. Elliot Justin, a Harvard-trained physician, ER veteran, and founder of FirmTech — the company behind the Tech Ring, a groundbreaking wearable that turns your erection into a vital health signal.

We talk about why erectile dysfunction is misunderstood, how erections are linked to cardiovascular health, and what 70,000+ data points are revealing about the future of men’s health. This conversation spans medicine, sextech, personal performance, and the importance of taking your health — and pleasure — into your own hands.

• Dr. Justin’s journey from ER doctor to startup founder
• Why most ED treatments are solving the wrong problem
• The real reason your erection fades with age (it’s not what you think)
• How the Tech Ring collects and interprets data overnight
• Why sexual health should be tracked like blood pressure
• The importance of wearables in preventative medicine
• FirmTech’s research with Mount Sinai, Baylor, UCSD, and more
• What women’s clitoral health has to do with the next frontier of this tech
• Why pleasure and science don’t have to be separate

• FDA-registered Class II medical device
• FSA/HSA eligible
• 7 published research papers, 15+ ongoing clinical studies
• 2023 CES/Showstopper Health Innovation Runner-Up
• 2023 XBIZ Most Innovative Sex Toy of the Year

Get 15% off the Tech Ring with code DEARTECH at myfirmtech.com

Show Notes:

Too many companies launch with the belief that a great product will naturally attract customers. The truth? Without the right messaging and strategy, even the strongest ideas struggle to gain traction.

In this episode, Shubho sits down with Angelo Ponzi, a seasoned brand strategist and fractional CMO, to unpack what actually drives marketing success in early-stage and growth-stage businesses. From misunderstood branding efforts to tactical misfires, Angelo shares lessons from decades of helping companies clarify their message and build smarter go-to-market strategies.

This conversation goes deep into the challenges that founders and leadership teams face when they’re scaling — and why strategy should never be an afterthought.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why “build it and they will come” rarely works
• The difference between branding, identity, and positioning
• When it’s time to bring in a fractional CMO
• How to align your marketing and sales efforts for real growth
• Mistakes startups make when they try to scale too fast
• Red flags Angelo watches for before taking on a client
• The marketing blind spots that derail M&A readiness
• Lessons for anyone thinking about going fractional

Guest: Angelo Ponzi

Angelo Ponzi is a fractional CMO and brand strategist with over 25 years of experience helping companies strengthen their market presence, prepare for acquisition, and grow revenue through smarter marketing. He’s worked across industries, from early-stage startups to $100M+ firms, and brings a deeply strategic approach to everything from messaging to execution.

Find Angelo here:

🔗 linkedin.com/in/angeloponzi

🌐 https://www.craftmarketingandbranding.com/

Stay Connected with Dear Tech:

📸 Instagram: @deartechpodcast

🔗 Linktree: thedeartechpodcast

💼 LinkedIn: Dear Tech Podcast

What does true innovation in healthcare look like beyond the buzzwords? In this episode, we sit down with Richard “RJ” Kedziora, Co-Founder of Estenda Solutions, to talk about the real state of digital health today—from AI-driven ambient listening tools to remote patient monitoring and EMR frustrations.

RJ brings decades of experience designing and implementing data-powered healthcare tools. He shares stories from Estenda’s early work with the Department of Defense and the VA, explains how wearable tech is changing chronic care, and reveals why real transformation in medicine is as much about people and process as it is about technology.

We also talk triathlons, startup roadblocks, and RJ’s personal productivity framework, Productive Harmony, which explores how energy—not time—is the key to doing meaningful work without burning out.

What We Cover

• The evolution of AI in clinical settings
• Why most EMRs still frustrate doctors
• How ambient listening is changing note-taking in medicine
• The role of wearables in aging and chronic care
• What startup founders in medtech need to know before building
• RJ’s book Productive Harmony and the case for energy over time
• The surprising connection between triathlon training and running a business

About the Guest

Richard Kedziora is the Co-Founder of Estenda Solutions, a healthtech company focused on building data-powered tools that improve wellness and care outcomes. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Duquesne University and an M.B.A. from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and he’s presented at countless technical and healthcare conferences. RJ is also an endurance athlete and the author of the upcoming book Productive Harmony.

Resources & Mentions

• Estenda Solutions
• RJ’s LinkedIn
• Follow RJ on Instagram @productiveharmony
• Book: Productive Harmony (coming soon)

Follow Dear Tech

📸 Instagram: @deartechpodcast

🔗 Website: linktr.ee/thedeartechpodcast

💼 LinkedIn: Dear Tech Podcast

In this episode of Dear Tech, we sit down with Lori Crooks, Founder and CEO of Cadra, a cybersecurity consultancy on a mission to make compliance approachable for businesses of all sizes. Lori brings over 20 years of experience in IT auditing, security frameworks, and technical documentation — but her journey didn’t start in tech. We dive into her path from finance to IT auditing, what inspired her to leave the corporate world, and the unexpected challenges of entrepreneurship.

We explore:

• Why she walked away from corporate life and how she built Cadra from the ground up
• What makes cybersecurity compliance so misunderstood (and often neglected)
• Surprising gaps in how small businesses think about IT and security
• The importance of making technical work human and understandable
• FedRAMP, NIST, CMMC, and the real-world impact of regulatory frameworks
• What AI means for cybersecurity compliance — and what’s coming next
• The human side of leadership, working remote, and managing a values-driven team
• Her mentorship philosophy, favorite client wins, and… the time she met a hard drive that had been shot with a bullet

Plus, we talk dogs, Harry Potter houses, and why “you are good enough” is the sticky note she’d leave for her past self — and maybe for all of us.

🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to follow the show.

🔗 Learn more about Lori’s work: www.cadra.com

📲 Connect with Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-crooks

Dan Hafner never set out to be an entrepreneur, but his winding path through teaching aspirations, software QA, and remote work led him to create Dapper No-Code — a company that helps founders build and launch software without writing code. In this episode, we explore how Dan turned a personal fitness app idea into a full-fledged business, what most people get wrong about no-code, and how white-labeling platforms can fuel your launch.

We also talk about wine making (yes, really), podcasting, dogs, and the future of AI-powered development.

• Why Dan pivoted from helpdesk support to founding a no-code company
• The difference between “having an idea” and building a business
• What people misunderstand about no-code tools in 2025
• Dan’s process for validating app ideas (hint: it started at Planet Fitness)
• The role of white labeling in scaling Dapper No-Code
• How Dan's "Fast Track" offering takes apps from idea to launch in 90 days
• Where AI is supercharging app creation—and where it’s falling short
• The evolution of podcasting and how Dan's show Tech Bytes became a key growth lever
• Dan’s episode with Alex Sanfilippo
• Dan’s journey into winemaking, how he does it at home, and what flavors he’s experimenting with
• The surprising impact of mentorship and what Dan teaches the next generation of no-code developers
• Big thoughts on saturation, technical debt, and what enterprise adoption of no-code could look like

• Dapper No-Code
• Bubble
• Zapier
• PodMatch
• Dan’s episode with Alex Sanfilippo
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
• Backendless

• Favorite quote: “Done is better than perfect.”
• Most gifted book: High Performance Habits
• Favorite investment: “Continually investing in myself”
• Best thing he’s been gifted: A bartered coaching program
• Billboard message: “Your focus determines your reality.”
• Something he changed his mind on recently: The idea of contentment vs constant hustle

• Dan brews wine in his basement — his latest batch? Peach.
• He has three dogs, including a golden retriever-aussie mix with blue eyes
• Shubho and Dan swap stories on podcasting, dogs, and why “apps aren’t the business”

• Dapper No-Code Website

We’re back, and we’re doing something special. In this episode, we’re looking back at the moments that defined Season One of Dear Tech. This isn’t just a highlight reel — it’s a celebration of the honesty, the vulnerability, and the power of real talk in a tech world that often forgets the human behind the resume.

From navigating job searches and negotiating comp, to burnout, layoffs, pivots, and everything in between. Season One held space for the full spectrum of what it means to build a career today.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 🔥 Unfiltered takes on the interview process and hiring realities

• 💼 Real-life negotiation strategies (and what not to do)

• 🧠 Insights on company culture, internal equity, and employee experience

• 💬 Stories of career pivots, risk-taking, and reclaiming control

• 💡 Tangible advice from people who’ve lived the ups and downs of tech

🙏 A huge thank you to our featured guests:

Sanjit, Elle, Dev, and Tahmid. Thank you for your brilliance, your stories, and your honesty.

And to my amazing co-host Francesca, this season wouldn’t have been what it was without you.

Whether you’ve been riding with us since day one or this is your first listen, this episode is for you. Let’s take a moment to reflect on everything Season One gave us, and everything still to come

📲 Connect with us:

📸 Instagram: @deartechpodcast

🔗 LinkedIn: Dear Tech Podcast

🌐 Website & Links: linktr.ee/thedeartechpodcast

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts — and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share if this one resonated. 💛

In this episode of Dear Tech, Shubho sits down with Taylor, co-founder of Ambient, to explore his journey through startups, AI, and the importance of mental fitness. Taylor shares insights from his experiences in event tech, pivoting businesses in the face of adversity, and how his passion for sailing has shaped his leadership approach. Whether you're a startup founder, a tech enthusiast, or someone looking to improve resilience and adaptability, this episode has something for you.

1. Sailing and Its Parallels to Startups (00:01:42 - 00:07:42)

• How Taylor discovered sailing and its impact on his personal growth.
• The endurance, teamwork, and adaptability required for offshore racing.
• The connection between sailing and startup leadership—navigating changing conditions, team dynamics, and goal setting.

2. The Evolution of Ambient (00:07:42 - 00:15:12)

• The origin of Ambient from a pre-pandemic startup focused on live events.
• Pivoting to virtual event networking during COVID-19.
• Identifying the shift in remote work trends and transitioning towards AI-powered workflow automation.
• How Ambient supports chiefs of staff, founders, and operations leaders with AI-driven insights.

3. Building AI-Driven Products in a Crowded Market (00:15:12 - 00:23:12)

• Differentiating Ambient by focusing on a specific persona: the Chief of Staff.
• Understanding the balance between AI capabilities, user expectations, and reliability.
• How AI is reshaping the SaaS industry and pricing models.

4. Startup Mindset: Lessons from a Three-Month Contract to Co-Founding (00:23:12 - 00:32:12)

• Taylor’s journey from a temporary contract at a tech company to becoming a startup co-founder.
• The importance of curiosity, ownership, and building a strong network.
• How non-technical professionals can successfully transition into tech roles.

5. Psychological Flexibility and Mental Fitness (00:32:12 - 00:47:42)

• Understanding psychological flexibility and its role in decision-making and resilience.
• The connection between physical and mental fitness in high-pressure environments.
• Taylor’s personal strategies for preventing burnout, including sailing, breathwork, and slowing down.
• The importance of modeling work-life balance as a leader.

6. The Future of Remote Work (00:47:42 - 01:03:12)

• Balancing flexibility with in-person collaboration.
• Why remote work benefits some roles but not others.
• The impact of company culture on remote and hybrid work success.

Best advice ever received?

• "Slow down." Taking a breath and avoiding knee-jerk reactions helps in high-pressure situations.

Best investment?

• Teaching others how to sail—it’s about passing on knowledge and building relationships.

Best gift ever received?

• A love for music, instilled by his father.

One message for a billboard?

• "Just breathe."

Most recommended book?

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

• Scaling Ambient and continuing to develop AI-driven solutions for operations leaders.
• Upcoming sailing races, including the Aegean 600...

Fran and Shubho speak with Tahmid about is journey from dead end job all the way to leading a team in a IT environment. They start with Tahmid's weight loss which was the spring board to him changing his life and taking on new challenges, the biggest of which was Technology.