The Story of Software

• S04E37 Cleantech Creators: Chris Bernkopf

  Chris Bernkopf, CEO of Podero, shares how they help utilities optimise energy use and offers advice on growing in the cleantech sector. The Guest:In this episode, we are joined by Chris Bernkopf, Co-Founder and CEO of the Austrian energy flexibility startup, Podero. With a background that spans physics, edtech, and electric mobility, and experience at CERN and Y Combinator, Chris brings a rare mix of scientific insight and entrepreneurial drive to the clean energy sector. Under his leadership, Podero develops software that helps utilities optimise device control, trade energy more efficiently, and reduce costs and emissions.Chris shares how the rise of renewables is transforming the way we consume and manage power, and why this shift demands smarter, more adaptive systems. He reflects on his journey from physics and Y Combinator to tackling one of the biggest challenges in climate tech, discussing how technology, markets, and user behaviour are converging to accelerate the clean energy transition. The conversation delves into Europe’s evolving energy landscape, the business and climate benefits of flexibility, and what it takes to build resilient solutions in a sector shaped by regulation and rapid change.Some highlights of this episode include:The shift in energy flexibility focusPodero's three-part business modelThe "Positive Flywheel" of decarbonisationBuilding resilient solutions in a sector shaped by regulation and rapid changeAdvice on overcoming sector overwhelm Listen to the Story of Software on:Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, & any other podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: [email protected]

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• S04E36 Leading While Learning

  Lee Provoost, CTO at Flagstone, talks about his journey growing into technical leadership, from leading high-stakes projects while learning on the job, to navigating imposter syndrome and finding his footing as a leader.The Guest –Lee Provoost, CTO at FlagstoneToday we are joined by Lee Provoost, the CTO at Flagstone, a UK-based Fintech company helping clients get better returns on their savings. In this episode, Lee reflects on his journey growing into technical leadership, from leading high-stakes projects while learning on the job, to navigating imposter syndrome and finding his footing as a leader.Some highlights of this episode include:Non-linear path to CTO Learning on the job & being “comfortable with being uncomfortable” — Startup vs. corporate reality Leadership self-care & transparencyAI’s impact on product engineering  Q: In your leadership journey, have you ever experienced imposter syndrome? If so, how do you deal with it?"Yeah, it’s something that lingers in the back of your mind all the time, but it lessens over time. I still feel it quite regularly, but I remind myself that I got this role because I clearly bring something to the table and the people around me have recognized that. It’s also why, three years later, I’m still the CTO of this business—you need to remind yourself of that regularly.When I ran my own business many years ago, I printed a meme as a massive poster in the office: a Labrador sitting at a keyboard with the caption, ‘I have no idea what I’m doing.’ I did it to normalize that none of us really knows everything—we’re all learning.Surround yourself with good coaches or mentors, and with peers on your leadership team. It can be lonely, and occasional validation from peers—‘that was a great job’ or ‘you handled that well’—definitely helps" Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: [email protected]

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• S04E35 Leadership Strategies for Building Top Tech Talent

  In this episode, we’re joined by Ali Elgamal, EVP and CTO at Tamara, one of Saudi Arabia’s three fintech unicorns and a market leader in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) space. The Guest: Ali Elgamal, EVP and CTO at TamaraAli takes us through his journey that led to Tamara, sharing his leadership philosophy, strategies for building top tech talent, and insights into navigating BNPL in a regulated environment. He also offers his vision for the transformative role of AI in the future of fintech.Some highlights of this episode include:Career journey and experienceHypergrowth challenges and lessons learnedLeadership and talent strategyCultural and regional differences in techAI and the future of software development Q: With AI, how do you see software development changing over the next four or five years?"When it comes to AI and software development, I see it as something that will significantly improve developer experience and productivity. It will become a standard expectation that engineers have AI support. I also foresee a fundamental shift in how some solutions are designed and built. For example, you mentioned agents and MCPs. We are already experimenting with MCPs internally — we’ve created our own agent that is used for debugging. If someone has an issue, such as understanding what’s happening with a specific order, the agent gathers data from different internal sources and produces an analysis, like: the customer exceeded the debt burden ratio allowed by the regulator, and so on. This fundamentally changes how we work. Software that was once designed in a very traditional way — service-oriented, REST APIs, microservices architecture — will gradually shift to being more agent-based. It’s only a matter of time, and I’ve already seen systems being built in this way.I’m not just talking about the obvious use cases, like agentic workflows or IDE assistants, because everyone is experimenting with those. The real change will come from a deeper shift in software design and architecture, and I believe that’s where we’re heading."  Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: [email protected]

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• S04E34 Cleantech Creators: Brenda Park

  Discover the current and future state of the renewable energy sector with Brenda Park, COO of the ground-breaking Scottish energy storage business, StorTera.  The Guest:Brenda is a seasoned operations leader with a PhD in Physics and over a decade of experience in the renewable energy sector. As COO and Director at StorTera—an Edinburgh-based energy storage innovator—she has been instrumental in building and leading the company’s core team of scientists and engineers, propelling the development of groundbreaking Single Liquid Flow Battery (SLiQ) technology and the StorAI platform Brenda’s expertise spans agile project management, renewable systems, and the commercialization of innovative energy storage solutions, making her a key force in advancing the mission towards a more sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure.Some highlights of this episode include:The Problem of Wind and Solar CurtailmentLimitations of Lithium-Ion BatteriesSustainability and Circular Economy PracticesCommunity Energy Projects and AI-Enhanced Smart Grids Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: [email protected]

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• S04E33 UAE’s Leading Fintech: Sarwa’s Story

  Jad Sayegh, Co-Founder & CTO at Sarwa, joins us to reflect on his journey in building Sarwa and how his role has evolved as the company has matured.The Guest:Jad Sayegh is Co-Founder & CTO at Sarwa, a leading fintech company in the UAE  that is transforming wealth management with accessible, technology-powered investment solutions. In this episode, Jad reflects on his journey from telecoms and high-speed trading in Canada to launching Sarwa in Dubai, and how the company has evolved from a prototype to a one-stop investing platform. He shares insights on building for a new market, navigating regulation, attracting and retaining global talent, and how his role as CTO has shifted as Sarwa scaled to 100+ people. We also touch on the challenges and opportunities of innovating in a fast-moving Fintech ecosystem, and the leadership lessons Jad has drawn from mentors and books along the way Some highlights of this episode include:The Origin Story of SarwaPioneering Regulatory Change in the UAEBuilding and Retaining Talent in a Transient MarketThe Evolution of the CTO RoleCustomer Feedback, Product Coherence, and Experimentation Listen to the Story of Software on any podcast platform of your choice. The Story of Software Podcast is produced by Zartis, a software services company. We hope you enjoy listening to this tech podcast and feel free to share any feedback with us: [email protected]

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