🌶️ Hot Fudge Sunday for 2024-12-29
This week, I'm spotlighting talented professionals who are #OpenToWork. Hire Them!
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Welcome to the latest Hot Fudge Daily. Each day of the week you get thematic value.
🌶️ Spicy Edition Sunday FREE (Hot Fudge Sunday weekly newsletter captures the best of Hot Fudge Daily and the most clicked links for the week.)
📈 Markets Monday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: What is moving markets and why does it matter for the week ahead?)
🔥 Hot Takes Tuesday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Get fast unfiltered thoughts on news of the day with just a dash of snark.)
🤪 Wacky Wednesday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Catch up on the wild and wooly memes from a variety of deep web #random channels.)
🔙 Throwback Thursday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Examine recent news in a thought provoking Shot and Chaser format.)
✅ Final Thoughts Friday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: A clear eyed look back on the week that was and could have been.)
🔮 Sneak Peak Saturday $ (Hot Fudge Daily: Steady and sober unpacking of the slow news day where muted press releases and disclosure stories try to get buried before the weekend takes all the attention.)
🙏 And a big thanks to all our sponsors! 🙏(Scroll to the end…)
Hot Fudge Sunday 🤔 💡 🤯 🤓 is a free weekly newsletter containing a digest of the Hot Fudge Daily paid newsletter at hot.fudge.org in a single easy to reach URL. This free weekly edition is posted every… wait for it… Sunday.
#OpenToWork Weekly
I believe in #NeverSearchAlone. Per our reader survey, each week, I’m going to be highlighting those in my network that are #OpenToWork. I strongly encourage my readers to view the LinkedIn profiles of these professionals, connect, and reach out to them.
Nathan Clyker
Successful Sales and Business Development Professional with a demonstrated 21 year history of working in the IT industry. Expert skills in Management, Sales, Enterprise Software and Hardware, Partner Management, Storage, Go-to-market Strategy creation/execution, and Sales Operations. Strong sales professional with a BS in International Business from University of Colorado, Denver and an intense focus on customer satisfaction via strong business and interpersonal relationships.
Source: Nathan Clyker
Gina (Gina Minks) Rosenthal
- Over 10 years’ experience as a global and fractional product marketing manager for global technology companies (up to 120K employees) as well as and startups.
- Over the last 5 years leading Digital Sunshine Solutions, generated over 150 blog posts, 26 case studies, and a range of messaging documents, launch plans, white papers, product datasheets, and solution briefs.
- Bootstrapped quarterly cross-company “Think Tanks” to create strong feedback loops between executives, product, marketing, and engineering teams.
- Created technical content and improved product positioning using sales and customer feedback. Served as the voice of the customer for enterprise clients exploring SaaS products.
- Planned, researched, and developed over twenty podcast episodes covering AI and infrastructure over two years.
The experience on my resume is definitely not traditional! But because there is a string connecting it all, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and creative marketing strategy to the table. With over a decade of experience working with industry leaders like EMC, Dell, and VMware, I’ve honed an in-depth understanding of the challenges IT executives face—and more importantly, how to solve them. However, since I come from a sysadmin/operator audience, I easily craft messaging that resonates and builds trust with them too.
Founding and leading Digital Sunshine Solutions for five years is one of the most fulfilling and proudest milestones of my career. Over the last five years, our team executed six product launches, developed over 150 blog posts, 26 case studies, and countless white papers, solution briefs, and product datasheets. And our work drove real impact. One of our clients saw a 150% growth in their social media presence!
I’m passionate about innovation and collaboration, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence and infrastructure technology. I want to connect the dots between complex products and the human stories they power. I believe there is infinite power in connecting everyone, inside and outside of an organization.
If you're interested in telling the story of how your product turns customers in the hero of their own journey, let's talk!
Source: Gina (Gina Minks) Rosenthal
Richard Arnesen
Who am I? I am a proven problem solver who has a history of digging in and savings my employers millions of dollars in savings over my career. I am a hard worker who can dig into the details but also communicate to the executive suite to gain the buy-in to implement a solution. In addition to system or process issues I am an expert in digging in and fixing poor performing teams. How can I help you solve a problem today? Feel free to contact me if you have any problems in the following areas:
- Program Delivery
- Infrastructure/Cloud
- Team Performance/Dynamics
- Application Reliability
- Strategic Roadmaps
- Transformation
- Leadership Development
- Managed Services
Source: Richard Arnesen
Janel Van Beek
For Humans: I intellectually help organizations and leaders grow and keep great teams, and lead change into the future. My favorite skills and experiences are strategy, program management, product, and organization and leadership effectiveness. My detailed resume is available here: https://www.francievanwirkus.com/resume
For Data Searches: Janel Van Beek (formerly Janel Lanza), SPC 6.0, FLMI, CCTP II, is a business strategist and certified Master Coach, helping people do what seems impossible. She is a digital transformation, OCM, leadership development, and product expert. She is strategy and business consultant. She has financial, health, entrepreneur, retail and services product experience. She has deep experience in strategy, change, instructional design and training as well as in being a turn-around people leader.
As founder of Francie Van Wirkus LLC, an executive coaching and private yoga business, Janel is a keynote speaker, author of several books and executive coach and strategist. She has strategic product and portfolio experience. Janel also has deep experience in investment training, organization effectiveness, human resources, and instructional design. She is a dual-certified yoga instructor for group and private classes, and is an Ironman triathlete. Each day, Janel aims to hang around with people who do epic sh*t.
Certifications and Training
- PESI Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness
- Globant Leadership Development
- Globant AI
- IC Agile ICP-ENT
- IC Agile ICP-CAT
- IC Agile- ICP-ORG
- Scaled Agile Framework SPC 6.0, 2015-present
- SAFe PMPO 5.0, Advanced Scrum Master, Lean Portfolio Management, Remote Trainer, LPM 5.1 AHF Agility Health Radar Facilitator, 2020
- CCTP I and II Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, 2020
- CPrime Product Agility: Discovery and Delivery, 2020
- Integrative Yoga Therapy Instructor 200 hour, 2020
- Harvard Business New Leader Program graduate, 2018
- Breakthrough Leader Program graduate, 2018
- Lean Greenbelt, 2015
- Personal Kanban, 2014
- Scrum Foundations, 2012
- PROSCI Change Management, 2011
- Certified Breakthrough Master Coach, 2006
- Certified Agency Trainer, 2001
- Past FINRA licenses 6, 7, 26 1998, 2000
- FLMI 1998
- ACS Customer Service 1998
Source: Janel Van Beek
Greg Phillips
At IBM, my focus as a Cloud Platform Leader has been on fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovative marketing strategies. With a strong background in corporate marketing and a hands-on approach to customer relationship management, my recent work has centered on extending IBM's cloud alliances globally.
The team has successfully leveraged my skills in strategic and online marketing to create impactful campaigns, positioning us at the forefront of cloud solutions. Our collaborative efforts have not only filled the sales funnel but also strengthened IBM's presence in the competitive cloud marketplace.
Source: Greg Phillips
Sheri Gearhart
Innovative Technology Architect | Solution Designer | Collaborative Leader
Passionate about driving technological innovation and delivering cutting-edge solutions, I thrive on exploring and implementing new technologies to solve complex problems. With a keen eye for evaluating the benefits of emerging tools within solution stacks, I excel in leading proofs of concept and translating technical insights into actionable strategies for stakeholders, maximizing the return on investment through increasing revenue. My strengths lie in developing comprehensive presentations, providing expert training, and fostering collaboration across diverse teams. As a natural leader, I inspire and influence through my technical expertise and vision, without the constraints of formal management roles. My ideal position leverages my skills in architecting solutions, knowledge sharing, and project leadership, while allowing me to focus on the technical aspects of innovation rather than sales-driven engagements.
I have held a wide array of positions throughout my career in technology. My path includes technical support, UNIX system administration, SAP Basis Administration, storage SAN architecture design and engineering, technical design analysis at customer sites, CTO, and system architecture spanning across on-premises and public/hybrid cloud platforms, Converged Systems and Hyper-Converged Systems. I have advanced knowledge of Dell EMC Storage, Dell EMC Data Protection, Cisco and Brocade SAN, Cisco UCS, and VMware vSphere. I hold several Dell EMC certifications, as well as ITIL and SAFe 4 Agilist certifications.
Specialties: architectural design, BCDR, cisco, customer relations, erp, hp - ux, nas, storage engineering, san, storage networking, NVMe-oF protocols, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux, SAP Basis, Solaris, strategic planning, system administration, technical training, vendor relations, Veritas Netbackup, EMC and HP storage technologies
Source: Sheri Gearhart
Tamera Rousseau King
A highly skilled Technical Project Manager, Agile Product Owner, and people leader with a proven track record in managing large-scale marketing technology programs and building high-performing teams. Demonstrated ability to build strong cross-functional relationships to align on project scope, prioritize business requirements, and develop effective risk mitigation strategies, ensuring project goals were achieved on time and under budget. Adept at leveraging Agile methodologies to establish operational excellence, driving repeated success, and ensuring program accountability.
Source: Tamera Rousseau King
Ricardo Perez
Professional Profile
With a deep-seated passion for pioneering virtualization solutions, my tenure at Dell EMC, Xerox, etc. has been marked by architecting and deploying PowerFlex and VxRail systems. My expertise lies in comprehensive lifecycle management, with a proven track record in steering projects from conception to completion, delivering high-performance and scalable virtual environments.
At the core of my professional journey is a commitment to innovation and excellence in infrastructure transformation. Collaborating with C-level executives, I've honed my skills in presenting project visions and strategies, while my fluency in English and Spanish enhances our team's ability to drive global initiatives. My credentials, including multiple VMware and Microsoft certifications, underscore my dedication to maintaining technical prowess in Systems Engineering.
Source: Ricardo Perez
Mike Berteletti, CISSP
Experienced Information Technology Professional with a broad and deep knowledge of many information technology products and services found in large enterprises to small and medium businesses. Specialties include Converged Infrastructure, Cloud Computing, Information Storage Solutions, Virtualization, Microsoft Windows Infrastructure, Information Systems Security, Enterprise Network Design, Data Protection, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, IT Strategy, IT Leadership, Business Liason and Career Development.
- ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- EMC Proven Professional Technology Architect
Source: Mike Berteletti, CISSP
Bob Lima, PMP
Experienced Senior Program Manager with 15+ years of successfully managing end-to-end lifecycles of large, cross-functional, and transformational programs. Expertise in delivering complex projects within scope, timeline, and budget while driving process improvements and ensuring strategic alignment with business goals. Adept at utilizing Agile, Waterfall, and Lean Six Sigma methodologies, with a proven ability to manage risks, resolve conflicts, and optimize resource allocation. Skilled communicator, capable of presenting technical concepts to senior leadership and influencing business decisions for maximizing ROI. A leader focused on mentorship, team empowerment, and continuous improvement. 323-513-6011
Source: Bob Lima, PMP
Chris Mojica
Seasoned technical sales professional and technologist with proven pre and post sales engineering experience. Experience includes supporting startups, system integrators, vendors, channel partners/VARs, OEMs and end customers. I am always open to Solutions Architect or Sales/Systems Engineering opportunities.
Technical backgrounds include the disciplines of HCI, Virtualization, Software Defined (SDN/SDS/SDC) storage area networks (SAN), network, and broadband technologies. Additionally, having supported various levels within multiple organizations demonstrates my ability to effectively conduct business and technical level discussions within each of these tiers.
Leveraging my knowledge, background and experience allows me to understand complex datacenter environments. This technical acumen allows me to propose creative solutions that maximize ROI and minimize TCO. Strong organizational skills and ability to support multiple projects allows me to meet multiple deadlines.
Source: Chris Mojica
Rich Green
I am an seasoned technology and sales professional who has worked in both pre-sales and post-sales roles and in Customer Operations roles over my career. I am a self starter who works well both independently and in a team environment. I have been successful at every step of my career - whether it was helping launch the Iridium Satellite System while at Motorola SATCOM or taking a startup Internet Service Provider (SoftAware) to the next level to be acquired or selling into Enterprise, SMB, and SLED customers at Hughes, EMC, Brocade, Broadcom and Faction. I have learned and utilized multiple skills during my career including objection handling, technical account management, storage area networks, IP networks, network-attached storage, and cloud fundamentals. I have also continued to learn new technologies such as AI fundamentals and cyber security fundamentals. I feel that I am an asset to any organization that I join. I am willing to relocate for the right opportunity. Specialties: Sales Engineering, Solution Engineering, SAN, LAN, Storage, Technical Sales, Account Management
Source: Rich Green
Hot Fudge Daily Digest
📈 Markets Monday for 2024-12-23
As a reminder, this is an end of day snapshot…
Quick Recap
For Market Monday, I continue to look at the same key indicator that I take from a simple Yahoo Finance webpage each week. It’s how I look at things through the lens of the closing bell on Monday.
Last week, Yahoo Screener (now part of “Research Hub”) has changed the layout options…
This week, I’m doing a similar screenshot and deep link.
Previously, I decided on a view from Yahoo Finance. For example, this was a view of intraday in Technology which usually gets around a dozen or so interesting companies when the market is moving and a smaller handful of companies when the market is not moving as much.
If you are using Yahoo Applied Filters for Stocks screener you can bookmark your own heat map view.
% Change in Price (Intraday):greater than 4
Region: United States
Market Cap (Intraday): Mid Cap and Large Cap and Mega Cap
Price (Intraday):greater than or equal 5
Volume:greater than 15000
Sector: Technology
Industry: Software—Infrastructure and Information Technology Services and Computer Hardware and Software—Application and Communication Equipment and Electronics & Computer Distribution and Consumer Electronics and Electronic Components and Scientific & Technical Instruments and Semiconductor Equipment & Materials and Semiconductors
🔥 Hot Takes Tuesday for 2024-12-24
Two hot takes on two Paypal mafia stories that caught my eye on Tuesday.
💰 + 🤖 Right pocket… You can buy a lot of processing power hungry bets with $3B
Techmeme: Sources: Founders Fund seeks ~$3B for its third growth equity fund; it raised $3.4B for its second growth fund and $1.8B for its eighth early-stage fund in 2022 (Dan Primack/Axios)
By Dan Primack / Axios. View the full context on Techmeme.
💰 + 🤖 Left pocket… You can buy a lot of infrastructure to feed processing power hungry bets with $6B
Techmeme: xAI raised a $6B Series C from a16z, BlackRock, Fidelity, Kingdom Holdings, Sequoia, Nvidia, and others, at a reported valuation of at least $40B (Antonio Pequeño IV/Forbes)
By Antonio Pequeño IV / Forbes. View the full context on Techmeme.
🤪 Wacky Wednesday for 2024-12-25
Each Wednesday I go through dozens of Slack communities.
I then select the most interesting shared links.
This will always be a safe for work list. 🙈
These Hardworking Mussels Monitor Poland's Drinking Water - Atlas Obscura
Polish cities trust their water quality to elite shellfish teams.
Rotating Sandwiches – that's it
that's it
I have to take an annual fire safety training for work, and I am reminded that I asked some of the folks who manage these things how they evacuate the NICU and apparently they have vests you can load up with babies
— Kelzor (@bloodlesscoup.bsky.social) 2024-12-19T23:59:32.246Z
🔙 Throwback Thursday for 2024-12-26
I was born in 1972. So was SAP.
20-ish years later, my early career started at Nortel Networks. By 1998, CRM and computer telephony interface (CTI) had become a big thing while the word Internet occurred ~35 times in the Nortel Networks Annual Report that year.
By 1999, CRM was big enough that Nortel Networks went on to buy Clarify.
Nortel to buy software maker Clarify - CNET
The networking equipment giant agrees to buy Clarify, a maker of software that automates corporate sales and customer service needs, in a stock deal valued at $2.1 billion.
At that time, I decided to leave Nortel Networks and chase .com consulting dreams for a few years as a globe trotting consultant. Meanwhile, SAP and Nortel did a CRM deal.
SAP signs software deal with Nortel - CNET
In a widely anticipated move, the German software giant says it has inked a deal with Nortel Networks to resell customer relationship management software.
A fear years later, SAP and the Nortel Networks + Clarify deal fell apart. So too did my .com dreams.
SAP show to focus on e-business - CNET
At its user conference next week, the company plans to tout initiatives centered on high-profile software segments such as marketplaces, corporate portals and supply-chain automation.
By 2009, Nortel no longer existed and I had been steadily heading in the direction of hybrid cloud services. Oddly enough, SAP was headed that way too.
Techmeme: Analysis: SAP accounts for nearly 40% of DAX 40's 18.7% gains in 2024, with SAP up 70%+ as the software company transitions its business customers to the cloud (Financial Times)
From Financial Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
✅ Final Thoughts Friday for 2024-12-27
The tech news story that caught my eye this week was the conflation of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with…
[ checks notes… ]
A seemingly arbitrary amount of revenue?
Techmeme: An undisclosed 2023 agreement between Microsoft and OpenAI defines achieving AGI as the point when OpenAI develops AI systems that generate $100B+ in profits (Stephanie Palazzolo/The Information)
By Stephanie Palazzolo / The Information. View the full context on Techmeme.
🔮 Sneak Peak Saturday for 2024-12-28
By Friday, everything seems to be reaching the peak of getting news turned in before a deadline or dread-line. It sometimes seems like we reach a fever pitch in news coverage throughout the week.
Peak 🏔️ vs. Peek 👀
Then there is a trope, cliché, or bromide about slow news days and the quietly mentioned news updates sent on a Friday — to try and sneak it past wider coverage. Or, in a nutshell, peak patronizing publishing.
In that spirit, here are a few stories that you might have missed on the slow news of a Friday.
Insert Let's See Who This Really Is Meme
Techmeme: OpenAI is tripling the size of its DC policy team to 12 and beefing up its lobbying as it tries to promote a sweeping plan for cheaper energy to data centers (Mohar Chatterjee/Politico)
By Mohar Chatterjee / Politico. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert Ceiling Cat Meme
Techmeme: Experts say hackers compromised several companies' Chrome browser extensions, including Cyberhaven's, in a series of intrusions dating back to mid-December (Reuters)
From Reuters. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert We're All Trying To Find The Guy Who Did This Meme
Techmeme: The US says it has identified a ninth telecom company impacted by the Salt Typhoon hacks, and the number of individuals directly impacted is “less than 100” (Greg Otto/CyberScoop)
By Greg Otto / CyberScoop. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert That Wasn't Me, That Was Patricia Meme
Techmeme: Analysis: 50%+ of the US households showing highly-distorted power readings from February to October were within 20 miles of significant data center activity (Bloomberg)
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Insert Anthony Adams Rubbing Hands Meme
Techmeme: Oracle's shares are up ~63% in 2024, lifting Larry Ellison's net worth to $217B+, as the company enjoyed its biggest stock rally since 1999 and the dot-com boom (Jordan Novet/CNBC)
By Jordan Novet / CNBC. View the full context on Techmeme.
Note: Some images via Unsplash
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