Let’s Solve IT! Podcast

Ep. 6 - Do your employees have the right AI tools to succeed?

AI is no longer just a productivity tool. It is quickly becoming one of the biggest operational, security, and governance challenges enterprises have faced since the rise of the cloud.  In this episode of Let’s Solve IT!, Matt Brown speaks with NetApp IT Director of Enterprise Architecture and AI, Paul Carau, about the uncomfortable reality many technology leaders are now facing: Employees are adopting AI faster than most organizations can govern it.  The conversation explores why AI success requires far more than simply deploying the latest toolset. Leaders must now navigate employee personas, data access, governance, change management, overlapping AI capabilities, and the growing pressure to move faster without losing control of the environment.  You’ll hear:  * Why uncontrolled AI adoption is becoming a major enterprise risk  * How shadow AI is creating new challenges of security and governance  * Why employee personas matter when deploying AI at scale  * The growing complexity caused by overlapping AI platforms and tools  * How organizations can balance innovation speed with operational control  * Why AI governance must evolve alongside business expectations  Because the real question may no longer be whether your company is using AI.  It may be whether you still control how it’s being used.  Let’s talk about what that means, and Let’s Solve IT!    Resources just for you: IT case studies | NetApp [https://www.netapp.com/customers/it-use-cases/#t=NETAPPONNETAPP&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@facet_language_mktg=%5BEnglish%5D?utm_campaign=fy27-q1-csai-digi-spp-na-ai-di-pod_lsi_6-na--1779224279262&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=video&utm_segment=cexp-all]    Connect with us! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-carau [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-carau]

Ep. 5 - More Tools. Less Output? The Truth About Developer Productivity

Are your technology investments driving developer productivity—or just adding complexity?  In this episode of Let’s Solve IT!, Matt Brown sits down with Mekka Williams, Director of Innovation and Solutions and co-host of The STEMINISTS podcast, to unpack one of the biggest disconnects in modern IT: the gap between investment and impact.  They explore why more tools don’t always lead to better outcomes, what developer productivity really looks like from a business perspective, and how leading organizations are aligning people, processes, and technology to drive measurable results.  You’ll hear:  * Why time-to-value continues to fall short of expectations * How DevOps complexity is slowing teams down * What meaningful productivity measurementlookslike  * Where AIdelivers real valueand where it introduces risk  * Why progress starts with action, not perfection Because improving productivity isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing business priority.  You are not alone. Let’s Solve IT!    Learn More  IT case studies | NetApp  [https://www.netapp.com/customers/it-use-cases/#layout=card?utm_campaign=fy27-q1-csop-digi-cmp-na-di-ai-pod_lsi_5-na--1777996200528&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=ww-podcast&utm_content=di-video&utm_segment=cexp-all]   Also make sure you check out The STEMINISTS Podcast | Phoebe Goh and Mekka Williams [https://steminists.podbean.com/]    Connect with us!  https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown]  Mekka Williams | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekkacodes/]

Ep. 4 - Does your data center need to go nuclear to support AI?

It sounds extreme, but it’s not as far off as you might think.  In this episode of Let’s Solve IT!, Matt Brown talks with Ralph Renne, Sr. Director, Workplace Experience, to break down what’s really happening behind the scenes: massive increases in power demand, the shift to water-cooled environments, and why most data centers aren’t built for what’s coming next.    In this episode, you’ll learn:  * What’s driving these new AI infrastructure demands  * Why this isn’t just an IT problem, it’s a facilities and business problem  * The real timelines and costs to get ready * And what you should be doing right now to prepare Because this isn’t a future problem.  It’s already here.  And if you’re not planning for it, chances are, you're already behind.  You’re not alone. Let’s Solve It!    Learn More  IT case studies | NetApp [https://www.netapp.com/customers/it-use-cases/#t=NETAPPONNETAPP&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@facet_language_mktg=%5BEnglish%5D]    Connect with us! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-renne-36ab0a6/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-renne-36ab0a6/]

Ep. 3 - Why are ERP implementations CIO career killers?

Why do so many ERP transformations derail careers at the highest level?  It’s not the technology.  It’s everything else.    In this episode of Let’s Solve IT!, Matt Brown sits down with NetApp CIO Hem Nerkar to confront one of the most uncomfortable truths in enterprise IT: ERP transformations don’t start by failing systems—they start by breaking the people leading them.  Because what looks like a software upgrade is actually a high-risk, multi-year bet on your company’s culture, operations, and future.    In this episode, you’ll learn:  • Massive financial investment with no immediate payoff  • Organizational resistance at every level  • Hundreds of systems and stakeholders in play  • And a clock that never stops ticking while the business keeps running    Hem Nerkar pulls back the curtain on what really makes these transformations so dangerous and what separates those projects that succeed from those that quietly unravel careers.    This isn’t about features.  This isn’t about vendors.    This is about pressure, risk, and leadership when there is no safe path forward.  Let’s talk about what that really means. Let’s Solve IT!    Learn More Here:  IT case studies | NetApp [https://www.netapp.com/customers/it-use-cases/#t=NETAPPONNETAPP&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@facet_language_mktg=%5BEnglish%5D?utm_campaign=cross-port-all-na-ww-digi-spp-pod_lsi_3-1775564940961&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=video]    Connect with us! https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmattbrown]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hem-nerkar-445b731 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hem-nerkar-445b731]

Ep. 2 - How to afford AI and the people to run IT

AI budgets are blowing up. Hardware prices are all over the place. And executives want ROI yesterday.  So here’s the real question nobody wants to say out loud: How are you supposed to afford the tech and the people to run it?  In this week’s episode of Let’s Solve IT!, host Matt Brown and Stephan Stelter, NetApp Manager, Solutions Engineering, confront the tension IT leaders feel every day: innovation pressure vs. finite budgets. They get into FOMO-driven spending, AI productivity myths, and resource scarcity.   Rather than defaulting to layoffs or across‑the‑board cuts, this conversation explores a smarter path forward: reallocating resources, retasking talent, and placing the right workloads in the right environments to maximize impact without burning out teams or budgets.  If you’re feeling squeezed between transformation goals and headcount limitations, this episode is for you.   Let’s talk about what that really means, and Let’s Solve IT!    Learn more about the world of NetApp on NetApp: IT case studies | NetApp [https://www.netapp.com/customers/it-use-cases/#t=NETAPPONNETAPP&sort=relevancy&layout=card&f:@facet_language_mktg=%5BEnglish%5D?utm_campaign=cross-port-onai-na-ww-digi-spp-lsi_pod_02-1772661071496&utm_source=podbean&utm_medium=podcast&utm_content=video]