Semi-Related

Simplifying spot | Oliver Jones of Manifold

In this episode of The Semi-Related Podcast [www.optym.com/semi-related-podcast/], host Jacob Eischen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-eischen-80b595164/] sits down with Oliver Jones [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-jones-936a0a58/], co-founder and CEO of Manifold [https://www.getmanifold.ai/], to explore his journey from software engineer to freight tech founder. Oliver shares his path from building large-scale storage systems to joining Convoy in its early days, where he helped shape automation in spot bidding, tendering, and integrations during the company’s rapid rise. Oliver opens up about the lessons learned through Convoy, the pivotal decision to apply to Y Combinator, and the early days of building Manifold as a connectivity layer that unifies scattered spot freight opportunities. He talks about customer-driven product development, the role of AI in lowering barriers to tech adoption, and why the future of freight lies in making smarter, data-backed decisions rather than chasing standardization. Whether you’re curious about the realities of startup life, the challenges of automating logistics, or how AI is reshaping freight technology, this conversation offers candid insights, hard-earned lessons, and a look at what’s ahead for the industry.

Finding a 3PL fit | Matthew Hertz of Third Person

In this episode of Semi-Related [/semi-related-podcast], host Jacob Eischen chats with Third Person [https://www.thirdperson.co/] founder and CEO Matt Hertz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hertz/]about his journey through the fast-paced world of e-commerce logistics. From cutting his teeth at Rent the Runway with nothing but a dry cleaner’s backroom and an Excel sheet, to scaling Birchbox through multiple 3PL transitions, Matt shares gritty, firsthand lessons in scaling operations and navigating the complexities of fulfillment.

Digital defense | Joe Ohr & Artie Crawford of The NMFTA

On the latest episode of the Semi-Related Podcast, NMFTA COO Joe Ohr [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeohr/] and Director of Cybersecurity Artie Crawford [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-artie-crawford-173753141/] join host Jacob Eischen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-eischen-80b595164/] to discuss how dark-web ransomware rentals, AI-forged emails, and hacked telematics give thieves a back-door pass to your freight and how fleets can prepare a road-ready defense plan. They also preview the NMFTA’s Cybersecurity Conference [https://cyber.nmfta.org/cybersecurity-conference] this October and the no-cost tools rolling out to help carriers of every size stay a step ahead of the next breach.

Integration innovation | Raghav Midha of Terminal

In this episode of Semi-Related [/semi-related-podcast], Jacob Eischen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-eischen-80b595164/] sits down with Raghav Midha [https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghavmidha/], co-founder and CEO of Terminal [https://www.withterminal.com/], to explore the journey of building a startup from scratch—and the critical role Terminal plays in modernizing logistics. Raghav shares how his background in fintech and his co-founder’s deep roots in trucking led them to discover a major gap in telematics integration. Hear how hundreds of interviews, late nights, and a mission to "make something people want" shaped Terminal’s unified API for telematics, fueling faster innovation across insurance, dispatching [https://optym.com/truckload/loadai/dispatch-optimization], TMS, and shipment visibility. From humble beginnings with a landing page prototype to powering hundreds of thousands of vehicles, Raghav reflects on the importance of trusting your gut, never wasting a crisis, and staying customer-obsessed as Terminal continues to grow.

Driving change | Michael Campese of The DDC Group

In this episode of Semi-Related, Chris Torrence [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-torrence-0ab7923b/] welcomes longtime logistics veteran Michael Campese [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcampese/], now Chief Business Officer at DDC Group [https://theddcgroup.com/]. With a career spanning over three decades—most of it spent rising through the ranks at Estes—Michael shares stories of getting his start in a warehouse, pursuing a career in LTL sales (yes, on purpose), and eventually pitching a business plan directly to Rob Estes that launched his corporate career. Chris and Michael dive into what’s changed—and what hasn’t—in transportation, why the industry remains behind in tech adoption, and how leaders can close the gap between legacy systems and modern solutions without losing sight of people and process. They talk domain knowledge, the myth of the all-knowing AI, and how the best tech implementations always start with a full-body diagnostic—metaphorically speaking. Plus, Michael shares how DDC Group approaches transformation projects, why bringing the right people into the room matters more than ever, and why he’s optimistic about the next generation in freight.