Nomad Futurist22 Jan 2024

From Submarines to Datacenters

In this captivating episode of Nomad Futurist, Phillip Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood are joined by Sean James, Senior Director of Datacenter Research at Microsoft. Sean, a visionary leader and innovator in the field of datacenter technology, has been instrumental in advancing groundbreaking projects. These include using hydrogen fuel cells to provide emission-free backup power at datacenters, redesigning datacenters for an advanced energy future with carbon-storing cement, and even testing underwater datacenters. With numerous patents and publications on datacenter energy efficiency and sustainability, Sean's passion for finding reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly ways to run datacenters stems from over two decades in the industry and his background in the Navy Submarine Service.

During his time in the Navy Submarine fleet, Sean embraced a motto that has become ingrained in his philosophy:

“Be useful. This theme is tattooed on my heart now, always be useful.”

Reflecting on his training at a cable company, Sean drew parallels between datacenters and submarines:

“Whatever system is in place, there’s a backup. That is a key mission-critical tenet in submarines and data centers it turns out. I love the mission: you have to keep things up at all times. In the submarines, it’s about national security, but in a data center it's about things that are potentially even more critical, there are life safety systems that are leaning on data centers."

When prompted to discuss his core drivers of focus, Sean shifts the conversation to his people and the importance of learning from failure:

“My focus is to have a team that is healthy from a production standpoint… The tech I work on is fascinating but my main focus is to build a very healthy team. Part of that, talking about a growth mindset, is learning how to deal with failure."

Sean James has an inspiring narrative beyond just a career overview; his episode is a lesson in fearless courage and curiosity. This episode is a must-listen for those on their own personal growth and career journey in the realm of telecommunications. Connect with Sean James on LinkedIn to stay updated about his ongoing journey.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(167)

A Marriage of Education, Community, and Digital Infrastructure

In this special episode of Nomad Futurist, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Brittani Clarke Clayman and Jason Clayman — the first husband-and-wife duo to appear on the podcast. Tog...

22 Jun 57min

People, Partnerships, and Capital Driving the AI Revolution with Melissa Kalka

In this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence welcome Melissa Kalka, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis, for an insightful conversation exploring the intersectio...

8 Jun 43min

The Uncomfortable Truth About Scaling Infrastructure in the AI Era With Oliver Jones

In this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast, co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Oliver Jones, Managing Partner at Accelerated Infrastructure Capital Limited (AIC), for a conv...

25 Mai 55min

Peter Gross Explains the AI Infrastructure Boom and the Talent Gap Threatening It

Peter Gross has watched the data center industry transform from modest, one-megawatt builds serving financial institutions into the early stages of AI-driven, gigawatt-scale infrastructure reshaping t...

11 Mai 55min

Adam Lewis on the AI Gold Rush & the Infrastructure Powering It

Adam Lewis, Managing Director at Citizens M&A Advisory, joins the Nomad Futurist podcast with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Philip Koblence for a conversation that pulls back the curtain on how telecom,...

27 Apr 51min

The Secret Life of Data Centers with Joe Kava

In the latest Nomad Futurist episode, co‑hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Philip Koblence welcome Joe Kava, former VP of Data Centers at Google, about the hidden engines powering our digital world. Joe takes ...

13 Apr 58min

From Small-Town India to Deploying Massive AI Campuses with Abhishek Garg

On this episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast, cohosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence sit down with Abhishek Garg, Senior Real Estate Development Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and an Nomad...

30 Mar 54min

Dr. Casey Eldringhoff on Turning Bias Into Fuel and Pressure Into Power

The latest episode of the Nomad Futurist Podcast features Dr. Casey Eldringhoff, in conversation with co-hosts Nabeel Mahmood and Phillip Koblence, and it’s a powerful exploration of leadership, resil...

23 Feb 47min