Welcome to another episode of Data Driven! Today, hosts Frank La Vigne and Andy Leonard, are joined by Dr. Ido Zamberg—a rare breed who’s equally comfortable rebooting servers and saving lives.

Dr. Zamberg is a physician, software engineer, chief medical officer at C8 Health, and a true innovator at the intersection of medicine and technology. In this episode, we dive into his unique journey from startups and coding to the operating room, exploring how his hands-on technical expertise is helping frontline clinicians access real-time, AI-powered decision support.

Expect fascinating insights into the evolution of healthcare technology, the challenges (and rewards) of bridging vastly different worlds, and why seamless access to best practices at the point of care can be truly lifesaving. Dr. Zamberg shares anecdotes from his career, reflects on the importance of context-driven solutions, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at making clinical workflows smarter, faster, and safer with modern AI. So if you’re curious about how SQL queries meet scalpel skills, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!

00:00 From Software Engineer to Physician-Entrepreneur

06:04 "From Tech to Medicine: A Journey"

07:43 Tech-Medicine Integration Challenges

12:55 Diverse Medical Experience Overview

14:49 "Healthcare Solutions Over Tech Focus"

18:41 Hospital Best Practices Standardization

20:46 Streamlined Clinician Information Platform

23:59 Solving Healthcare Inefficiencies

29:22 Understanding the Challenges of Tough Jobs

30:11 Practice Grace Over Wealth

33:59 Healthcare Platform for Providers

39:11 Generative AI in Clinical Queries

42:16 Value of Expertise in Problem-Solving

43:48 Praising Expert in AI Medicine

47:50 AI Revolutionizing Healthcare Information

51:27 Data, Coffee, and Code Insights

On this episode of Data Driven, we venture into the ever-shifting landscape of software engineering, AI-assisted coding, and the sometimes chaotic future of development teams with special guest Thanos Diacakis—no, not the Marvel villain, but a powerhouse in software leadership whose career spans scrappy startups to tech giants like Uber.

Hosts Frank La Vigne, Andy Leonard, and resident AI BAILeY welcome Thanos for an insightful, witty, and sometimes philosophical conversation about the promise and perils of AI in software engineering. From the rise (and risks) of “vibe coding” to the changing definition of good engineering, Thanos shares firsthand experiences, pitfalls to avoid, and why solid fundamentals matter now more than ever—even with AI churning out code at lightning speed.

We also explore how AI is reshaping workflows for both solo developers and large teams, the difference between local and global efficiency, and how bottlenecks are shifting in this new era. Thanos breaks down his “seven mental models” for effective engineering, demystifies the right way to work with AI tools (instead of letting them run wild), and explains why junior devs still deserve a seat at the table.

If you’re curious about the real impact of AI-assisted coding, worried about the next wave of software “apocalypse,” or just eager for practical strategies to keep your teams productive and sane, this episode is packed with the wisdom, humor, and actionable takeaways you’ll want to hear. Buckle up as we dive deep into the code base—this is Data Driven, where the only thing disappearing is inefficiency.

• Cosmic Teacups: https://www.cosmicteacups.com/
• The Goal 40th Anniversary Edition: https://amzn.to/4lGhZbI (Amazon affilliate link)
• The Goal Graphic Novel (Yes, really) https://amzn.to/47ohIXx (Amazon affilliate link)

00:00 "Exploring AI Coding with Thanos"

05:20 Revolutionizing Productivity with Code

08:18 Cross-Platform Utility Development

12:14 Database Costs Drop, Demand Surges

14:43 Unauthorized Copying of Software Manuals

17:54 "Chunked Narratives Enhance LLM Performance"

19:43 Grox Impressive Despite Incompletion

24:40 Reviving a Startup with AI

28:53 Bottleneck Identification and Resolution Strategy

29:37 Incremental Improvements Drive Success

34:40 Agile's Evolution: Remembering Its Roots

38:41 Balancing Features and Tech Debt

42:50 Software Estimations: A Management Trap

45:55 Managing Project Time Expectations

47:47 Trust Building Through Incremental Delivery

51:23 Language Models: Human Cognition Parallel?

56:04 "Exploring Intelligence: Brains vs. AI"

58:06 "Data Driven Episode Conclusion"

On this episode of Data Driven, we’re shuffling up some probability, statistics, and a bit of Las Vegas magic with Dr. Michael Orkin—a renowned statistician, data scientist, and former advisor to casino odds makers. Hosts Andy Leonard, Frank La Vigne, and BAILeY dig into the fascinating numbers behind games of chance, uncovering why the house almost always wins and how our brains are wired to find patterns—sometimes where none exist.

Whether you’re a data enthusiast, a casual gambler wondering why your lucky streak never lasts, or just curious about how randomness, probability, and big jackpots work, this episode has you covered. Dr. Orkin breaks down concepts like the house edge, expected value, card counting, the allure (and statistical pitfalls) of lottery tickets, and the psychology driving “hot” and “due” gambling strategies. Plus, he weighs in on lightning strikes, Black Swan events, correlation and causation, and the curious human habit of seeing connections in random outcomes.

So, get ready for a lively conversation that reminds us data is everywhere—especially where stakes are high and luck seems just out of reach. Whether you’re here for probability puns, real-world math, or the stories Vegas doesn’t want you to know, this is one episode you won’t want to miss!

The Story of Chance https://amzn.to/45qOe8x

Dr Mike's Substack https://drmikeorkin.substack.com/

00:00 Casino House Edge Explained

08:54 "Random Chance and Unlikely Events"

12:03 Justifying Buying Lottery Tickets

16:58 "SBF: Crypto King Unraveled"

26:34 Lightning Strike Probability Calculation Issues

32:26 Average Beyond Desk Boundaries

33:26 "Defining Accident Prone"

39:31 Misjudging Odds with Normal Curve

45:50 Avoiding Lightning Strikes: Bay Area

55:11 Casino Mind Games Experience

56:20 Roulette Betting Strategies: Apophenia

01:03:33 "Dr. Orkin's Website & Substack"

01:07:19 "Probability and the House Edge"