Episode 26

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Published on:

28th Dec 2020

A Serendipitous Journey!

Smarak (Marc) Bhuyan was destined to follow a career in tech having come from a long line of engineers tracing back to his great grandfather in Orissa (now Odisha).

In this #NomadFuturist podcast, Bhuyan shares the serendipitous journey that has led him to his current position managing AI/ML hardware deployments for Google. 

Bhuyan initially studied computer science but after a brief stint as a software engineer, decided to focus on the business side of IT. He followed friends and family to Silicon Valley, becoming a business analyst before entering the world of critical infrastructure. Prior to Google, he worked in tech project management for Bank of America and business management of global data centers for eBay. 

Bhuyan sees data centers as the foundation of today’s digital world.

“I realized early on that Data Centers were a convergence of mechanical and electrical engineering, real estate, IT, computer science and finance.”

His advice to people who want to pursue a career in digital infrastructure:

“You don’t need to be a software engineer, you can be in HR or finance or marketing.”

Concerning AI, he feels that the potential for the greater good of humanity far outweighs the challenges of a possible dystopian outcome. He cites advances in medical diagnostics as an example of the benefits.

Bhuyan compares the state of edge computing today with that of cloud in 2007. He views edge as a great enabler that will lead to the actualization of autonomous vehicles and IOT. 

He considers the current COVID crisis as a “Sputnik moment” that has forced rapid acceptance and deployment of digital resources and modalities in many sectors. He sees remote work or some hybrid of remote and location-based work as inevitable.

His advice to the young:

“Find your passion as early on in your career as possible and stick to it!”

Smarak (Marc) Bhuyan has 15+ years of progressive and diverse experience in the digital infrastructure industry including launching data center efficiency strategies and programs, driving and managing strategic, diverse, complex, cross-functional, cross-geographical infrastructure initiatives. Bhuyan has a master’s degree in IT Management from UT Dallas and an MBA in Finance and Strategy from UC Berkeley. 

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About the Podcast

Nomad Futurist
The #nomadfuturist show is a true tech podcast phenomenon. The two hosts are technologists and futurists, so they really know their stuff, and following their in-depth conversations feels like you have a backstage pass to a gathering of the best of the
The nomads put a new spin on the tech genre by shining a light not only on technology but also on the human side of the digital age. Tune in if you find yourself thinking about how to integrate into the digital landscape and be a part of the evolving industry.

For over two decades, Phil and Nabeel have provided a powerful catalyst for organizations to create a vision of the future and the will to innovate. As futurists, they deliver a dynamic and entertaining vision of change, blending technology, economics, demographics, culture, and human nature.

With real business experience and a deep understanding of technology, the two nomads know the difference between science fiction and useful forecasting. Rather than focusing on the distant future, they devote themselves to scanning the horizon for emerging technologies and disruptive shifts in human behavior, thereby sharing a compelling vision of tomorrow’s opportunities.