Here’s some more useful advice for your Tech Trailblazers entry. It’s the fourth in our running series of interviews where we get to know the people who judge the Tech Trailblazer Awards entries. Let me introduce you to Bertrand Garé.
“Without the right infrastructure you can’t deliver the features of the software.”
Can you give me a brief history of yourself?
I was an IT journalist for 18 years, then I began to specialize on enterprise software as ERP and extend this to infrastructure and security because without the right infra you can’t deliver the features of the software!
What is your area of expertise and what’s hot/innovative in that area?
Today I’m more on the infra side and the serverless and containers are the new waves to come.
How long have you been a judge for Tech Trailblazers and why do you do it?
I’ve been a judge for Tech Trailbazers since the second edition. For me, it’s the best chance to have a global view of the trends in start-ups, especially in continents as far from us as Africa or South America. I’ve discovered plenty of companies this way, often those who have really interesting innovations compared to US or European companies.
Which categories do you specialize in for Tech Trailblazers?
I have judged already for storage, cloud, and security
Think how to change the world and do it! Be ambitious! All ideas are good for that!
What do you look for in an entry?
My main focus is adequacy for the market and the technical innovation.
Has there been a previous entry which stands-out and, if so, why did they stand out?
Through the focus I have, in previous competitions I’ve seen a lot of companies, especially in the storage and Cloud categories. To name them all would take too long!
Do you have any advice for a company entering the Awards?
One of the main things lacking in the submitted competition documentation is that they don’t answer really the questions around the adequacy for the market. They just pitch their marketing blabla without thinking that the judges are far from impressed with the pure marketing story telling. We want to have clear answers on this topic.
What words of encouragement would you give to a company which is weighing up whether to enter the Awards?
Think how to change the world and do it! Be ambitious! All ideas are good for that!
Do you have any advice in general for start-up companies, trying to survive in the current economic climate?
Be gritty and resilient. Confucius have said: “when you do something, you will have against you people that had the idea to do the same as you, the people that don’t want change, and most of the people that do nothing”!
With diversity in the world of IT, could you think of one thing that the world could change to make a difference and improve matters?
Confidence in the others!
Which superhero would you be? And why?
Spock for his logic and wisdom (philosophy) and even sarcasm!
What’s your favourite sport?
Rugby.
What fantastic invention will the future bring?
Terraforming, to find an another liveable planet for humans or recreate the Earth to make it better.