Tech Scenes Unplugged with Bill Kleyman, CEO and Co-founder of Apolo.us
"We want to build refineries, not gas stations." - Bill Kleyman
In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Jeff James Martin sits down with Bill Kleyman, CEO and Co-founder of Apolo.us, to discuss how Apolo is redefining the infrastructure behind AI and machine learning. With a background spanning IT consulting, digital transformation, and executive leadership in the data center space, Bill brings a deep and passionate perspective on the future of AI-powered infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
The conversation dives into how Apolo is building a white-label GPU-as-a-Service platform that enables data centers to offer scalable, efficient AI solutions directly where data resides. Bill shares how his vision for engineer-built ML Ops tools is helping unlock the potential of generative AI, saving organizations millions across industries, and creating brave new opportunities for technology transfer and growth. He also speaks candidly about the challenges of raising capital, the importance of building a brilliant, trustworthy team, and how entrepreneurship requires both focus and flexibility.
Key Takeaways:
Apolo is transforming data centers into AI powerhouses with a scalable, multi-tenant GPUaaS platform.
Generative AI is like discovering oil without refining capability—Apolo aims to be the refinery.
The platform is built for engineers, by engineers, with a focus on ML Ops usability.
AI solutions developed by Apolo have already saved millions of dollars across industries.
Bravery in entrepreneurship means pushing boundaries and embracing unknowns.
Building a strong team of experts you trust is essential for startup success.
Entrepreneurs should be selective with investors—your board should work for you.
Success in scaling requires both intense focus and adaptability.
Collaboration across international and interdisciplinary lines accelerates innovation.
Leadership is also a journey of personal discovery and growth.
Chapters:
00:00 - The Dawn of Generative AI
02:20 - Introducing Apollo: A New Era in ML Ops
06:16 - Transforming Industries with AI Solutions
13:40 - Navigating the Go-to-Market Strategy
16:08 - The Role of Bravery in Entrepreneurship
22:44 - Building a Trustworthy Team
27:13 - Bringing Technology from Ukraine to the US
31:02 - Funding Challenges and Investor Relations
Related Insights
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About the author
Jeff James MartinCEO and Founder, Collective Genius
Jeff James Martin is the Founder and CEO of Collective Genius, creator of Peak OS, and author of Peak Teams. He works with growth and mission-critical organizations to improve alignment, accountability, execution, and team performance. Over the past two decades, Jeff has helped hundreds of founders, executives, and leadership teams build stronger operating rhythms and scale through increasing complexity. He is also the host of Tech Scenes, where he interviews founders, investors, and operators on leadership, innovation, and organizational performance.
About Peak OS
Peak OS is the operating system for organizational execution. Designed for growth-stage and mission-critical organizations, Peak OS helps leadership teams align priorities, establish operating rhythm, improve accountability, and maintain visibility as organizational complexity increases. By creating a consistent framework for communication, planning, and execution, Peak OS helps teams reduce execution drift and turn strategy into measurable outcomes. Learn more: Collective Genius
About Collective Genius
Collective Genius helps founders, executive teams, and growing organizations improve organizational execution through leadership coaching, operating systems, strategic facilitation, and Team-of-Teams alignment. Our work focuses on helping organizations scale without losing clarity, accountability, communication, or momentum. Learn more: Collective Genius
About Peak Teams
Peak Teams: Mastering the Habits of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies explores the leadership habits, operating rhythms, accountability systems, and execution principles used by high-performing organizations. The book provides practical frameworks for leaders seeking to build aligned teams and execute consistently as complexity grows. Learn more: Peak Teams book
Learn More
Explore additional insights on organizational execution, operating rhythm, leadership, team alignment, business operating systems, artificial intelligence, and the future of work through the Collective Genius Insights platform. Visit: Collective Genius Insights
Music by Andrew Applepie - https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie
