Technology is moving faster than most businesses can keep up—and the gap is only getting bigger.

In this episode of Behind the Stack, Jade Barter is joined by Dean Irwin to explore how the role of IT support is rapidly evolving from fixing problems to driving business strategy.

Together, they unpack why so many technology projects fail, how AI and automation are reshaping managed services, the future of cybersecurity and cloud, and what business leaders need to do today to stay competitive tomorrow.

Whether you're a CEO, business owner, IT leader or technology professional, this conversation will challenge the way you think about technology—and why the businesses that thrive over the next five years won't be the ones with the most technology, but the ones that know how to use it best.

In this episode:

• The evolution of IT support and managed services
• Why technology projects fail
• AI's impact on business and IT
• The future of cybersecurity and cloud
• Technology leadership and digital transformation
• How businesses can stay ahead in a rapidly changing world

If you're serious about using technology as a competitive advantage, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

How do you turn YouTube into a multi-7-figure business?

In this episode of Behind The Stack, host Jade Barter sits down with Matt Loui to uncover the strategies behind building one of South Africa's fastest-growing creator brands.

Matt shares the lessons that helped him grow a YouTube audience of nearly 200,000 subscribers, build a thriving business through content, and create a personal brand that continues to open new opportunities.

We discuss:
• Growing a YouTube channel from the ground up
• Building a profitable personal brand
• The biggest mistakes creators make
• Turning content into a sustainable business
• The mindset behind long-term success
• Practical advice for entrepreneurs and aspiring creators

Whether you're a business owner, marketer, content creator or entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you grow your brand and create content that delivers real results.

Subscribe to Behind The Stack for conversations with the people driving innovation, business and technology.

Every business talks about data. Few understand what it really takes to protect it.

In this episode of Behind The Stack, host Jade Barter sits down with Werner Ferreira, Group IT Infrastructure Manager at Lightstone, one of South Africa's leading data and analytics companies.

Werner shares what it takes to manage and protect the infrastructure behind millions of data points, the challenges of balancing performance, security and cost, and why resilience has become a business-critical priority in today's threat landscape.

We discuss:
• The role data plays in modern business decision-making
• Why infrastructure is more important than ever
• The realities of ransomware and cyber risk
• How Lightstone approaches storage, recovery and resilience
• Common misconceptions about enterprise technology
• The impact of AI on infrastructure and data management
• What business leaders should be thinking about today

Whether you're a business owner, IT leader, or simply curious about the technology powering some of South Africa's most data-driven organisations, this episode offers valuable insights into the systems that keep modern business running.

EPISODE 3: Explain AI Like I’m Your Gran | Featuring Mark Werth

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere… but what does it actually mean for business?

In this episode of Behind The Stack, Mark Werth breaks down AI in the simplest way possible — explaining how AI works, how businesses are using it right now, and what most people get completely wrong.

We unpack real-world AI use cases, why infrastructure matters more than ever, and how solutions like Hewlett Packard Enterprise Smart Choice servers can help businesses leverage AI without overspending or overcomplicating their tech stack.

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, IT manager, or simply curious about AI, this episode will help you understand the future of AI, business automation, machine learning, and scalable infrastructure.

Topics covered:

• What is AI?
• How AI works in simple terms
• AI in business today
• AI infrastructure explained
• Machine learning & automation
• HPE Smart Choice servers
• Future of AI in business
• How to implement AI without overspending

Listen now and learn how AI is changing business forever.

Most businesses are overspending on IT — and don’t even realise it.

In this episode of Behind the Stack, we sit down with Jeremy Lichtenstein from Axiz to unpack the hidden reasons companies waste money on their tech stack — and how to fix it.

From overcomplicated infrastructure to underutilised systems, this conversation breaks down what’s actually going wrong inside modern IT environments — and why simply spending more isn’t the answer.

Powered by insights from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), we explore how smarter, right-sized solutions are helping businesses move from inefficiency to performance.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why businesses overspend on IT infrastructure
• The real reason companies over-spec their tech stack
• How unused tools silently drain your budget
• What happens in real-world IT buying conversations
• How to build smarter, more efficient IT solutions
• Where solutions like HPE Smart Choice fit in
• Practical advice for business owners and IT managers

Whether you're a business owner, IT manager, or decision-maker — this episode will change how you think about IT spend, infrastructure, and long-term scalability.

🚀 The truth?
The smartest businesses don’t spend more on tech… they spend smarter.

Welcome to Behind The Stack — a podcast exploring the people, decisions, and realities behind the tech industry. From founders and CEOs to operators building the systems that power modern business, we unpack what it really takes to grow and scale in today’s digital world.

In Episode 01, I sit down with Dean Irwin, CEO of Xpand IT, to talk about The Cost of Growth.

Scaling a company isn’t just strategy and success stories. It comes with sacrifice, pressure, difficult decisions, and a relentless pursuit to build something bigger.

In this episode we unpack:
• What it really takes to scale a technology business
• The sacrifices leaders make behind the scenes
• The challenges of building and growing a team
• Lessons learned along the journey of growth

If you're interested in technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth, this podcast is for you.