“Sometimes your greatest journey begins with no plan — just curiosity, courage, and a leap of faith.”

— Andrey Anikin, CEO at Alaris Labs, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal

What happens when a linguist…

becomes a schoolteacher…

accidentally lands in technical support…

and ends up building one of the most trusted telecom software companies in the world?

You get a story like no other!

In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Andrey shares:

⚡ How a random job interview became the spark for a 22-year telecom journey

🚀 The guts it took to leave a stable salary and build Alaris Labs from scratch

🎸 The hidden musician with 10 guitars and a love for creating and performing

🥊 Why he believes amateur boxing is “more chess than aggression”

🏃‍♂️ How running long distances keeps his mind clear, focused, and creative

📚 His lifelong love for reading — from Pushkin and Bulgakov to Ray Bradbury

👨‍👧‍👦 What fatherhood has taught him about leadership, patience, and purpose

❤️ And the one belief that guides his entire philosophy of life and work:

“The greatest things are built on love.”

From Russia to Singapore to Dubai to every telecom conference around the world —

Andrey’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, discipline, humility, and heart!

🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

“I didn’t chase telecom out of passion — I chased it out of necessity... But somehow, telecom became the nicest devil I could have sold my soul to!” ✨

— Polina Gardo, Roaming Wholesale Manager at Rakuten Mobile, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal

From studying analytical philosophy, logic, and existential risks…

To navigating roaming wholesale at Rakuten Mobile…

To finding grounding through nature, running, and the intimacy of Argentine tango…

Polina’s journey is anything but ordinary!

In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Polina opens up about:

🧠 How game theory, moral calculus, and long-term risk analysis unexpectedly shaped her telco mindset

🌍 Her global, nomadic life across Latvia, the UK, Vienna, Venice, Cape Town & Georgia

🔥 Why her first telecom event became a crash course in courage, honesty, and wearing the right shoes

💛 The experience of burnout — and the power of a team that gives you space to heal

🎶 Her secret life as a trained musician, logic nerd, and former national-level wakeboarding athlete

💃 And why Argentine tango teaches more about vulnerability, trust, and human connection than any classroom ever could!

Polina’s story is a reminder that telecom isn’t just about roaming agreements or routing tables — it’s about resilience, curiosity, community, and the courage to keep trying, even when life gets overwhelming!

🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

“Learn to be a great teammate! I’ve played on teams where I was the best, and teams where I clearly wasn’t — and I learned a lot from both!” 🌍

— Craig Lennon, Global Partnerships Lead at Google, in conversation with Anurag Aggarwal

From growing up on the Jersey Shore surrounded by the telecom greats…

To shaping the way phone numbers are administered in the U.S.…

To leading Google’s global partnerships in voice and messaging —

Craig’s story is one of grit, gratitude, and grounded leadership!

In this episode of Humans of Telecom, Craig reflects on:

🚀 How a chance first job at Lucent Technologies launched a lifelong telecom journey

🤝 The human lessons behind managing billion-dollar partnerships at Google

💡 Why taking chances (and even failing) early is key to growth

❤️ The discipline of saying “no” and the art of leading with empathy

🧭 His philosophy of service — as a leader, teammate, and parent

⛳ And why golf, family, and reflection keep him grounded amidst global chaos!

Craig’s journey reminds us that true success isn’t found in power, but in purpose —

in serving others, building teams, and believing in yourself before the world does!

🎧 Listen now on your favorite podcast platform, and follow Humans of Telecom for more extraordinary voices shaping the industry and inspiring the human spirit!

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