From COBOL to AI with Allen Cooper

From COBOL to AI with Allen Cooper

Author: PM Power Consulting May 9, 2025 Duration: 47:49

Shiv is in conversation with Allen Cooper, President and CEO of Ancilla Ventures. Their focus

is in providing tools to healthcare support staff to improve patient outcomes.


In this conversation, Allen talks about:

  • Allen’s Origin Story: Transitioning from accounting to computer science, and entering the consulting world at Anderson Consulting (now Accenture).
  • Consulting to Startups: The transition from corporate consulting to entrepreneurship.
  • Building Ancilla: How Allen became a partner and eventually the sole proprietor.
  • Choosing Healthcare Tech: The path to focusing on healthcare IT solutions.
  • Finding Industry Problems: How products like WriteList and VR-90 were born.
  • User Adoption Challenges: Strategies for getting hospital staff to engage with software solutions.
  • Managing Development Team Motivation: Keeping engineers engaged despite stable enterprise tech.
  • Scrum & Agile Benefits: How these methodologies helped balance planned work and incoming client requests.
  • AI & Coding: How AI might change development roles, but won't replace programmers entirely.
  • Advice for IT Careers: Guidance for both new entrants and mid-career professionals wondering about their next steps.
  • Personal Productivity & Balance: Allen’s tips for staying organized, healthy, and grounded while running a company.

Allen Cooper is the Co-Founder and CEO of ReadyList, Inc., a mobile-friendly software that transforms how hospital ancillary and support service teams operate. Allen co-founded ReadyList with a deep passion for helping the behind-the-scenes workers who keep hospitals running smoothly. ReadyList’s software modules guide them through best-practice cleaning and room prep protocols, resulting in cleaner, safer facilities for both patients and staff. Allen believes the right kind of software can save hospital systems money, time, and even lives. 


https://www.linkedin.com/in/allen-cooper-4a07598


Behind every line of code, there's a person with a story. Software People Stories, from PM Power Consulting, moves beyond abstract theory and polished case studies to explore the real, human experience of building technology. This isn't about hypotheticals; it's a collection of candid conversations with the practitioners themselves-developers, designers, product managers, and architects-who share firsthand accounts from the trenches. They talk about the paths that led to success and, just as importantly, the unexpected detours and failures that provided the most valuable lessons. Each episode delves into the nuanced journey of discovering what users need, designing elegant systems, navigating complex development, and ultimately delivering solutions that matter. By focusing on these personal narratives, the podcast reveals the core of software creation: a blend of technical skill, creative problem-solving, and team dynamics. Listeners gain practical wisdom and relatable perspectives on the challenges and triumphs inherent in the tech industry. Tune in for an honest look at the craft, where the stories of people are just as crucial as the software they build. You'll find this podcast a refreshing source of insight for anyone involved in or curious about the technology and business landscapes, offering career lessons learned the hard way.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Software People Stories
Podcast Episodes
Beyond Clean Tech: From Science to Scale with Hiranmayee Vedam [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:58
In this episode of Software People Stories, Gayatri sits down with Hiran , Co-founder of Ashwatta Sustainability Ventures (domain Ashwatta.earth) , to explore how climate innovation is evolving beyond buzzwords into real…
Leading with Purpose with Sujatha Ramani [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
Sujatha Ramani brings together corporate precision and grassroots purpose. With leadership experience at global companies like HP and Wipro, and two entrepreneurial ventures of her own, she made a deliberate shift into t…
Evolving Workplace Culture with Srini Sundararajan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:57
This is part of the specials we have every year focusing on women in IT.In this conversation, Srini Sundararajan shares his experiences and perspectives on empowering women in the workplace, particularly in IT. Srini's k…
Building Global Tech Solutions with VR Govindarajan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:07
In this episode of Software People Stories, VR Govindarajan, aka Govi, the co-founder and executive chairman of Perfios Software, shares his comprehensive journey from the early days of his career to building successful…
Knowledge Management Insights with Jordan Richards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:02
In this episode of Software People Stories, Jordan Richards, a Digital Transformation and Knowledge Management technologist, and Founder of Tacitous (www.tacitous.com) a Knowledge Management blueprint and platform design…
Navigating Technological Changes with Sudipta Lahiri [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:50
In this podcast episode, Sudipta Lahiri, Head Of Engineering and Products at Nimblework, Inc shares his compelling journey from growing up in a cosmopolitan township and studying metallurgical engineering to becoming a l…
Tech Entrepreneurial Insights with Bhargav Bhikkaji [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:17
In this podcast episode, Shiv is in conversation with Bhargav Bhikkaji, a tech leader, entrepreneur, and founder-CTO of MajorDomo Inc with deep expertise in cloud and Gen-AI driven enterprise software. In this episode of…
Navigating Career Paths with Anees Haidary [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:52
In this podcast episode, Shiv is in conversation with Anees Haidary, Global Head, Operational Excellence, Data Privacy, and Global Workforce Management at Sasken Technologies.In this engaging episode, Anees shares his re…
Loving Failure and Learning Daily with Kumaran Anandan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:26
In this podcast episode, Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Kumaran Anandan, CTO of TinyMagiq and Enterprise Architect —shares a refreshingly honest journey across hardware, industrial automation, embedded syst…
From Backend IT to Frontline Digital Transformation with Shubhangi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:44
In this podcast episode, Gayatri Kalyanaraman is in conversation with Shubhangi M Josiam, Digital Head APAC of Alstom about her 18+ year journey across GE and Alstom, moving from core IT and infrastructure roles to custo…