From Theater to entrepreneurship with Stamatis Astra

From Theater to entrepreneurship with Stamatis Astra

Author: PM Power Consulting May 23, 2025 Duration: 40:14

My guest today is Stamatis Astra is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Intelligent Relations. In this freewheeling conversation, he talks about:


  • Introduction & Origin Story
  • Stamatis shares his varied career journey, starting in theater before transitioning into technology and entrepreneurship.
  • Reflects on early internet days, the rise of e-commerce, and parallels with today’s AI revolution.
  • Entrepreneurial Mindset & Product Building
  • The core skills of entrepreneurship remain the same, whether in film or software—raising funds, pitching ideas, and building belief.
  • Confidence, resilience, and timing play crucial roles in success.
  • Theater vs. Business—Script vs. Improv
  • In acting, a defined script brings clarity, whereas business requires improvisation based on data and insights.
  • Sales and investor pitches require a structured approach, but product development thrives on innovation and open-ended discussions.
  • Remote Work & Leadership Challenges
  • Discusses difficulties of leading distributed teams without face-to-face interaction.
  • Emphasizes the need for engaged communication, structured meetings, and keeping discussions interactive.
  • The Intersection of Media, AI & Entrepreneurship
  • Shares insights from his role as a venture partner and a radio host—both involve asking deep, thought-provoking questions.
  • Talks about Intelligent Relations, a PR SaaS company leveraging AI to democratize media access.
  • AI's Role in Public Relations
  • AI helps connect brands with journalists through automation and data-driven personalization.
  • PR success hinges on storytelling—brands must embed themselves in the news cycle, not just promote their offerings.
  • Career Opportunities in Public Relations
  • Traditional PR relied on communication specialists; today, data engineers play a vital role.
  • Engineers help structure outreach for journalists, influencers, and media platforms.
  • Personal Philosophy & Staying Grounded
  • The importance of family, health, and knowing the deeper motivation behind success.
  • Business challenges come and go, but fundamental values remain the same.


Stamatis Astra, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Intelligent Relations

Stamatis Astra is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of Intelligent Relations, where he drives the company’s mission to transform public relations through AI-powered technology and expert insights. With over 20+ years of experience in media and business strategy, Stamatis is fully committed to making earned media accessible to all businesses, helping them build meaningful connections with the media and tell impactful stories.




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
Maintaining Composure, being productive with Ben Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:21
I continue my conversation with Ben Johnson, the CEO of Particle 41, a company that provides fractional CTO services, software development, data science, data engineering, and AI solutionsIn this part, Ben talks about:Th…
Building a strong team culture with Ben Johnson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:07
I am in conversation with Ben Johnson, the CEO of Particle 41, a company that provides fractional CTO services, software development, data science, data engineering, and AI solutionsSome of the highlights from the conver…
Collaborating teams with Douglas Ferguson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:33
I continue my conversation with Douglas Ferguson, an entrepreneur and human-centered technologist. He is the president of Voltage Control, a facilitation academy that develops leaders through various programs.In this par…
Leadership lessons with Douglas Ferguson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:06
I am in conversation with Douglas Ferguson. Douglas is an entrepreneur and human-centered technologist. He is the president of Voltage Control, a facilitation academy that develops leaders through various programs.In thi…
Working with the Government with Karthik Viswanathan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:31
I continue my conversation with Karthik Viswanathan, the President of Ochyo Inc, a consulting firm that specializes in serving State & Local governments around strategy development, technology enablement and business pro…
IT solutions in the Government with Karthik Viswanathan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:46
I am in conversation with Karthik Viswanathan, the President of Ochyo Inc, a consulting firm that specializes in serving State & Local governments around strategy development, technology enablement and business process o…
Entrepreneurship with Ravi Krishnappa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
Sivaguru continues the conversation with Ravi Krishnappa, managing partner at July Ventures.In this part, he shares his thoughts as belowEmphasizes that his curiosity drives him to understand new concepts deeply, particu…
Being insanely curious with Ravi Krishnappa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:01
Sivaguru is in conversation with Ravi Krishnappa, managing partner at July Ventures. He talks aboutHow he Started as a mechanical engineer and ERP consultant, then co-founded Accel Venture Partners and Inatech. Transitio…
One Company careers with Gunaseelan Narayanan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:07
This marks 300 episodes of the Software People Stories. The journey has been very enriching. But more of that, in a few weeks, when we complete six years of the podcast.In addition, the guest today is a person who has be…
Growing as a leader with Gunaseelan Narayanan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:48
This is a special episode for me, personally.This marks 300 episodes of the Software People Stories. The journey has been very enriching. But more of that, in a few weeks, when we complete six years of the podcast.In add…