Roger Obando
Principal
at Self Employed
Roger Obando is a serial entrepreneur and technologist with over 20 years of experience in software development and consulting in both the enterprise and start-up worlds.
His most recent entrepreneurial venture, Baker Technologies, a CRM platform focused on helping companies in the cannabis industry build and retain relationships with their customers, was acquired in 2018, resulting in his successful exit.
Roger has recently returned to his consulting roots and is now serving as a Fractional CTO for several companies building platforms to capitalize on the emerging AI wave.
Earlier in his career, Roger spent nearly a decade working with large interactive agencies and clients like Sony, BMW, JP Morgan, and Disney. He made the decision in early 2012 to leave services and enter the product space, consulting with start-up companies and eventually transitioning to senior technology positions at Mobile Roadie and Kamino Labs.
He has a B.A. in Computer Science and Visual Design from Duke University.
Articles by Roger Obando
7 Steps to Build a Product That Sells Itself
In our latest session from the Mucker Growth Series featuring Ethan Smith from Graphite, we explored AEO, a significant new approach for optimizing visibility in AI-driven search, particularly relevant as...
The Founder’s Mental Health Playbook: What I Learned After Nearly Burning Out
A hard-won guide to staying mentally healthy while building a startup I founded Stitcher, the podcast platform, in 2007 and ran it for seven years until we sold in 2014....
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for Early Stage Companies
In our latest session from the Mucker Growth Series featuring Ethan Smith from Graphite, we explored AEO, a significant new approach for optimizing visibility in AI-driven search, particularly relevant as...
Startup Guide to AI Visibility: Be the Brand ChatGPT Recommends
Introduction Today, users aren’t just searching on Google. They’re asking ChatGPT, Claude, Google’s Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI systems for advice. AI visibility is the new frontier of brand awareness....
Practical Uses of AI & Automation for Startup Operations
In a recent Mucker Growth Series session, we invited Rock Vitale, Founder & CEO of Easie, to share how he’s helped early-stage teams move from manual, fragmented workflows to streamlined,...
2025 New York Tech Week Recap Of Mucker Sessions
Last week during New York Tech Week 2025, we joined more than 1,000 events hosted by founders, investors, and VCs. This post is a full Mucker recap of the three...