Dave:
Hey everyone, Dave here with another episode of the Philly Tech Connect podcast. Today I’m speaking with Jordan Ambra, who helps SaaS founders build great software through expert advice. As a seasoned CTO, he offers “peace of mind as a service,” helping companies ensure their product operations are on the right track—so they can build excellent software without the waste and suffering many companies deal with. Jordan, how are you doing?
Jordan:
Hey Dave, I’m doing really well. Thanks for having me on your show—I appreciate it.
Dave:
My pleasure. I noticed your company is called Serenity Software and you talk a lot about peace of mind. I’m getting the vibe that product development can be kind of chaotic, and you guys are the solution. Is that right?
Jordan:
Yeah. I’ve been writing software for a long time, and especially in my earlier days, I noticed this pattern. I’d build something, push it live, and everything would be broken and on fire. It’s not fun to wake up at 2 a.m. to fix something you broke badly.
And it turns out I’m not all that unique—that happens to a lot of people. It’s not a good experience for anyone, whether you’re writing the software or using it. So I made it my mission to figure out why that happens and help people break out of that cycle of chaos and constant crisis.
Dave:
Love it. So it sounds like this is a common problem. Tell us more about the companies you work with, and why they come to you.
Jordan:
Sure. I mostly work with SaaS companies, but really, it’s anyone making a software product for other people. A lot of times, you start a product and things go great. You’re moving quickly and you’re unburdened. But as the business grows—more clients, more operations—you start layering on bureaucracy, processes, more people to support.
And that success can actually become a burden. We call it “golden handcuffs.” Suddenly, things slow down. You can’t get work done efficiently. And when you do get something done, it takes way longer than expected.
That’s when people start doing the math. “It’ll take us a year to ship this—what’s a year of payroll cost us?” And that’s a big number. You start to question whether it’s worth it. That moment is when people realize something’s wrong—and that’s when I come in to help.
Dave:
Alright, without giving away the secret sauce, I’d love to unpack that. I’ve run a software business before, and I totally relate to the feeling of “Why does something simple take so long?” Tell us about your approach.
Jordan:
I use three pillars: People, Process, and Product—in that order. A lot of folks jump straight to the product and think, “Oh, you just need Feature X” or “Rebuild it like this and you’ll be fine.”
But that’s backward. You have to start with people. If your team isn’t aligned—if they don’t even understand why they’re building what they’re building—then it doesn’t matter how good your process is or how great your product is. They’ll make poor decisions.
So usually, it starts with leadership and management. And that might sound weird coming from a technical advisor, but many issues are just people problems. You’ve got someone who can’t collaborate. Or someone who’s the only one who knows how things work. Or people who don’t pull their weight.
And these things cause what we call “technical debt” or bugs, but really they stem from people dynamics. And here’s where it gets tough: it takes humility from leadership to say, “Maybe I’m the problem. What can I do differently?”
If you’re disorganized or not a great communicator, your team probably isn’t getting a clear vision of the product or company mission. So I start by helping align people—making sure they work well together and understand their purpose.
Only then do we move into process improvements and product decisions.
Dave:
How often do people actually have the humility to accept this feedback—whether it’s management or that one problematic team member?
Jordan:
Good question. Honestly, there’s a self-selection bias here. The people who reach out to work with me usually already have that humility baked in.
It’s like going to a doctor. You can try to solve a lot of stuff on your own, but when you’re stuck, there’s no shame in asking for help. And it takes humility and a willingness to grow.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many founders and entrepreneurs do have that mindset. Maybe it’s selfish, but it helps me do my job. These are people who want to serve their customers better, or they’re under pressure to pay back investors or make payroll. They’re motivated. Their ego isn’t the priority—their outcomes are.
Dave:
Jordan, I’d love to hear what’s next for Serenity Software and how people can find you if they want to get in touch.
Jordan:
Absolutely. My website is serenity.software—nice and simple. I try to make things risk-free and helpful for folks. I genuinely enjoy meeting people and learning about their businesses. No strings attached—come say hi.
Dave:
Jordan, thanks so much for being on the show and contributing to the Philly Tech community. We’ll talk soon!
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