Frazier Horn, an alum of Columbia’s M.S. in Technology Management (TMGT) program, is building a career at the intersection of product development and real-world problem solving. During his time at SPS, what began as an interest in launching a social media platform evolved into a more grounded approach to innovation in the automotive space—one focused on improving workflows for car dealers. In this Q&A, Horn reflects on how the program helped shape that shift and how it led to the launch of his startup ServiceSync AI.
Please tell us a bit about your background and what led you to the Tech Management program.
For as long as I can remember, I've been obsessed with building things and making processes easier. Growing up around my family’s car dealerships, I got an early look at how broken systems and outdated tools affect people's day-to-day work. I watched smart, hardworking employees get slowed down by software that was never designed with them in mind. That stayed with me.
I studied computer science and economics as an undergraduate and initially wanted to build a social media app, but I quickly realized I lacked the management, strategy, and venture-building experience to make it happen. That realization led me to Columbia and the Technology Management program, where my perspective began to shift. I stopped thinking only about managing technology and started thinking about how to build technology that genuinely improves people’s experiences. Columbia became a kind of laboratory where I could turn those ideas into something tangible.
Reflecting on my roots in the automotive industry, I realized that I was uniquely positioned to make an impact there. I understood the frustrations of the people doing the work and the inefficiencies built into the systems around them.
What goes into your roles as managing partner at HornHaus Ventures and founder of ServiceSync AI? How does what you learned in the TMGT program enhance your work?
Right now, I'm fully focused on building ServiceSync AI, an AI-powered SaaS platform for automotive service operations. It's the first product under Luumis, the parent company I'm building to capture operational intelligence and create data-driven revenue opportunities over time. ServiceSync AI is the wedge—the operating business and proof point through which we capture real workflow data and establish market credibility. Luumis is the long-term platform vision, but right now the focus is simple: build ServiceSync AI, earn the right to expand, then grow.
The market is the $164 billion automotive fixed-operations market—basically, the part of dealerships where cars get fixed. It's been completely ignored by meaningful innovation for 30 years. That's the opportunity.
HornHaus Ventures was where I learned to build things that matter. As Managing Partner, I work alongside my siblings to lead a portfolio of initiatives that blend technology with social impact, including BrightPath Tech Initiative, an effort focused on expanding access to technology for underserved students and educators.
The Technology Management program informs every aspect of this work. The Digital Strategy and Leadership course taught me why the interface matters just as much as what's under the hood. Operations Management showed me how to get people to adopt new workflows without blowing up what they already have. And the AI course gave me something I don't hear people talk about enough: knowing when NOT to use AI is just as important as knowing when to. The program gave me a completely different way of seeing problems, and I use it every single day.
How did the program prepare you to keep up with AI and the rapid changes and evolution in the tech space?
Yes, and not in a surface-level way. The Machine Learning and AI for Technology Leaders course was rigorous. It taught me how to evaluate AI, not just how to be impressed by it. And the thing I found most useful was learning to recognize when something doesn't actually need AI. So many problems people label as AI problems can honestly just be solved with a sorting algorithm or a simple workflow. Knowing that saves you from overbuilding something complicated and expensive when you never needed to go there.
One of the most significant things the Technology Management program gave me was a mindset, not just a skill set. AI evolves too quickly for any curriculum to fully keep pace with. What the program actually did was teach me how to keep learning on my own, how to stay grounded in what actually matters, and not get caught up every time a new model emerges. That, to me, is the real prep.
What would surprise people about the current use or future of AI?
AI in the workplace right now is just lipstick on broken processes. Companies put AI on top of bad workflows and call it transformation, but nothing actually changes for the person doing the work at 8 a.m. The real opportunity isn't automation—it's redesign. AI should be the moment you stop and ask: if we were building this from scratch today, what would it even look like? Most organizations never ask that, and it really shows.
The future winners in AI won't be the ones with the biggest models. It's going to be the ones with the most specific, most accurate, most human operational data. Short version: intelligence has to be earned. You don't just start with it. You build the system that creates it.
Were you a speaker at the Technology Management Program orientation? Please tell us a bit about what you shared with students.
I was, and it felt like a full-circle moment. The talk was called "Authenticity by Design: How I Learned to Build My Own Path." I walked incoming students through my journey of coming in with ambition but zero direction, and how I learned to connect what I actually cared about to what I could realistically build right now.
I was honest that my first instinct was to build a social media app around authentic connection, but I stepped back and asked myself: who do I know, what do I know, and what can I build now that still reflects my values? That led me back to automotive—not because it was glamorous, but because it was the world I came from, the problem I understood from the inside, and the place where I could create a ripple effect.
I left them with three questions every student should carry through the program: what is authentically me, what can I build now with what I have, and how can I use this program as a tool instead of just something to get through?
Views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Columbia School of Professional Studies or Columbia University.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Technology Management at Columbia University prepares graduates to lead digital transformation, and align technology and business strategy with an ethical lens. Through experiential learning, industry partnerships, and Columbia-supported research, students gain fluency in digital platforms and emerging technologies, and learn to design human-centered solutions that drive innovation and sustainable impact.
The program is available for part-time or full-time enrollment online or on campus in NYC. Learn more about the program here.
