The Better Build

In this episode of The Better Build, Mission's Steven Markow sits down with Wade Bruce, CTO of Fetch, America's top rewards app with over 10 million users, to talk leadership, resilience, and how growing as a person can help you evolve as an engineer.Wade shares candid stories from his career journey, including the bold career move he made while expecting his first child. We explore the strengths of smaller tech communities, how his time in the National Guard shaped his leadership approach, and why he believes in developing leaders at every level of an organization, not just at the top.Key moments:Wade's National Guard experience (06:08)Inside Fetch's IC leadership program (08:15)Wade's leadership philosophy (13:50)How AI factors into Fetch's app (19:05)Why “easy” matters in product design (25:46)The importance of focusing on the present (29:25)

In this episode, host Steven Markow sits down with Steve Lindsey, founding partner and CTO of LiveView Technologies (LVT), to explore how his early hands-on experience—from fiber optics to engineering—shaped his mindset and led him to develop scalable security solutions at LVT.Key moments:

In this episode of The Better Build, host Stéphane Rossi, CEO of Mission, sits down with Fernando Paz, Senior Director of Software Engineering at CAMP Systems International and a seasoned engineering leader with decades of experience at companies like Motorola, Dell, and Cox Automotive.Fernando shares his inspiring career journey, from a pivotal first job at a movie theater to delivering a TED Talk on leadership, "How Popcorn Unlocked the Secret for Crazy Success." He dives into lessons learned from building global teams, leading large-scale transformations, and fostering an ownership mindset in engineering.Discover how Fernando views change management as a cultural cornerstone, his three principles of leadership, and why he believes mindshare matters more than timeshare. He also explores the evolving role of AI in software engineering and its potential to reshape the field.Key moments:"hardware gets your attention, but it's the software that makes you fall in love" (0:54)"It's about the learning, not the title" (5:16)Miracle in Malaysia (6:23)it's easy to see differences; focus on what you have in common (9:03)3 leadership principles (10:13)the popcorn story (11:20)mindshare over timeshare (19:54)on change management (23:13)reasons people oppose change (25:20)

Join Mission CEO Stephane Rossi in an engaging conversation with Eugene Khvostov, the Chief Product Officer of Apptio, as they delve into the intricacies of product leadership and strategy in the realm of software engineering. Eugene shares his extensive experience from leading roles at MasterCard and AWS to steering Apptio's product vision, post its $4.6 billion acquisition by IBM. Tune in to discover insights on managing large product teams, making order from chaos, the impact of AI on product roadmaps, and strategies for effective risk management. Key moments:People don't buy products, they buy the people behind the products (08:31)Useful frameworks for organizing teams and keeping them productive (13:48)On market power (23:56)A story about not being afraid of failure (26:19)On the importance of anti-patterns (30:30)

Host Gabriel Sundaram of Mission sits with guest Iana Vitkova, Senior Director of Engineering at Wiser Solutions, to discuss her journey from software engineer to leader, highlighting her passion for team development and high performance strategies. They discuss Wiser's innovative approach to leveraging data and analytics for retail optimization, the logistics of managing a global workforce, and the challenges of coordinating teams across different time zones. Iana also emphasizes the importance of early collaboration between engineering, product management, and design to align business objectives with user needs, offering valuable insights for anyone navigating software engineering leadership.Key topics:The value of being a product manager (11:27)The benefits of low cost experimentation (23:39)Why it's important for engineers to understand the business context (25:11)Where Iana believes AI will land (28:53)The leadership enhancing benefits of joining Toastmasters (31:14)"it's an industry that really forces you to continue to grow and to learn" (36:17)

Mission CEO Stephane Rossi sits with Loren Verheyden, Engineering Manager at SailPoint, to get into her effective managing strategies and professional journey. From building a supercomputer during her college years to navigating the challenges of remote team management, Lauren shares her unique experiences and insights. We discuss her transition from software developer to manager, the importance of effective communication, and the lessons she learned while leading diverse teams. Lauren also provides valuable tips on active listening, handling rejection, and the balance between mentoring and coaching. Key topics:The transition from engineer to manager (9:30)Experience with Write / Speak / Code (14:13)Essential managerial skills to develop (18:49)How to speak to your audience (22:43)The Socratic method of managing (35:18)

This special episode was taken from a recent virtual panel held by Mission with special guests Naomi Goldapple (SVP of Data & Intelligence at Alayacare | Digital Strategist | Entrepreneur) and Fred Chanay (AI & Data Science most recently at UKG | Product Executive | Tech Ventures), hosted by Mission Co-Founder Gabriel Sundaram.To join us for events like these, follow us on LinkedIn and connect with us at mission.dev

Mission Co-founder Gabriel Sundaram sits down with Yevgen Reztsov (currently working on a stealth mode startup, formerly Walmart Global Tech, Intuit, Bison Technologies) for one of our most technical deep dives into AI yet! Listen to this episode whether you're an expert on the subject or just want to become one, as Yevgen is excellent at making even dense subject matter accessible without dumbing it down.Here are some other key topics from their wide-ranging conversation:What's missing for teams trying to do machine learning (09:22)A story on how customers can misuse AI if you don't deploy it carefully (26:12)A window into the San Diego community and tech scene (28:27)A warning on highly unpopular remote management decisions and how to avoid them (34:17)Why "one size fits all" policies can be destructive (34:42)How to avoid purely transactional meetings (37:36)"I feel like the outcome you observe is an inevitable result of the system that begets it." (48:26)

Mission CTO & Co-Founder Fred Brunel sits with Raymond Luk (Hockeystick, Flow) for an insightful conversation into founding, investing, AI, and the importance of making time to be around people in our increasingly remote world.Key TakeawaysThe unintended consequences of remote work (11:18)Spending time with founders (26:02)The "no pain, no gain" mindset (38:25)The challenges of finding "A" Players (41:36)

In this episode of The Better Build, hosts Stephane Rossi (Mission CEO and Co-Founder) and Fred Brunel (Mission CTO and Co-Founder) sit down with Kaj Van de Loo, a seasoned engineering leader and CTO at UserTesting, to explore his journey through the software engineering landscape and discuss the present and future of AI. From his early days at SAP Labs to leading innovative projects at Oracle and UserTesting, Kaj shares insights into the evolution of software engineering, the impact of AI and machine learning, the critical role of AI in transforming engineering practices, and the importance of user feedback in driving successful AI adoption. Key takeaways:The system analyst process (02:42)Not seeing the value for the customer during the dot-com era (06:50)The challenge of explaining one's value (07:50)Pinpointing the big takeaways and real value of professional experience (14:50)How user feedback is the key to successful adoption of AI products (20:59)Are coding skills becoming irrelevant? (33:08)

In this episode of The Better Build, Mission CTO Fred Brunel sits down with David Subar, Founder and Managing Partner of Interna, discusses the challenges and strategies in enhancing product development processes for technology companies. Subar highlights the common pitfall of engineering teams becoming mere feature factories and cost centers, emphasizing the importance of aligning engineering and product management to drive company growth and create value for investors. Key topics:The challenges of going back to an in-office setup with 100% remote teams (3:42)Tips for maintaining esprit de corps among team members (4:42)Why you shouldn't "cut to a number" if layoffs are necessary (12:16)The importance of historical knowledge and taste when using AI effectively (17:28)Why we can be optimistic about the transformation of software languages (26:58)Reach out to work with us or join our network of product building and engineering talent at mission.dev

In this episode of The Better Build, we sit down with Martin Kess, Head of Engineering at Fractal, a venture studio on a mission to launch vertical B2B SaaS companies into billion-dollar industries. With an impressive background that spans from Google and Lyft to now steering the ship at Fractal, Martin brings a wealth of experience and unique insights into building successful tech startups.Fractal's innovative approach to identifying and capitalizing on hidden opportunities in niche markets has led to the launch of over 140 startups. Martin discusses the qualities they look for in founding CTOs, the importance of grit and adaptability in the startup world, and how Fractal supports its companies through the journey from idea to market leader.Listeners will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of remote work, the advantages of a distributed team, and how empathy and curiosity play crucial roles in understanding and solving real-world problems with technology.Whether you're a tech leader, a startup founder, or simply fascinated by the art of building impactful companies, this episode offers valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and the power of looking where others aren't.Key Moments:The essential traits of a founding CTO and how to scale from a solo engineer to leading a dynamic team. (03:10)The unique model that Fractal uses to identify billion-dollar opportunities in overlooked industries. (13:41)Insights into the challenges and triumphs of scaling over 140 startups (19:43)The impact of remote work on startup culture and product development. (43:35)

Mission COO Gabriel Sundaram sits with Sophea Loche (VP of Engineering at Egencia, an Amex GBT company) to discuss how things have changed for women in tech (3:30), how she made a big career decision that required moving to another country (9:08), how she goes about building teams remotely (12:08), the importance of building a leadership pipeline (15:05), how to build trust and get aligned across teams (19:45), and how different country cultures deal with failure (22:17).Learn more about how Mission can help you hire senior-level software talent backed by a powerful insights platform at mission.dev.

Even if you don't own a vehicle, you know the name Ford. Over 120 years after selling its first vehicle, Ford remains one of the world's largest automotive companies. What's kept them going is a willingness to innovate and change with the times, often topping the charts of best selling cars in America well into the 21st century.Within Ford Pro, which oversees Ford's commercial and fleet vehicles, is a hub of innovation: the Ford Pro technology team and its 600+ workers, including over 300 software engineers. And managing these top developers is this episode's guest, Scott Erkkila, Head of Software Engineering at Ford Pro.Scott sat down with Mission CEO Stephane Rossi to talk the latest at Ford Pro, with a particular focus on extreme programming, the methodology being implemented by over 100 software engineering teams within Ford Pro tech. Scott talks benefits and dispels myths around the “controversial” methodology, while giving clues as to how this massive company founded over a century ago continues to meet their customers' needs and effortlessly stays ahead of the times.Key momentsWhat is extreme programming? (10:00)Key features of extreme programming (11:56)Pair programming (15:20)Why did Ford Pro adopt extreme programming? (15:45)The importance of inclusivity and collaboration (21:42)

David Catuhe is the creator of Babylon.js, a powerful real time 3D engine using a JavaScript library, and has worked for Microsoft for over 12 years, both as an engineering lead and now as a Partner Group Engineering Manager, leading hundreds of people, with the Babylon.js team being his main priority. He sat down with longtime friend Fred Brunel, Co-founder and CTO of Mission, for a casual but deeply insightful chat on AI and the ever-evolving role of the engineer. As Microsoft is one of the key companies developing and using AI currently, this conversation is a can't-miss window into the latest and most exciting aspects of this paradigm shifting technology.You can buy David's art book here:- English: https://lnkd.in/gX5p4ANP- French: https://lnkd.in/g9VbTnmaKey Moments (click the timestamp to jump to that point in the conversation)The creation of Babylon.js (1:50)Predicting code in context, the engineer as architect (13:54)The real magic of ChatGPT (19:22)Every business has "core happy stuff" (27:08)How Microsoft embraced the remote work from the beginning (28:59)How Microsoft works across timezones (29:43)Working in a hive style and the problem with Waterfall (31:41)

Matthew Chan is the CTO of BlackCart, a company revolutionizing "try before you buy" software for e-commerce. In this episode, Matthew talks with Mission COO and Co-founder Gabriel Sundaram about the tech education program he started for kids, how his engineering background helps in his current leadership positions, and the many ways he's giving back the kind of mentorship he received on his professional journey.Key topics:Advice for anyone transitioning from IC to manager (02:53)Founding a tech program for kids to give back (03:54) On dealing with "unknown unknowns" (06:50)Seed stage CTOs (9:08)Where's the value - the technical or the team? (10:05)Your relationship and your role as an executive versus a VPN or an engineering lead (11:20)Do you think it is that as an IC there's less of this holistic picture or connection to business outcomes? (13:53)A function of environment and time (14:03)Building the right environment (18:28)The project champion (21:55)Paying it forward through an internship program (23:15)Product role with engineering knowledge (24:50)...As promised in the episode, here are a couple ways you can get in touch with Matthew:Twitter: @mcschanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcschan/

Mission CEO Stephane Rossi is joined by Gabriel Lespérance (Paltap) to talk hard-learned lessons on entrepreneurship, what we should actually be excited about in regards to AI, and the importance of emotional intelligence in tech leadership.

In this special episode, the Mission co-founders - COO Gabriel Sundaram, CTO Fred Brunel, and CEO Stephane Rossi - talk about what makes the ideal engineering environment, the true value of data, and how even the best engineers can leverage that data to keep leveling up.

Mission COO & Co-founder Gabriel Sundaram catches up with his former Bus.com colleague and friend Martin Provencher, Senior Developer Manager at Shopify. Martin shares his experienced perspective on what he looks for when hiring engineers for his teams, as well as the best strategies he's encountered to keep remote teams feeling connected. Key Moments:The benefits of leading the Ruby on Rails user group (2:09)The difference between managing engineering at early stage vs enterprise (5:07)Hiring engineers for your stage and culture (7:01)The Shopify engineering culture (10:13)Managing remote engineering teams (including one of the best exercises he's seen for remote teams) (14:39)Using data to manage engineers (17:09)The relationship between product and engineering (24:05)

The Better Build's debut episode features a stellar conversation between Mission CEO Stephane Rossi and the widely accomplished Raif Barbaros. Currently a seed-stage VC at Mistral Venture Partners in Canada, Raif has a deep CV of startup founder and CTO experience, including at Nuula, Infuitive, and Loblaw Digital. Stephane and Raif cover topics such as how technical expertise can influence VC decision-making, software team leadership skills for companies at different stages, and the importance of making collaborative decisions with your partners.Subscribe to The Better Build on all your favorite podcast providers, and stay connected to us through LinkedIn and Twitter (@GrowWithMission).