Podcasts about technical leadership

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Charles Suggs and Emma Whamond are joined by Mike Ratliff, co-founder and CTO of GridVar, to talk about the role software plays in the changing energy infrastructure. With over 30 years of experience in technology, Mike shares the path that took him from the early internet and cloud computing into energy and utility software, along with what he has learned about staying adaptable as the industry continues to shift. Mike explains why building software for the power grid comes with a very different set of constraints than building a typical web application and breaks down some of the challenges utilities are facing, including grid interconnection delays, power quality, increasing energy demand, and the growth of distributed energy resources. We also discuss demand response, microgrids, virtual power plants, battery storage, and how software can help utilities better understand and manage a grid that is becoming more complex. Mike also explains why Elixir and the BEAM are a strong fit for always-on energy systems, how an Erlang MQTT server first led him into the ecosystem, and what it takes to introduce Elixir inside an established organization. The episode closes with a broader look at AI-assisted development, the value of domain expertise, and why technical leaders still need communication, judgment, and a compelling story to move important ideas forward. Key topics discussed in this episode: Mike Ratliff's path from software to energy technology Lessons from three decades of technology industry change The value of generalists in modern software engineering Why good technical judgment remains difficult to replace Building software that interacts with physical infrastructure Why utility technology adoption can move slowly Understanding today's grid interconnection backlog Power quality challenges affecting new grid connections Using simulation to accelerate utility engineering studies Centralized and distributed approaches to grid management How solar energy creates the duck curve Using demand response to balance electricity consumption Edge devices supporting real-time grid coordination Microgrids and resilience in distributed energy systems Cybersecurity considerations for increasingly connected power grids Preparing utility infrastructure for extreme weather events Battery storage and the growth of renewable energy How virtual power plants coordinate distributed resources Why Elixir works well for energy software BEAM reliability for always-on utility infrastructure Discovering Elixir through Erlang and MQTT Building an early virtual power plant with Elixir Making the business case for an Elixir migration Why technical leadership also requires effective storytelling Links Mentioned: GridVAR https://www.gridvar.com/ GridPoint https://www.gridpoint.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Iberian_Peninsula_blackout Demand Response: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_response Virtual Power Plant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_power_plant Microgrid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microgrid Volts podcast: https://www.volts.wtf/

In this episode of Elixir Wizards, Charles Suggs and Emma Whamond are joined by Ellyse Cedeno, founder of Heuristic Salvo and a software engineer and product leader with more than 25 years of experience across early internet platforms, gaming, health tech, and distributed systems. Ellyse shares the winding path that took her from early search engines and Netscape to game development, medical research at Mount Sinai, and eventually to Elixir. Along the way, she talks about staying curious over a long technical career, rediscovering joy through side projects, and why being willing to feel like a beginner again can be one of the most useful skills a developer can build. The conversation explores what it means to grow as an engineer in a world where AI tooling is becoming part of the everyday workflow. Ellyse makes the case that technical skill still matters, but the human parts of software development (like judgment, curiosity, communication, trust, and influence) are becoming increasingly important. We also talk about soft influence and how developers can create change inside organizations without relying on hard authority. Key Topics Discussed in this Episode: Ellyse's career path through early internet platforms, gaming, health tech, and distributed systems Moving from Netscape and search engines to medical research and software consulting Discovering Elixir through an interest in concurrent and distributed systems Why beginner's mindset still matters after decades in tech How neurodivergence, curiosity, and deep focus shape Ellyse's approach to programming Rediscovering joy in programming through side projects and experimentation Building an MMORPG game server in Elixir Exploring hardware, Nerves, and live theremin demos The role of passion projects in professional growth Protecting time for learning in productivity-focused environments Work-life balance differences between the U.S. and Europe How AI tools are changing expectations for modern developers Why AI does not replace judgment, taste, or technical understanding Understanding business needs instead of only focusing on technical preferences Introducing Elixir into a TypeScript-heavy organization Using Elixir microservices to solve specific technical problems What “soft influence” looks like in engineering teams Building trust through one-on-one conversations Knowing when influence is working and when it is not Negotiating technical decisions without turning them into power struggles The relationship between technical competence and interpersonal skill Managing imposter syndrome during pair programming and collaborative work Documentation as a visibility and ownership tool Community involvement, conference speaking, and finding your people Staying curious without burning out Why the human side of software development still matters Links Mentioned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai https://icahn.mssm.edu/ Evernote https://evernote.com/ Joplin https://joplinapp.org/ Book: Elixir in Action by Saša Jurić https://www.manning.com/books/elixir-in-action-third-edition Book: The Little LISPer https://www.scribd.com/doc/263131641/The-Little-Lisper Ellyse's Goatmire Talk https://goatmire.com/speaker/ellyse-cedeno Nerves https://nerves-project.org/ xHain Hack & Makespace in Berlin https://x-hain.de/en/ https://cursor.com/ Haskell Programming Language https://www.haskell.org/ Java Programming Language https://www.java.com/en/ Clojure Programming Language https://clojure.org/ Scheme Programming Language https://www.scheme.org/ TypeScript Programming Language https://www.typescriptlang.org/ Nostrum Library https://hexdocs.pm/nostrum/intro.html Gleam Programming Language https://gleam.run/ Book: Getting Past No by William Ury https://www.williamury.com/getting-past-no/ “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hx4gdlfamo Ted Talk: Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY Ellyse's Codeberg https://codeberg.org/ellyxir Ellyse's Game Server Repo https://codeberg.org/ellyxir/gameserver Goatmire Elixir & NervesConf 2026 https://www.goatmire.com/

Alex Nahas is 28 years old and has already initiated a W3C web standard. Working as a backend engineer at Amazon, he ran into a problem most enterprises face: MCP requires OAuth, but most enterprise infrastructure runs on SAML. His solution was elegant: run the MCP server in client-side JavaScript, letting AI agents use the browser's existing authentication context rather than rebuilding auth from scratch. What started as an internal tool became an open source project, then a viral Hacker News post published while under anesthesia, and ultimately an invitation from Google and Microsoft to help shape WebMCP as an official web standard. In this episode, Alex and Tobi explore what WebMCP actually is, why the browser is the most underestimated sandbox in AI development, and what the agentic web might look like two years from now. Topics covered: What MCP actually is and why it's just an RPC framework at its core Why OAuth is a dealbreaker for most enterprise infrastructure How WebMCP lets AI agents operate within existing browser authentication The Hacker News post that started it all, and why Alex doesn't remember posting it How Chrome is natively building WebMCP support The chicken-and-egg problem of standard adoption Real-time bidding for agents and what it means for digital advertising Why agents don't need their own identity Where the agentic web is headed in the next two years

Most people assume the web runs on Google. The reality is more concentrated: only three companies on earth operate truly independent search indices — Google, Bing, and Brave. Jean-Paul Schmetz helped build one of them. In this episode, Jean-Paul traces the arc from writing appointment software in a Belgian Radio Shack in 1981, through founding and selling Clix — a European search engine backed by Burda — to his current role as Chief of Ads at Brave, where he now sells search infrastructure to the AI companies that need it most. For CTOs, this is a rare look inside an infrastructure layer most take for granted: how search indices are actually built, why it takes decades and hundreds of millions to do it properly, and why the entire AI grounding market quietly runs on infrastructure a small group of engineers spent their careers building. Topics covered: - Why only Google, Bing, and Brave have truly independent global search indices - How AI companies use search grounding — and what happens when Google and Bing cut them off - The SERP API gray market and why it probably has a two-year shelf life - What it actually costs to crawl and index the web at scale - The advertising model that will eventually come to AI — and why it's inevitable - Jean-Paul's Stanford years: machine learning with Andrew Ng, and what was obvious in 2013 that took until 2022 to matter - Build vs. buy for search infrastructure in 2025

Most conversations about AI focus on what it can do in a controlled setting. This one doesn't. Callum Sharrock spends his days deploying AI systems in real environments, watching them succeed and fail in ways no simulation predicted, and reporting what he finds. His conclusion? The trend line is steeper than most people realize, and snapshot thinking is getting a lot of organizations into trouble.Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock dig into why reliability, not capability, is the real adoption bottleneck right now. They talk through what happens when non-deterministic models get applied to problems that need deterministic answers, why validation and testing are becoming more important than writing the code itself, and how the calculus around decision making is changing fast. If you can build and test something in the time it takes to debate whether to do it, the meeting starts to look like the problem.They also get into what this means for developers, for leaders, and for anyone trying to figure out where to actually invest their energy right now. The barriers to building have never been lower. That makes the question of what to build more important than ever.This isn't a conversation about AI hype. It's about what's actually happening at the frontier, and what it means for the way organizations make decisions.This Week's Takeaways:The barriers to building have never been lower - figuring out what's worth building is now the real workLeadership is shifting toward agency and rapid decision-making, away from top-down strategy settingIf you can run the experiment in the time it takes to schedule the meeting about it, run the experimentIf this episode resonated, follow Definitely Maybe Agile wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. And if you know someone spending two hours debating whether to test an idea they could just build, send this one their way. There are plenty more episodes worth your time at definitelymaybeagile.com.

Read Dr. Kyle Ferguson's report here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19406940.2025.2583976#abstract Development is more than coaching sessions. It's more than a curriculum. More than what happens for 75 minutes on a Tuesday night. And it's definitely more than league position. In this episode, Dr. Kyle Ferguson joins Gary Curneen to explore what youth technical leadership really looks like in 2026. After an 18-month review of youth football systems, Kyle breaks down why the child must be at the center of everything — and why that requires more than better drills. We dive into governance, education, environment, and the game itself. Why one-size-fits-all coaching is holding development back. Why copying the Premier League model for kids misses the point. Why “fair minutes” might matter more than trophies. And why parent education is no longer optional. If you're a coach, director, or club leader trying to build something sustainable — this conversation will challenge your thinking and stretch your leadership beyond the pitch. This is youth technical leadership done properly.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sunshine Webster, director of Texas A&M's Master of Engineering Technical Management (METM) program, to discuss where METM is today and where it's headed. Dr. Webster shares her vision for the future of the program, how METM continues to evolve alongside industry and technology, and the skills today's technical professionals need to lead in an increasingly complex world. Technical Leadership Talks is brought to you by Texas A&M University's Master of Engineering Technical Management, a program that equips working technical professionals for the next step in their careers.

In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason sits down with Akalpit Gadre, a technologist and founder with deep experience in technical leadership, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. Akalpit shares his journey as a foundry entrepreneur, how he approaches building technology-driven companies, and what strong technical leadership looks like in practice. He talks about navigating complexity in cloud systems, the importance of security-first thinking, and how founders and technical leaders should evaluate new technologies without getting distracted by hype. The conversation also explores problem-solving at scale, decision-making under uncertainty, and what it takes to build resilient systems and teams in fast-moving technical environments. This episode is especially valuable for founders, engineers, and operators building products in AI, cloud, and security-focused spaces.  Topics Discussed • Akalpit's background and path into technical leadership • What it means to be a foundry entrepreneur • Building and scaling cloud-based systems • Cybersecurity as a foundational design principle  • Evaluating new technologies without chasing hype  • Leadership lessons from technical teams • Problem-solving in complex systems • Balancing innovation with reliability • How founders should think about technical tradeoffs  • Long-term thinking in engineering and architecture  Connect with Akalpit Gadre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akalpit-gadre/ Website: https://www.othentk.com/  Connect with Jason Cavness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasoncavnessexperience/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasoncavness  Podcast: https://www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com

Rob Hughes — CISO at RSA and Champion of a Passwordless FutureNo Password Required Season 7:  Episode 1 - Rob HughesRob Hughes, the CISO at RSA, has more than 25 years of experience leading security and cloud infrastructure teams. In this episode, he reflects on his unconventional career path, from co-founding the original Geek.com and serving as its Chief Technologist during the early days of the internet, to leading security and systems design at Philips Home Monitoring.Jack Clabby of Carlton Fields, P.A. and Kayley Melton welcome Rob for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, leadership, and the realities of modern cybersecurity. Rob currently leads RSA's Security and Risk Office, overseeing cybersecurity, information security governance, and risk across both RSA's products and corporate environment.Rob explains his dream for a passwordless future. He unpacks why passwords remain one of the largest sources of cyber risk, how real-world incidents and password-spraying attacks have accelerated change, and why phishing-resistant technologies like passkeys may finally be reaching a tipping point.  The episode wraps with the Lifestyle Polygraph, where Rob lightens the conversation with stories about gaming with his kids, underrated horror films, and classic cars.Follow Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-hughes-816067a4/Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to No Password Required01:43 Meet Rob Hughes, CISO at RSA02:05 The Role of a CISO in a Security Company05:09 Transitioning to the CISO Role08:00 The Early Days of Geek.com12:14 Launching a Startup During the Dot Com Boom14:30 The Push for a Passwordless Future18:21 Tipping Point for Passwordless Adoption20:20 Ongoing Learning in Cybersecurity26:09 Managing Stress in High-Pressure Environments33:46 The Lifestyle Polygraph Begins34:15 Career Insights in Cybersecurity36:08 Dream Cars and Personal Preferences39:58 Underrated Horror Films41:19 Creating a Cybersecurity Monster

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techRead the full transcription of this interview here:https://gotopia.tech/articles/408Michael Nygard - Chief Architect at Nubank & Author of "Release It!"Charles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & ConsultantFULL TALK TITLEBuilding Software That Survives: Autonomy, Architecture & Alignment at ScaleRESOURCESMichaelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mtnygardhttps://twitter.com/mtnygardhttp://www.michaelnygard.comCharleshttps://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.socialhttps://linkedin.com/in/charleshumblehttps://mastodon.social/@charleshumblehttps://conissaunce.comDESCRIPTIONMichael Nygard, author of the influential "Release It!" and Chief Architect at Nuank, discusses his journey from programmer to technical leader.In this conversation, he shares insights from major transformation projects at Sabre and Nubank, exploring the nuances of centralization versus autonomy, the often-misunderstood implications of Conway's Law, and how architectural boundaries can reduce the need for constant organizational alignment.He emphasizes that effective technical leadership involves more than reorganizations - it requires understanding communication structures, celebrating the right behaviors, and creating systems that enable teams to operate independently within well-defined boundaries.RECOMMENDED BOOKSMichael Nygard • Release It! 2nd Edition • https://amzn.to/3WJeKV8Michael Nygard • Release It! 1st Edition • https://amzn.to/3XCkiRfRichard Monson-Haefel • 97 Things Every Software Architect Should Know • https://amzn.to/3JdRYU2Charles Humble • Professional Skills for Software Engineers • https://www.conissaunce.com/professional-skills-shortcutPatterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler • Crucial Conversations • https://amzn.to/3LhGHTaYevgeniy Brikman • Fundamentals of DevOps and Software Delivery • https://amzn.to/3WMPMFUTod Golding • Building Multi-Tenant SaaS Architectures • https://amzn.to/3YfM49oJacqui Read • Communication Patterns • https://amzn.to/3E37lvvMatthew Skelton & Manuel Pais • Team Topologies • http://amzn.to/3sVLyLQJames Stanier • Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager • https://amzn.to/3vHrx1EBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!

Gina Yacone — Virtual CISO at Trace3 and Roller Derby Penalty Box VisitorLive from B-Sides Jacksonville, No Password Required welcomes Gina Yacone, Virtual CISO at Trace3. Jack Clabby of Carlton Fields, P.A. and Sarina Gandy, host and producer of the CyberBay Podcast, host a conversation on Gina's unconventional career path, leadership under pressure, and the power of community in cybersecurity. With career stops in private investigation, digital forensics, and executive security, Gina brings a people-first, purpose-driven perspective to complex cyber risk.Gina shares how her early work as a private investigator on high-profile criminal defense cases laid the foundation for her success in cybersecurity. She also reflects on raising her hand for big challenges, the rewards and risks of always saying yes, and how authenticity has guided her. She offers insight on why conference hallway conversations can be just as impactful as keynote sessions.A visible advocate for the cybersecurity community, Gina speaks openly about setting healthy mentorship boundaries and building resilient professional networks.The episode wraps with the Lifestyle Polygraph, where Gina lightens the mood with stories from her roller derby days, dream Amazing Race partners, and why John Wick might just be the ultimate executive assistant.Follow Gina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginayacone/ Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Cybersecurity and B-Sides Jacksonville01:16 Gina Yacone's Unique Journey to Cybersecurity06:22 Navigating Burnout in Cybersecurity08:06 The Importance of Raising Your Hand10:04 Adapting Leadership Styles in Different Roles 14:03 Being a Role Model for Women in Cybersecurity16:34 How to Establish a Good Mentee and Mentor Relationship18:50 Feedback and Constructive Criticism22:55  The Value of Hallway Conversations26:19 The Lifestyle Polygraph: Fun and Insights38:54 Conclusion and Future Connections

Eric Bowman (CTO @ King.com, previously CTO at TomTom and VP Engineering at Zalando) returns to the alphalist podcast to unpack what “agentic engineering” really means in practice—and how to introduce it to teams without turning it into a mandate. We talk about the uncomfortable trade-offs behind “YOLO mode” tooling, why adoption should feel voluntary even when you set explicit goals (like “five AI-assisted commits” as a company-level key result), and why the real opportunity isn't just faster coding—it's building a learning system that relentlessly reduces time-to-learning and time-to-value. The conversation spans practical rollout patterns, DORA/value-stream thinking, Toyota's Andon-cord mindset applied to software, multi-agent decision support with MCP, and why the CTO role may keep converging with product as AI pushes organizations to optimize for iteration speed over output volume.

What drives execution velocity—better tools or better clarity? Loïc Houssier, CTO of Superhuman Mail (post-Grammarly acquisition), argues that most velocity problems stem from unclear team missions, not inadequate tooling. From steering DocuSign's French acquisition through complex carve-out negotiations to building Superhuman's offline-first architecture with a 100-millisecond interaction rule, Loïc shares hard-won lessons about engineering metrics that actually matter (PR per engineer per week trends over absolutes), when to resist microservices (until it's genuinely painful), and why promotion frameworks determine product quality. Technical leaders will learn how vertical team alignment eliminates dependencies, why guild structures maintain consistency without blocking speed, and how European safety nets create under-appreciated opportunities for technical risk-taking.

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techJessica Kerr - Engineering Manager of Developer Relation at Honeycomb.io & SymmathecistDiana Montalion - Systems Architect, Mentrix Founder & Author of "Learning Systems Thinking"RESOURCESJessicahttps://bsky.app/profile/jessitron.bsky.socialhttps://linkedin.com/in/jessicakerrhttps://www.twitch.tv/jessitronicahttps://jessitron.comDianahttps://bsky.app/profile/dianamontalion.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dianamontalionhttps://montalion.comhttps://learningsystemsthinking.comDESCRIPTIONSystems architect Diana Montalion and engineering manager Jessica Kerr cut through the AI coding hype to explore what these tools actually do well - and where they have room for improvement. Moving beyond the "AI will replace developers" narrative, they reveal how AI assistants excel at the tedious work of typing, scaffolding, and error handling while remaining surprisingly bad at the nuanced thinking that experienced developers bring to complex systems.Their discussion illuminates a more mature relationship with AI tools: one where developers maintain agency over design decisions while leveraging AI's strengths in automation, synthesis, and rapid prototyping. The result is a pragmatic roadmap for using AI to amplify human expertise rather than replace it.RECOMMENDED BOOKSDiana Montalion • Learning Systems Thinking • https://amzn.to/3ZpycdJAndrew Harmel-Law • Facilitating Software Architecture • https://amzn.eu/d/5kZKVfUDonella H. Meadows • Thinking in Systems • https://amzn.to/3XtqYCVYu-kai Chou • Actionable Gamification • https://amzn.to/45D8bHAInspiring Tech Leaders - The Technology PodcastInterviews with Tech Leaders and insights on the latest emerging technology trends.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techRead the full transcription of this interview here:https://gotopia.tech/articles/388Meri Williams - CTO at Pleo & Advisor at Skiller Whale & Kindred CapitalCharles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & ConsultantRESOURCESMerihttps://x.com/Geek_Managerhttps://github.com/geekmanagerhttp://blog.geekmanager.co.ukCharleshttps://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.socialhttps://mastodon.social/@charleshumblehttps://conissaunce.comLinkshttps://blog.container-solutions.com/managing-remote-teams-in-scaling-organisationsDESCRIPTIONJoin us in a conversation with Meri Williams, an experienced CTO who has led technology teams from 30 to 300 people across organizations.In this candid discussion, Meri shares their journey from reluctant manager to seasoned leader, revealing hard-won insights about scaling teams, avoiding the "Google trap" of copying big tech practices inappropriately, and why investing in onboarding can make or break your organization.With refreshing honesty about management mistakes and the ongoing importance of diversity in building products that serve everyone, this conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating the world of tech leadership.RECOMMENDED BOOKSMeri Williams • The Principles of Project Management • https://amzn.to/4lj5B1GTom DeMarco & Tim Lister • Peopleware • https://amzn.to/3KJmFOqMarcus Buckingham & Gallup Organization • First, Break All the Rules • https://amzn.to/40xpppIDaniel H. Pink • Drive: The SurpriInspiring Tech Leaders - The Technology PodcastInterviews with Tech Leaders and insights on the latest emerging technology trends.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Canada NowBold ideas with the people shaping Canada's next chapter.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!

Highly skilled engineers often rise into leadership roles only to find themselves unprepared for the human complexities of guiding teams. In this episode, we explore the nuances of transitioning from a technical expert to a people leader, highlighting the soft skills that aren't typically taught in engineering school but are essential for success. Learn how to communicate effectively, inspire collaboration, and lead with influence without losing your technical edge. Guest: Dr. Tom Ulrich (Author of Leading Engineers and Co-Creator of a Leading Insulin Pump Tandem) In this episode: Dr. Emi Barresi, Tom Bradshaw, Dr. Thomas Ulrich, Nic Krueger, Lee Crowson, LindaAnn Rogers   I/O Career Accelerator Course: https://www.seboc.com/job Visit us https://www.seboc.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/sebocLI Join an open-mic event: https://www.seboc.com/events   References:  Ulrich, T. R. (2017). A phenomenological inquiry into engineers' motivation to lead. Proceedings of the international annual conference of the American Society for Engineering Management, 1–10.

Mark Raasveldt, co-founder and CTO of DuckDB Labs, shares his journey from academic research at CWI Amsterdam to creating one of the most innovative analytical databases of the last decade. Mark discusses the technical challenges of building DuckDB from scratch, the philosophy behind embedded analytical databases, and why single-node performance still matters in our cloud-first world. He provides insights into open source business models, the evolution of data formats like Parquet, and how DuckDB is democratizing high-performance analytics for developers everywhere.

As Head of IBM Consulting, Mohamad Ali led one of the most ambitious enterprise AI transformations to date. By making IBM its own “Client Zero,” his team tested every AI solution internally before bringing it to market. The effort began with massive hackathons involving 150,000 employees, turning curiosity into capability and belief at scale. Mohamad shares how leadership alignment, process redesign, and broad employee engagement drove $3.5 billion in cost savings and renewed growth. Jeremy and Henrik reflect on why IBM's model may signal the next evolution of consulting — where organizations act as their own laboratories for changeKey Takeaways:Start with Yourself: “Client Zero” WorksIBM transformed internally before advising clients, using its own systems as a testing ground. This allowed the team to validate AI tools, workflows, and cultural shifts in real conditions, creating credibility and clarity before going to market.Transformation Needs More Than TechSuccess came from a mix of technical leadership, process redesign, and cultural momentum. AI wasn't just layered on; it was embedded into workflows, backed by leadership buy-in, and powered by 150,000 employees who participated in company-wide hackathons.Digital Labor Is Reshaping Business ModelsIBM automated most transactional HR tasks with AI tools like AskHR, driving a 40% reduction in HR operating costs — a look at how hybrid human–AI teams transform services.Measure and Share the ImpactTransformation became real when IBM tied outcomes to business metrics. By reporting $3.5 billion dollars in savings and tracking results with the CFO, IBM showed how to make AI adoption tangible, accountable, and visible to both employees and investors.LinkedIn: Mohamad Ali - IBM | LinkedInIBM: IBM00:00 Intro: HR Automation00:41 Introduction of Mohamed Ali and IBM's Transformation01:14 IBM's Enterprise Transformation01:41 The Role of AI in IBM's Success03:25 Rejoining IBM: A Strategic Decision04:33 Key Components of AI Implementation07:21 Employee Engagement and Hackathons08:59 Technical Leadership and AI10:37 Global Tax Optimization with AI11:17 Scaling AI Solutions for Clients22:00 Monetizing Digital Labor26:50 Digital Labor and Procurement Projects27:29 Unbundling and Economic Implications28:44 Technological Shifts and Market Expansion30:04 AI-Powered Business Transformations32:22 Case Study: L'Oreal's AI Integration39:13 HR Automation and Cost Reduction42:09 Creative Innovations in AI Applications43:59 Advice for Leaders on AI Integration45:43 Final thoughts

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.https://gotopia.techRead the full transcription of this interview here:https://gotopia.tech/articles/382Alice Bartlett - Tech Director for Customer Products at Financial TimesCharles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & ConsultantRESOURCESAlicehttps://x.com/alicebartletthttps://github.com/alicebartletthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/alicebartletthttps://medium.com/@alice.bartletthttps://alicebartlett.co.ukCharleshttps://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.socialhttps://linkedin.com/in/charleshumblehttps://mastodon.social/@charleshumblehttps://conissaunce.comLinkshttps://blog.container-solutions.com/wtf-happens-to-psychological-safetyDESCRIPTIONAlice Bartlett, Tech Director at the Financial Times, discusses her journey from principal engineer to leading a 70-person team responsible for https://www.ft.com and mobile apps. She shares insights on managing editorial stakeholders, balancing technical debt with business priorities, leading difficult conversations, and navigating the challenges of AI in software development.The conversation with Charles Humble covers her approach to architectural challenges, communication strategies, and the evolving role of technology leadership in modern media organizations.RECOMMENDED BOOKSSimon Wardley • Wardley Maps • https://amzn.to/45U8UprSimon Wardley • Wardley Mapping, The Knowledge • https://amzn.to/3XQEeDuSun Tzu • The Art of War • https://amzn.to/2BqDehaMark Craddock • Wardley Mapping Doctrine • https://amzn.to/4b3jRYbSusanne Kaiser • Adaptive Systems With Domain-Driven Design, Wardley Mapping & Team Topologies • https://amzn.to/3XTmNCcDInspiring Tech Leaders - The Technology PodcastInterviews with Tech Leaders and insights on the latest emerging technology trends.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyBlueskyTwitterInstagramLinkedInFacebookCHANNEL MEMBERSHIP BONUSJoin this channel to get early access to videos & other perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs_tLP3AiwYKwdUHpltJPuA/joinLooking for a unique learning experience?Attend the next GOTO conference near you! Get your ticket: gotopia.techSUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL - new videos posted daily!

What does it take to build a company worth $32 billion? Solal Raveh, CTO Product Infrastructure at Wiz, shares hard-won lessons from scaling technical teams during one of the fastest-growing security companies in history. Learn how Wiz evolved their CTO office from traditional team building to rapid innovation incubation, why geographic team cloning failed spectacularly, and how staying customer-connected drives product decisions. Discover the three-fold mission of modern CTO roles, the shift from measuring finished features to tracking innovation velocity, and why technical leaders must balance automation expertise with people-first thinking. Technical leaders will gain insights into organizing global remote teams around domain expertise, implementing 3-hour threat response cycles, and building enterprise-ready infrastructure while maintaining startup agility.

Customer data integration challenges cost enterprises millions in missed revenue opportunities annually. Eddie Patzsch, marketing strategist at Optimove, shares proven frameworks for securing technical leadership buy-in for customer data infrastructure investments. The discussion covers quantifying business impact through cost-of-inaction modeling, positioning data integration as an efficiency multiplier that reduces ad hoc technical requests, and leveraging AI readiness initiatives to align marketing data needs with existing technical priorities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know how agile transformations always promise better collaboration but somehow teams end up chasing tickets like a factory assembly line? Klaus Breyer from Edding has some thoughts on why this keeps happening—and what actually works instead. Klaus's path to leading product and technology at Germany's most famous pen company wasn't exactly traditional. Before Edding, he spent years managing 40-person World of Warcraft raids (yes, really) and running startups. Now he's applying those lessons to build software teams that actually solve problems instead of just completing tasks. The conversation digs into Shape Up methodology, but more importantly, Klaus explains the mindset changes needed to stop treating software development like an assembly line. His team at Edding has built some pretty cool stuff too—like a B2B driver license verification system using invisible conductive ink that smartphones can read. What you'll learn: • Why "give me a ticket" thinking kills collaboration (even in tiny teams) • How 6-week cycles help teams focus on one problem without distractions • The art of separating problems from solutions before jumping into code • Why late-stage compromises usually mean your team isn't really collaborating • When senior teams can ditch tickets entirely and just... work • Klaus's templates for getting everyone aligned on what problems are worth solving

In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, host G Mark Hardy sits down with Danny Jenkins, CEO and founder of ThreatLocker, live from the Black Hat conference. Danny shares insights into his technical background and explains how a customer-focused culture drives innovation and improvement at ThreatLocker. Learn about the company's unique practices, such as their 'control alt delight' sessions, 24/7 customer support, and how leadership at ThreatLocker leads by example. Danny also discusses the importance of learning from failures and removing obstacles for team members to help the company and its products continually evolve. Danny's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyjenkinscyber/ ThreatLocker - https://www.threatlocker.com/ Transcripts -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TOib3nTXwrWuwF6sJMlVjTFurgr-jc1b Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:27 Meet Danny Jenkins, CEO of Threat Locker 01:12 The Philosophy Behind Threat Locker 02:52 Customer-Centric Culture at Threat Locker 04:32 Technical Leadership and Personal Insights 08:55 Leadership Advice for Aspiring CISOs 11:22 Conclusion and Farewell

In this episode of CISO Tradecraft, host G Mark Hardy sits down with Danny Jenkins, CEO and founder of ThreatLocker, live from the Black Hat conference. Danny shares insights into his technical background and explains how a customer-focused culture drives innovation and improvement at ThreatLocker. Learn about the company's unique practices, such as their 'control alt delight' sessions, 24/7 customer support, and how leadership at ThreatLocker leads by example. Danny also discusses the importance of learning from failures and removing obstacles for team members to help the company and its products continually evolve. Danny's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyjenkinscyber/ ThreatLocker - https://www.threatlocker.com/  Transcripts -https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TOib3nTXwrWuwF6sJMlVjTFurgr-jc1b  Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:27 Meet Danny Jenkins, CEO of Threat Locker 01:12 The Philosophy Behind Threat Locker 02:52 Customer-Centric Culture at Threat Locker 04:32 Technical Leadership and Personal Insights 08:55 Leadership Advice for Aspiring CISOs 11:22 Conclusion and Farewell

BONUS: The Platform-as-Product Revolution: How to Turn Your Biggest Cost Center Into Your Secret Weapon With Alvaro Lorente In this BONUS episode we explore a topic that's creating a lot of discussion—and sometimes confusion—in the software community: Platform Teams vs DevOps. In this conversation, we dive into Alvaro Lorente's journey from delivery teams to platform leadership, exploring how to treat platforms as products, avoid common pitfalls, and build bridges between engineering and product leadership. The Evolution from DevOps Role to Platform Team "DevOps is a culture, not a role." Alvaro's journey into platform work began when he joined a company where the infrastructure team was left behind and struggling with traditional DevOps approaches. Initially, they had a single DevOps person who became a bottleneck rather than an enabler. This experience highlighted a fundamental misunderstanding that many organizations face—treating DevOps as a job title rather than a cultural shift toward collaboration and shared responsibility. The team experimented with a "DevOps buddy" approach, placing experienced individuals within each delivery team, before eventually consolidating into a dedicated platform team with the clear intention of treating it as a product-focused unit. Platform as a Product: A Scaling Strategy "Platform as a product is a scaling strategy. Look for common problems that you can then solve once, and serve many." The concept of treating platforms as products emerged from recognizing that feature delivery teams have continuity and ongoing needs that a platform team should serve. Rather than solving their own problems first, successful platform teams focus on making other teams' work easier and more comfortable while managing costs effectively. This approach requires identifying common problems across multiple teams and creating solutions that can be implemented once but serve many. The key insight is that platform teams exist to facilitate the delivery of value in a scalable way for other teams, not to pursue their own technical interests. Understanding Your Customer and Validating Value "I want to see platform team members talking to their customers. Understand their pains, and what they struggle with." Effective platform teams operate like any other product team by actively listening to their customer-teams rather than pushing ideas onto them. This means platform team members should regularly engage with their internal customers to understand pain points and struggles. Success requires defining clear KPIs for the platform and focusing on the quality of deliverables including release notes, demos, bug fixing processes, and feature prioritization. The validation comes from observing whether teams willingly adopt platform features rather than being mandated to use them. Building Bridges with Product Leadership "Focus on the key impact and value that the platform team can bring to the company." Making the case for investing product talent in platform teams requires demonstrating concrete business value. This includes quantifying how many incidents are being resolved faster or prevented entirely, and highlighting the money saved through internal platform development versus external solutions. Platform work offers excellent growth opportunities for Product Owners, serving as a training ground for product thinking and stakeholder management. The focus should always be on measurable impact rather than technical complexity. Avoiding Common Platform Team Traps "Don't just start working on what you think is important! Start with the Product process, listen to the client-teams, and help them directly." When standing up a platform team, several critical mistakes can derail success. The most important trap to avoid is immediately diving into what the platform team thinks is important without first understanding customer needs. Platform teams should resist delivery pressure that might compromise quality and never mandate adoption of their features—teams should want to use what the platform provides. Treating the platform as a genuine product with quality standards is essential, and leaders should view the creation of a platform team as the beginning of a change management process rather than just a technical reorganization. Resources and Continuous Learning "One size does NOT fit all!" For teams looking to improve their platform work, Alvaro recommends Camille Fournier's work on platform teams and resources focused on "The value of product thinking in platform teams." The key is to get experiments running within your team and recognize that there's no universal solution—each organization must find its own path based on its unique context and needs. About Alvaro Lorente Currently Director of Engineering at Voxel (an Amadeus company), Alvaro is a software engineer who has grown in the people leadership path, experimenting with everything from product development to startups and open source projects. He embraces the idea of being a jack of all trades, helping wherever needed to drive value and impact. You can connect with Alvaro Lorente on LinkedIn and follow his insights through his Substack newsletter titled Leads Horizons.

Florian Georgescu: When Knowledge Hoarding Destroys Team Dynamics Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Florian describes a payment system development team where an experienced tech lead unknowingly created a dangerous dependency. This senior developer, while well-intentioned, became the single point of knowledge and decision-making for the entire team. Other developers began copying his behavior, creating a culture where team members were afraid to ask questions for fear of appearing incompetent. When this key developer left, the team fell apart - planning sessions became confusing, technical discussions stalled, and two junior developers quit citing lack of learning opportunities. The story demonstrates how knowledge hoarding, even when unintentional, can destroy team resilience and create toxic dynamics that stifle growth and collaboration. In this segment, we refer to the Monday episode with Florian as context for the story he shares on this episode. Self-reflection Question: How might knowledge hoarding be happening in your team, and what steps could you take to encourage more distributed learning and decision-making? Featured Book of the Week: The Responsibility Process by Christopher Avery Florian The Responsibility Process by Christopher Avery particularly valuable for understanding the stages people go through when taking responsibility. The book's framework helped him process his own burnout experience and provides crucial insights for helping teams accept responsibility for their outcomes. Florian emphasizes how the responsibility process is essential for understanding what you can influence when you want to take ownership, making it a powerful tool for both personal growth and team development. In this segment, we refer to the Responsibility Process, by Christopher Avery, who was a previous guest on our Audiobook project: Tips From the Trenches, Scrum Master Edition.  [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

In this episode, I talk with Jose Matteo, MBA, MSEE, senior project manager, about how integrating technical leadership in AEC projects leads to fewer reworks, stronger schedules, and smarter decision-making across the built environment. We discuss why aligning precision-driven strategies with business goals is the key to successful AEC project management. Engineering Quotes: Here Are […] The post Mastering Technical Leadership in AEC Projects for Better Collaboration and Delivery – Ep 081 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.

Laura Santamaria opens the listener mailbag to answer questions, including how to say yes or no to leadership opportunities without tanking your career or trashing your work-life balance. She also explores the mid-year review process and offers tips for successful self-evaluation and paths to self-growth. Episode Links: The Line Between Management and IC Leadership –... Read more »

Laura Santamaria opens the listener mailbag to answer questions, including how to say yes or no to leadership opportunities without tanking your career or trashing your work-life balance. She also explores the mid-year review process and offers tips for successful self-evaluation and paths to self-growth. Episode Links: The Line Between Management and IC Leadership –... Read more »

What if the uncertainty you're feeling about your career path is more common and more solvable than you think? In this episode, Khushboo Sheikh tech leader and founder of Tech Exploration shares how community, storytelling, and strategic self-awareness can turn doubt into direction. Hear the real-life story of Subhan Ali's pivot from a civil engineering PhD to leading AI product development at NVIDIA, and discover how to spot the untapped skills and passions that could fuel your own transition. We dive deep into the unique challenges women face during major life changes like maternity leave, explore the underappreciated role of Technical Account Managers, and reveal how peer groups can offer clarity and confidence at every stage of your career. Whether you're debating a move into management or wondering what's next, this episode offers tactical insights and inspiring reminders that you don't have to navigate change alone. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome to Business Legacy Podcast   00:00:30 - Introduction of Khushboo Shaikh, Dynamic Technology Leader and Advocate for Women in Tech   00:01:15 - Discussing the Inception and Mission of Tech Exploration   00:02:30 - The Concept of Career Pivots and Leveraging Skills Across Roles   00:03:45 - Highlighting Subhan Ali's Transition from Civil PhD to AI Product Lead at NVIDIA   00:05:00 - Insights into Motivations, Challenges, and Transferable Skills in Career Pivots   00:08:13 - Exploring Peer-to-Peer Groups and Their Role in Career Transitions   00:09:00 - Understanding Diverse Career Roles Like Technical Account Managers   00:10:00 - Balancing Career Transitions with Motherhood and Personal Challenges   00:11:30 - Personal Anecdotes from Mothers in Tech on Career and Motherhood Balance   00:12:45 - The Importance of Recognizing Core Competencies and Passions   00:13:45 - Proactively Seeking Opportunities to Build Experience and Confidence   00:15:00 - Conclusion and Where to Find More Information About Tech Exploration   00:16:00 - Closing Remarks and Encouragement to Engage with the LinkedIn Community   Episode Resources: Connect with Khushbu here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khushbushaikh/ Legacy Podcast: For more information about the Legacy Podcast and its co-hosts, visit businesslegacypodcast.com. Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and rating on your preferred podcast platform. For more information: Visit businesslegacypodcast.com to access the shownotes and additional resources on the episode.

People consistently overestimate their ability to predict whether a new product or feature will be a success. Instead of blithely going forward with a project that takes up lots of resources and yields minimal results, today’s guest says we should get our ideas into contact with external reality as quickly as possible, and maybe do... Read more »

People consistently overestimate their ability to predict whether a new product or feature will be a success. Instead of blithely going forward with a project that takes up lots of resources and yields minimal results, today’s guest says we should get our ideas into contact with external reality as quickly as possible, and maybe do... Read more »

The physical world is becoming digital—and it requires fundamentally different technical architecture than traditional IT systems. Bernd Groß leads technical leaders through the evolution from enterprise software to industrial IoT, where real-time data from 30,000 wind turbines and millisecond-level decision-making define system requirements. As co-founder and CEO of Cumulocity, Bernd has navigated one of tech's most complex domains: connecting industrial hardware through standardized platforms. His journey from Nokia's early cloud computing initiatives to building Germany's leading IoT platform offers unique insights on technical leadership in physical-digital convergence. Technical leaders will gain valuable perspectives on: •

“Reinvent or die” is an apt adage for the ever-churning technology industry. Brad Maltz joins us to share his insights on what he calls “continuous reinvention” and how that relates to his own career and why others might want to adopt this mindset. Brad is a Senior Director of AI Solutions at Dell and has... Read more »

“Reinvent or die” is an apt adage for the ever-churning technology industry. Brad Maltz joins us to share his insights on what he calls “continuous reinvention” and how that relates to his own career and why others might want to adopt this mindset. Brad is a Senior Director of AI Solutions at Dell and has... Read more »

On today’s episode, we are  joined by Dr. Brad Topol, Distinguished Engineer and Director of Open Source Technologies at IBM, to talk about how to scale your leadership.   We explore the process of how he went from individual contributor to distinguished engineer to director and executive. We chat about how you build a career... Read more »

On today’s episode, we are  joined by Dr. Brad Topol, Distinguished Engineer and Director of Open Source Technologies at IBM, to talk about how to scale your leadership.   We explore the process of how he went from individual contributor to distinguished engineer to director and executive. We chat about how you build a career... Read more »

Behind the renewable energy revolution lies complex technical infrastructure that CTOs across industries can learn from. Barbara Wittenberg leads a 250-person tech team at 1KOMMA5° that manages real-time data from 40,000+ connected energy assets while coordinating post-merger integration across 80+ companies in 7 countries. This episode unveils the technical architecture powering virtual power plants, where millisecond-level responsiveness can prevent grid failures and optimize energy usage. Barbara's journey from electrical engineering to Oracle and Google, then back to energy tech, provides unique insights on combining domain expertise with cutting-edge technology. Technical leaders will appreciate: -

On this episode of Technically Leadership, we’re joined by Aleksandra Lemańska to learn about the Process Communication Model (PCM), a framework for enhancing communication. Alex calls PCM an algorithm for people, and it can be useful for improving interactions with engineers and technical folks operating in high-stress environments. We talk about how PCM works, understanding... Read more »

On this episode of Technically Leadership, we’re joined by Aleksandra Lemańska to learn about the Process Communication Model (PCM), a framework for enhancing communication. Alex calls PCM an algorithm for people, and it can be useful for improving interactions with engineers and technical folks operating in high-stress environments. We talk about how PCM works, understanding... Read more »

BONUS: Software Engineers are Paid to Solve Problems, Not Write Code! With John Crickett In this BONUS episode, we explore a thought-provoking LinkedIn post by John Crickett that challenges a fundamental misconception in software engineering. John shares insights on why engineers should focus on problem-solving rather than just coding, how to develop business context understanding, and why this shift in perspective is crucial in the age of AI. Beyond Writing Code: Understanding the True Value of Software Engineering "A lot of us come to software engineering because we care about building, and missed the goal: solving a problem for a customer." John Crickett explains the fundamental disconnect many software engineers experience in their careers. While many enter the field with a passion for building and coding, they often lose sight of the ultimate purpose: solving real problems for customers. This misalignment can lead to creating technically impressive solutions that fail to address actual business needs. John emphasizes that the most valuable engineers are those who can bridge the gap between technical implementation and business value. In this section, we refer to John's Coding Challenges and Developing Skills websites. The Isolation Problem in Engineering Teams "We have insulated people from seeing and interacting with customers, perhaps because we were afraid they would create a problem with customers." One of the key issues John identifies is how engineering teams are often deliberately separated from customers and end-users. This isolation, while sometimes implemented with good intentions, prevents engineers from gaining crucial context about the problems they're trying to solve. John shares his early career experience of participating in the sales process for software projects, which gave him valuable insights into customer needs. He highlights the Extreme Programming (XP) approach, which advocates for having the customer "in the room" to provide direct and immediate feedback, creating a tighter feedback loop between problem identification and solution implementation. In this segment, we refer to the book XP Explained by Kent Beck. The AI Replacement Risk "If all you are doing is taking a ticket that is fully spec'ed out, and coding it, then an LLM could also do that. The value is in understanding the problem." In a world where Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly capable of generating code, John warns that engineers who define themselves solely as coders face a significant risk of obsolescence. The true differentiation and value come from understanding the business domain and problem space—abilities that current AI tools haven't mastered. John advises engineers to develop domain knowledge specific to their business or customers, as this expertise allows them to contribute uniquely valuable insights beyond mere code implementation. Cultivating Business Context Understanding "Be curious about what the goal is behind the code you need to write. When people tell you to build, you need to be curious about why you are being asked to build that particular solution." John offers practical advice for engineers looking to develop better business context understanding. The key is cultivating genuine curiosity about the "why" behind coding tasks and features. By questioning requirements and understanding the business goals driving technical decisions, engineers can transform their role from merely delivering code to providing valuable services and solutions. This approach allows engineers to contribute more meaningfully and become partners in business success rather than just implementers. Building the Right Engineering Culture "Code is always a liability, sometimes it's an asset. The process starts with hiring the CTO—the people at the top. You get the team that reflects your values." Creating an engineering culture that values problem-solving over code production starts at the leadership level. John emphasizes that the values demonstrated by technical leadership will cascade throughout the organization. He notes the counter-intuitive truth that code itself is inherently a liability (requiring maintenance, updates, and potential refactoring), only becoming an asset when it effectively solves business problems. Building a team that understands this distinction begins with leadership that demonstrates curiosity about the business domain and encourages engineers to do the same. The Power of Asking Questions "Be curious, ask more questions." For engineers looking to make the shift from coder to problem-solver, John recommends developing the skill of asking good questions. He points to Harvard Business Review's article on "The Surprising Power of Questions" as a valuable resource. The ability to ask insightful questions about business needs, user requirements, and problem definitions allows engineers to uncover the true challenges beneath surface-level requirements. This curiosity-driven approach not only leads to better solutions but also positions engineers as valuable contributors to business strategy. In this segment, we refer to the article in HBR titled The Surprising Power of Questions. About John Crickett John is a passionate software engineer and leader on a mission to empower one million engineers and managers. With extensive expertise in distributed systems, full-stack development, and evolving tech stacks from C++ to Rust, John creates innovative coding challenges, insightful articles, and newsletters to help teams level up their skills. You can link with John Crickett on LinkedIn.

On this episode of Technically Leadership, Chris Leonard joins to talk about the costs of intervention in a team discussion, whether that's to bring a team back to a topic or to make a decision that needs to be made. We discuss hero culture (both in the team and as the leader), imposter syndrome, and... Read more »

On this episode of Technically Leadership, Chris Leonard joins to talk about the costs of intervention in a team discussion, whether that's to bring a team back to a topic or to make a decision that needs to be made. We discuss hero culture (both in the team and as the leader), imposter syndrome, and... Read more »

On today's episode we’re joined by Daniel Ward to get a sneak preview of his talk on Getting the Entire Team to Speak, which he’ll give at DevOpsDay Austin. His addresses the challenges of getting people to speak up. Why is this needed? Getting input from everyone on a team lets people raise issues and... Read more »

On today's episode we’re joined by Daniel Ward to get a sneak preview of his talk on Getting the Entire Team to Speak, which he’ll give at DevOpsDay Austin. His addresses the challenges of getting people to speak up. Why is this needed? Getting input from everyone on a team lets people raise issues and... Read more »

How do you lead with influence rather than mandate? On today's show, we talk with JJ Asghar from IBM. JJ shares his extensive experience in managing open-source namespaces like GitHub and npm for IBM. He discusses the challenges of influencing decisions without formal authority and tailoring communication styles for different audiences. JJ also advocates for... Read more »

How do you lead with influence rather than mandate? On today's show, we talk with JJ Asghar from IBM. JJ shares his extensive experience in managing open-source namespaces like GitHub and npm for IBM. He discusses the challenges of influencing decisions without formal authority and tailoring communication styles for different audiences. JJ also advocates for... Read more »

Substack Week: Engineering Strategy, Bridging Technical Excellence with Business Success With Aleix Morgadas In this Substack Week episode, we explore the critical intersection of engineering strategy and business success with Aleix Morgadas, an engineering strategy consultant focusing on sociotechnical aspects of high-stake business challenges. Aleix shares insights from his experience helping organizations align their technical capabilities with business objectives, while offering practical approaches to developing and implementing effective engineering strategies. The Genesis of Engineering Strategy Personal experience sparked Aleix's journey into engineering strategy when he joined a large company and found himself grappling with strategic decision-making in engineering. He identified a crucial gap: while strategy was well-established in product and business domains, engineering organizations often lacked strategic frameworks for participating in key decisions. This realization led him to start writing about his struggles and insights, helping others navigate similar challenges through his newsletter. "I found that engineering was missing a way to be part of the decision making process, and we needed to be clear on the problems and challenges that engineering organizations face." Breaking Down the Four-Step Process Drawing inspiration from Richard Rumelt's work on strategy, Aleix presents a comprehensive framework for developing engineering strategy. The process emphasizes the importance of understanding organizational context and identifying shared challenges before taking action. "Solve the shared pains - that's why we need to uncover those pains in the first place." The framework consists of four key steps: Context Understanding: Begin by defining your business context, as strategy must align with your specific environment and circumstances Problem Identification: Focus on understanding current organizational pains and creating alignment around which problems to solve Direction Setting: Break down larger goals into manageable increments while ensuring actions don't compete with each other Strategy Execution: Create space for teams to work on strategic initiatives while maintaining autonomy The Power of Bottom-Up Strategy Aleix challenges the traditional top-down approach to strategy development, advocating for a more inclusive process that brings together perspectives from all levels of the organization. This approach recognizes that teams and top-level management often have different visions that need to be reconciled for effective strategy implementation. "Strategy does not need to be designed top-down. Teams and top-level management have different visions, and we need to be able to bring those together." Implementation and Execution Success in engineering strategy requires more than just planning - it demands thoughtful execution and ongoing adaptation. Aleix emphasizes the importance of learning through action and starting with minimal effort initiatives to gain momentum. "By doing you learn, and doing is critical for strategy. Start with the least effort action you have in mind." Recommended Resources For Further Study The book: Good Strategy/Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt The blog post: North Star Framework Template & Activity Library The Jobs to be done Framework TEMPLATE: The engineering strategy template by Aleix VIDEO: Aleix's Engineering Strategy Journey Talk [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Do you think you have what it takes to be a manager? Should you go for it? Laura Santamaria, host of the Technically Leadership podcast, joins Ethan Banks to discuss those questions. They talk about the motivations for moving into a management role, the challenges of managing people, and the need to understand the business... Read more »

Do you think you have what it takes to be a manager? Should you go for it? Laura Santamaria, host of the Technically Leadership podcast, joins Ethan Banks to discuss those questions. They talk about the motivations for moving into a management role, the challenges of managing people, and the need to understand the business... Read more »