The CTO Playbook

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

In this episode, it’s a CTO Christmas Tale! You'll learn the importance of steady leadership, how to manage tech debt effectively, the risks of rushing features, and why balanced teamwork leads to success.

Timestamps:

[00:50] Two CTOs prepare for a funding race  

[01:34] Rallying the team with bold demands  

[02:13] Adopting a steady approach with a coach’s advice  

[02:52] Rushing features led to technical chaos  

[03:29] AI assistant mocks poor planning  

[04:04] Team fixes festive tech mishaps  

[04:35] Holiday hackathon fails disastrously  

[05:21] Leadership inspires calm and efficient teamwork  

[05:58] Demo glitches with embarrassing bugs  

[06:30] Smooth presentation wins investor funding  

[07:28] Reveals coach’s lessons for steady progress  

[08:24] Both CTOs learn valuable leadership lessons 

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Alena Ipanova is an expert in cultural intelligence and intercultural leadership.

In this episode, you're going to learn what cultural intelligence is and why it matters for CTOs, how to assess and improve self-awareness as a leader, ways to bridge cultural differences within global teams, strategies for adapting communication styles effectively, and the importance of continuous learning and feedback in fostering inclusivity and collaboration.



Alena is an Intercultural Leadership and Team Development Trainer and Coach. She helps leaders and teams develop Cultural Intelligence, build inclusive workplaces, and create high-performing teams.

With 15 years of experience and a background in psychology, coaching, and intercultural leadership, Alena combines research with best practices from her work across industries. Her goal is to support leaders and teams in developing a global mindset and an inclusive company culture.

Alena’s work is centred on her clients' real needs. She aims to provide solutions that continue to help them long after each project ends. Alena approaches diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by considering not only visible differences but also cognitive diversity, psychological safety, and practices that promote a sense of belonging and teamwork.

In her personal life, Alena is an adventurous traveller and curious learner, always interested in people and cultures. She lives with her family in a new country each year.

Timestamps:

[03:00] What cultural intelligence means

[05:10] Misconceptions about cultural differences

[07:15] Challenges of working in multicultural teams

[09:25] Why self-awareness is essential for leaders

[12:40] How feedback improves self-awareness

[15:30] Common pitfalls in cultural leadership

[17:45] Differences between personal and organizational norms

[20:20] Signs of poor cultural awareness in teams

[22:50] Simple exercises for self-assessment

[25:15] How the global disk assessment works

[27:30] Bridging communication gaps in diverse teams

[29:50] How team culture mapping improves dynamics

[32:05] Building relationships through informal check-ins

[34:15] Why curiosity matters in cultural intelligence

[36:20] Adapting communication styles to different contexts

[38:10] How to improve team meetings with better questions

[40:05] Practicing and unlearning old communication habits

[42:30] Importance of leaders modelling inclusive behaviour

[44:15] Encouraging curiosity in diverse teams

[45:45] How to leverage cultural diversity for better outcomes

If you would like to connect with Alena you can book a call with her and follow her on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

Cultural Intelligence | Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Adrian Stanek is a seasoned CTO and leadership mentor known for his practical insights on leading teams effectively.

In this episode, you're going to learn the four key traits that make a leader worth following, how to use credibility and vision to lead effectively, why dictating deadlines is a sign of poor leadership, how to handle resistance within a team, and the surprising reason why great leaders focus on enabling their teams rather than commanding them.

Adrian Stanek is a veteran CTO with a 24-year track record in the tech industry, specializing in elevating SMBs and startups. His 15-year tenure as a strategic leader has been marked by cultivating modern engineering cultures and guiding companies into Cloud-Native practices. A mentor, senior consultant, speaker, and newsletter author, Adrian is a driving force in tech, passionate about continuous learning and the power of DevOps.

Timestamps:

[03:05] Adrian’s journey to becoming a leader

[04:15] Why leadership roles often catch people by surprise

[05:45] The biggest mistake new leaders make

[07:10] The importance of learning from your team

[08:30] How to recognize poor leadership habits

[10:05] Why IT leadership structures are changing

[11:30] The ideal team size for effective leadership

[12:45] Balancing different leadership styles in teams

[14:00] The challenges of managing hybrid and remote teams

[15:20] How to spot when leadership is failing

[17:00] Understanding the role of deadlines in leadership

[18:45] Why leaders should focus on removing roadblocks

[20:30] The difference between managing and leading

[22:15] Dealing with dominant personalities in teams

[24:00] Why strong personalities can benefit a team

[25:40] How to create a positive team culture

[27:05] Using credibility to build trust as a leader

[28:45] Why role modelling is essential in leadership

[30:20] How a clear vision motivates teams

[31:55] The storytelling framework for leaders

[33:15] Why leadership is about enabling others

[34:40] Challenges leaders face with resistance

[36:10] How to turn resistance into momentum

[37:55] Why leadership must be consistent

[39:30] The role of intrinsic motivation in team success

[41:05] How to balance technical and leadership responsibilities

[42:40] When to shift fully into a leadership role

[44:15] Why CTOs must bridge business and technology gaps

[46:00] The importance of aligning with your vision

[47:30] How to create meaningful challenges for your team

[49:10] Why effective leaders always prioritize clarity

[51:00] Adrian’s advice for new CTOs

Discover all of Adrian’s offerings by clicking here.

Resources Mentioned:

snackableCTO | Substack

snackableCast | Spotify or Apple

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

In this episode, you'll learn how to communicate effectively as a CTO, master nonverbal cues, build trust with your team, and handle crises with clear communication.

Timestamps:

[04:45] The impact of mismatched communication cues  

[06:10] Understanding your audience as a technology leader  

[07:25] Why tone matters in delivering important messages  

[08:45] Using nonverbal cues like eye contact and body language  

[10:20] The role of empathy in effective communication  

[12:05] How listening helps build trust with your team  

[13:40] Tips for conducting successful one-on-ones  

[15:00] Why asking open-ended questions improves feedback  

[16:25] The importance of letting others speak first in meetings  

[18:15] Encouraging silent team members to share their opinions  

[20:05] Leveraging anonymous feedback tools for honest insights  

[21:30] How survey tools can gauge team morale  

[23:10] Common mistakes in team status meetings  

[24:45] Benefits of asynchronous communication for status updates  

[26:20] Choosing the right audience for your communication  

[28:10] Effective strategies for communicating major changes  

[30:05] Preparing for high-stakes meetings with agendas  

[31:50] Using storytelling to make messages stick  

[33:35] Building trust through transparency and honesty  

[35:10] The impact of systemic communication in engineering  

[36:45] Workflow communication tools for better project management  

[38:30] Preparing your team for unexpected emergencies

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Gareth Thomas is a seasoned CTO with over 25 years of experience building and leading tech teams.

In this episode, you're going to learn why Gareth decided to step away from coding to focus on leadership, his strategies for creating high-performing teams without burning out engineers, the biggest mistake tech leaders make when managing people, how empathy plays a crucial role in leading tech teams and why promoting from within can be a game-changer for scaling your business.

Gareth Thomas is a creative technology executive with deep expertise in both product strategy and engineering leadership, backed by extensive CIO/CTO and board-level experience. He has proven to have the ability to lead large, cross-functional teams and harness AI to drive innovation, accelerate product development, and scale businesses in high-growth sectors such as pharma, insurance, digital health, and financial services.

Timestamps:

[03:10] Gareth’s journey from software engineer to CTO  

[04:23] Why he moved from coding to leadership  

[05:54] How burnout shaped his approach to managing teams  

[07:06] Creating high-performing tech teams without burnout  

[08:31] The power of empathy in leading tech teams  

[09:45] Why managing people is not taught to new leaders  

[10:53] How to avoid common leadership pitfalls  

[12:04] Navigating the loneliness of the CTO role  

[13:20] Balancing the needs of the C-suite with engineering  

[14:58] The “us vs. them” mindset in leadership  

[16:15] Promoting from within to build strong teams  

[17:34] Identifying key players early on  

[18:45] Gareth’s method for assessing team satisfaction  

[20:09] Spotting early signs of employee dissatisfaction  

[21:35] Building trust with one-on-one conversations  

[22:57] The importance of “fire jumpers” in tech teams  

[24:10] How senior engineers solve complex problems  

[25:33] The challenge of managing remote teams  

[26:58] Bridging the gap between tech and business teams  

[28:12] The value of experienced individual contributors  

[29:44] Justifying high salaries for top engineers  

[30:59] Why coding experience is critical for CTOs  

[32:16] Problems with non-technical CTOs  

[33:35] The intuition that comes with deep coding experience  

[34:51] Building a company culture around mentorship  

[36:05] Improving the interview process for better hires  

[37:29] Reducing bias in hiring decisions  

[38:47] Scaling teams while keeping a flat structure  

[39:58] Using empathy to retain top talent  

[41:22] Rethinking hiring strategies in tech  

[42:38] Advice for new CTOs facing leadership challenges  

[43:55] The rise of the individual contributor role  

[45:10] Creating clear career progression paths  

[46:28] Empowering engineers with ownership  

[47:40] Leveraging internal promotions for growth  

[48:59] Gareth’s thoughts on leadership training  

[50:15] Aligning tech goals with business strategy  

Want to hear more from Gareth? Check out the Tech-Captains Podcast.

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Zach Goldberg is a seasoned CTO and author of “The Startup CTO's Handbook”.

In this episode, you're going to learn the key lessons Zach gained from leading multiple startup engineering teams, common mistakes CTOs make when managing growth, how to build a culture of continuous learning and high performance, why external thought leadership matters for tech leaders, and much more.

Zach Goldberg is an executive coach, the author of the 10k+ GitHub star book, “The Startup CTO’s Handbook” and the CTO of Gruntwork. Zach graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering. He’s been the CTO of seven startups including WiFast, Sticks and Brains, AutoLotto, Trellis Technologies, GrowFlow, Towards Equilibrium Inc. and most recently Gruntwork, as well as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Tencent and an Associate Product Manager at Google.

Timestamps:

[01:34] Zach shares his journey from engineer to CTO  

[02:47] The origins of The Startup CTO's Handbook  

[05:11] Key lessons learned from managing engineering teams  

[06:18] Balancing management responsibilities in growing teams  

[07:39] Different challenges with various management styles  

[10:22] The value of culture in retention and hiring  

[12:02] Creating a culture of learning in tech teams  

[13:21] Ensuring managers support learning opportunities  

[15:31] Measuring coaching success with feedback loops  

[17:11] Why skip-level meetings can improve transparency  

[19:12] Benefits of connecting with lower-level team members  

[23:05] Encouraging documentation and writing skills  

[24:33] Why writing is a valuable skill for tech leaders  

[27:18] Writing documentation for different user perspectives  

[28:38] How consuming your own product builds empathy  

[30:36] Practical examples of fostering empathy in engineering  

[32:30] Zach’s advice for new CTOs entering growth organizations  

[33:30] How to handle mistakes and setbacks as a leader  

[34:44] Value of CTO coaching and leadership development

Want Zach Goldberg’s advice? Book a discovery call today to get an introduction to what Executive Leadership Coaching can help you achieve. 

 Find Zach through The Startup CTO Coach’s Website and on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

The Startup CTO's Handbook by Zach Goldberg | Book or Audiobook

Turn the Ship Around! by David Marquet | Book or Audiobook 

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin | Book or Audiobook

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Thorgeir Einarsson is a seasoned CEO and advisor who has helped hundreds of tech startups secure funding and navigate acquisitions.

In this episode, you're going to learn why CTOs play a crucial role in fundraising and M&A deals, common mistakes CTOs make that can kill a deal, the importance of transparency during technical due diligence, how AI is changing the expectations for tech leaders, and why a CTO’s communication skills are as important as their technical knowledge.

Thorgeir Einarsson is the founder of Elevera Advisers and has created, built and sold tech companies in Europe, the US, Asia and Africa for the last 35 years. Thorgeir co-founded Pitchago in 2020, which is an innovative SaaS platform for incubators & entrepreneurs to self-assess their startups and build a level-up action plan.

Timestamps:

[05:00] Introduction to Thorgeir’s background in fundraising  

[06:33] Differences between M&A and raising capital  

[08:01] Role of a CTO during M&A and fundraising  

[09:33] Importance of preparation in fundraising  

[10:10] Changes in the CTO role with AI advancements  

[10:33] Should a non-founder CTO act like a founder?  

[12:36] Why investors worry about non-founder CTOs  

[14:34] Due diligence process explained  

[15:23] What to include in a technical presentation  

[16:53] Should you hide flaws during due diligence  

[18:24] How startups handle imperfect technology  

[20:14] Learning from past M&A deals

[21:28] How a CTO can sell their vision effectively  

[23:17] Focus on solving real problems with technology  

[24:04] Why a CTO should communicate the company vision  

[25:31] Examples of successful CTOs in M&A deals  

[26:49] The importance of reading the room during negotiations  

[28:49] Challenges of dealing with different tech stacks in M&A  

[29:45] Why CTOs need to have a bit of attitude  

[30:24] Avoiding the “not invented here” mindset  

[31:59] How a CTO’s openness impacts M&A success  

[33:18] Influence of a CTO in deal negotiations  

[34:36] Balancing technical and business perspectives  

[36:00] When is a complete technology rewrite necessary?

[37:08] The evolving importance of the CTO role  

[39:20] How AI is changing the software industry  

[41:05] Global trends and their impact on CTOs  

[43:48] Building a scenario-based product roadmap  

[45:06] Preparing for uncertain market conditions  

[46:00] How to decide on a major tech overhaul  

[47:51] Why the CTO should work closely with the CEO  

[49:59] Introduction to Pitchago’s assessment tool  

[50:45] How Pitchago helps with funding readiness

[52:59] How CTOs can become better communicators  

Get a thorough 360-degree Pitchago Assessment of your venture in just 5 minutes for free! 

Find Thorgeir Einarsson on LinkedIn

Resource Mentioned:

Pitchago | Website

Elevera Advisers | Website

Three Types of Online Attacks with Mikko Hypponen | TEDx Talk

Fighting Viruses, Defending The Net with Mikko Hypponen | TEDx Talk

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

In this episode, Adam talks about how to create a strong engineering strategy and prioritize creating roadmaps that align with company goals while effectively communicating your strategy to the entire team.

Timestamps:

[02:19] Aligning the engineering strategy with company goals  

[06:00] Creating a roadmap for the engineering strategy

[13:40] Building a process roadmap  

[24:03] Prioritizing and executing the engineering strategy 

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

In this episode, Adam and Todd talk about why tech and product leaders need to expand their roles in today's market, why many startups struggle with tech debt and product debt, how AI is reshaping the responsibilities of engineers and CTOs, what the future holds for fractional CTO roles, and what Todd thinks about the shifting demands on tech leaders and the future of the CTO role.

Todd is an experienced CPTO now doing fractional work, startup advisory, and working on his own SaaS platform. Todd offers consulting services for businesses seeking responsible growth and transformation. He is also working on a customer data platform that will unlock the true potential of AI and CRM in the new technology landscape.

Timestamps:

[06:19] The challenges of scaling tech teams during hypergrowth  

[12:09] Why smaller teams can achieve more with the right structure   

[24:18] How fractional roles fit into today’s tech leadership landscape

[27:10] The evolution of the CTO role and what’s next for leaders  

[37:10] The future of no-code and low-code tools 

[41:53] The importance of financial training for tech leaders  

[45:35] Predictions for the role of CTOs over the next decade

Connect with Todd on LinkedIn. 

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Magnus Lenngren is an engineering leader and a three-time unicorn builder.

In this episode, you'll find out how to scale remote-first engineering teams effectively, the key challenges leaders face when growing teams quickly, the biggest mistakes to avoid during hypergrowth, why strong company culture is critical in scaling, and how to keep employees engaged and productive in a remote setting.

Magnus is an experienced CTO and Director of Engineering, skilled at scaling engineering teams, especially in Fintech, with experience at Collector Bank, Klarna, and now Mews among others. Magnus is also an investor, having led Collector’s corporate venture capital division. Magnus is currently focused on scaling Mews’ remote engineering teams.

Timestamps:

[11:05] How to scale remote teams effectively  

[16:28] Benefits of building a remote-first team  

[22:13] Providing co-working spaces for remote employees  

[35:17] Using new hires for onboarding other employees  

[41:05] Applying the Conway/Yawnoc strategy to reshape teams  

[46:22] Mistakes leaders make when scaling fast  

[51:03] Focusing on continuous improvement over fixed metrics  

[57:13] Balancing efficiency with hyper-growth challenges

Connect with Magnus on LinkedIn.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Zoe Cunningham is a director at Softwire and author of Networking Know-How.

In this episode, you will learn what most people get wrong about networking and why it’s so misunderstood. Zoe talks about simple ways to build genuine connections without feeling awkward, how introverts can excel at networking with the right approach, how to prepare for networking events to make them more enjoyable, and why investing in networking now pays off in the long run.

Zoe Cunningham is an award-winning technology professional and currently a Director of Softwire Technology, voted the #1 Best Place to Work in the UK 2023. She won Business Leader of the Year at the UK Women in IT Awards 2019 and has been selected by the BBC as the Brightest Woman in Britain. 

Zoe has published three books, including "Networking Know-How" the tech leaders’ handbook for building a network and extending their professional reach.

Timestamps:

[05:09] Why networking is often misunderstood  

[07:59] How to build genuine one-on-one connections  

[10:33] Why networking is crucial for career growth  

[13:54] Misconceptions about elevator pitches  

[16:41] How to make networking less transactional  

[24:06] Tips for boosting confidence at networking events  

[27:22] Easy phrases to break the ice during networking

Check out Zoe’s book “Networking Know-How” and find her on LinkedIn.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

Resources Mentioned:

CTO Craft | Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!

In this episode, Adam interviews Adem Bilican, the CTO at Relai, the App, about Bitcoin's value and its potential as a global currency. Adem discusses the technological advancements in Bitcoin, such as the Lightning Network, and offers insights into overcoming barriers to adoption.

Adem Bilican, is the co-founder and CTO at Relai, Europe's number one Bitcoin app. We provide an app for your mobile phone that users can use to easily buy and sell Bitcoin while keeping full ownership.

Timestamps:

6:15 Improving mobile wallets to boost Bitcoin user adoption.

20:50 Using renewable energy for more efficient Bitcoin mining.

25:35 Leveraging Bitcoin’s capped supply to increase long-term value.

29:10 Introducing the Lightning Network for instant Bitcoin transactions at zero cost.

38:30 Ensuring user control with self-custodial wallets in the Relai app.

44:50 Securing your Bitcoin wallet with reliable backup and restore options.

Get the Relai App to help you buy and manage your Bitcoin and follow Adem on X.

Resources Mentioned:

Mastering Bitcoin by Andreas Antonopoulos | Book or Audiobook

Mastering the Lightning Network by Andreas Antonopoulos | Book

Bitcoin Nashville | Website

Plan B Forum in Switzerland (Oct 2024) | Website

Bitaxe Mining Device | Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about how to be a great CTO!

In this episode, Adam discusses how CTOs can transition from firefighting to strategic leadership by following a structured, disciplined approach.

Timestamps:

5:19 Create time blocks for strategic work to avoid constant firefighting.

9:51 Build trust by empowering your team through delegation.

16:07 Focus on documenting why and how, not just what, to improve processes.

23:38 Block off time for your top priority and protect it fiercely.

Resources Mentioned:

Michael Lopp | LinkedIn

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about how to be a great CTO.

In this episode, Adam interviews Dipak Mistry, a senior architect with 25 years of experience. Dipak shares his structured approach to presentations, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, conflict and resolution, and a clear narrative to make technical information more relatable and engaging.

Dipak Mistry helps small, medium and corporates business's grow and become efficiently sustainable by aiming to deliver value and achieve each business's mission. Dipak delivers a Technology Presentation Training Program that helps IT Professionals elevate their careers and in turn give great presentations that is specialized for different audiences.

Timestamps:

5:27 Know your audience to tailor the presentation effectively.

13:04 Build presentations with consistency for easier decision-making.

19:51 Focus on the key objective of the presentation to avoid distractions.

27:39 Use a structured framework to create clear and impactful presentations.

33:12 Get pre-approval from stakeholders to streamline decision-making.

Visit the Unity Edge Website and follow Dipak on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

The Golden Circle by Simon Sinek | Ted Talk

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about how to be a leader!

In this episode, Adam interviews Carol Palombini, a psychologist and leadership coach specializing in psychological safety. Carol offers insights on how fostering psychological safety can drive team innovation and what leaders can do to create safe, effective work environments.

Carol Palombini is a seasoned Psychologist and Tech Leadership Coach. Her passion lies in being a catalyst for transformation among tech leaders who face challenges such as communication issues, imposter syndrome, burnout, and the intricate demands of tech leadership roles.

Timestamps:

3:30 Assessing for a team's psychological safety.

8:06 Foster healthy conflict for innovation and team growth.

15:30 Create a psychologically safe environment by managing emotions.

19:08 Conduct exit interviews to uncover reasons for talent loss.

29:02 Reward and recognize behaviours that foster psychological safety.

Build your dream team with personalized solutions that actually get results. Book a complimentary 30-minute call with Carol.

Also, be sure to follow Carol on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

re:Work With Google | Archived Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about the five-step playbook!

In this episode, Adam dives into the challenges of transitioning from a technical leader to a strategic CTO, outlining a five-step playbook to help navigate this journey successfully. He also shares insights on overcoming common obstacles and embracing a leadership mindset.

Timestamps:

8:45 Make fewer decisions by delegating responsibilities.

12:33 Adopt a learning mindset for your new role.

18:47 Learn the language of the business to succeed.

27:35 Empower your team by stepping back from technical details.

Resources Mentioned:

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore | Book or Audiobook

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter | Book or Audiobook

Turn The Ship Around! by L. David Marquet | Book or Audiobook

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni | Book or Audiobook

The CTO Playbook episode on The 2 Most Critical Components of a CTO Career with Andy Skipper | Spotify or Apple

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about empathic, dynamic reteaming!

In this episode, Adam interviews Daniel Walters, a seasoned CTO coach and consultant. Daniel shares his experiences on leading change within organizations, focusing on collaboration, dynamic reteaming, and the emotional impact of restructuring.

Daniel Walters is a Technology Strategy Consultant and CTO coach based in Auckland, New Zealand. With over 25 years of experience in technology leadership across various sectors, he specializes in systems thinking, technology strategy, and situational leadership.

Daniel has held leadership roles, including CPTO at Weirdly and CTO/CIO at Seek Asia, and has consulted for notable organizations like Kiwi Rail and New Zealand Super Funds. While in Malaysia he successfully established a development centre for Experian Marketing Services. He was part of a small team at Prestariang that won a concession to replace Malaysia's immigration systems nationally (MYR8.6bn). He also helped integrate JobsDB and Jobstreet into Seek to successfully fend off global competitors whilst raising the quality of product experiences for candidates and hirers.

Daniel started his career in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia where he was part of Hitwise' leadership that oversaw growth and eventual sale (USD240m). His blog 'Great CTOs Focus on Outcomes' is dedicated to supporting CTOs' success.

Timestamps:

4:15 How to use empathy to lead change effectively.

10:05 Strategies for CTOs' to implement dynamic reteaming successfully.

15:22 Why internal hiring is crucial for fostering innovation.

20:48 Leveraging team identity to boost morale and performance.

26:11 The 90-day strategy for assessing organizational needs.

32:34 How to avoid common pitfalls in restructuring as a CTO.

39:19 Why empathy should drive your leadership decisions.

To get more tips check out Daniel's Blog: Great CTOs Focus on Outcomes on Substack and connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.

Resources Mentioned:

Six Simple Rules by Yves Morieux and Peter Tollman | Book or Audiobook

Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais | Book or Audiobook

Domain-Driven Design by Eric Evans | Book

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to learn more about startups and scale ups!

In this episode, Adam interviews John Broome, a seasoned product leader with over 20 years of experience. John shares insights on generative AI, collaboration between CTOs and CPOs, and the importance of being customer-centric in product management.

John Broome is a product and operations practitioner having worked in customer service, development, sales, marketing and project management for the past 20 years. Spending most of his time managing products and UX leadership throughout finance, gaming, e-commerce and now hospitality. John is currently the CPO and COO at Chico Hotel Solutions in Stockholm, helping hotels to increase revenues, reduce costs and improve their guest experience.

Timestamps:

3:39 Bridging the gap between business goals and product strategy.

10:46 Prioritizing customer needs over what they say they want.

16:33 Constructing effective teams despite budget constraints.

24:56 Collaborating to avoid idle engineers and wasted resources.

33:33 Balancing the capacity for product and technical development.

38:08 Leveraging generative AI as a tool, not a replacement.

51:01 Holding product managers accountable for prioritization decisions.

Connect with John on LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned:

Chico Hotel Solutions | Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

If you are finding this podcast helpful, please rate and review so other CTO's can join the conversation.

In this episode, Adam explores the different types and stages of a CTO's journey, offering insights and practical strategies to help you identify your strengths and align with your organization's needs.

Timestamps:

3:15 Understand the stages of CTO growth.

4:30 Determine what type of CTO your organization needs now.

7:20 Assess your strengths and weaknesses using a SWOT analysis.

10:24 Identify the gaps between your skills and organizational demands.

13:06 Consider coaching and feedback to accelerate your growth.

Resources Mentioned:

The Startup CTO's Handbook by Zach Goldberg | Book

The Unicorn CTO: Daniel Jarjoura's Startup CTO Growth Cycle | Website

SaaS Academy | Website

Realforce | Website

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.

In this episode, Adam speaks with Andy Skipper, the founder of CTO Craft and a seasoned CTO coach. Andy delves into the benefits of coaching for new CTOs, the growth of the CTO Craft community, as well as offers advice for navigating leadership challenges.

CTO Craft helps thousands of CTOs and Senior Engineering Leaders build skills, experience and resilience, to survive the pressures and demands of the most senior technology role in modern business, as well as provide real commercial impact within their organizations. CTO Craft helps both new and experienced CTOs by providing a safe space for learning and growth among one of the largest peer networks of senior engineering leaders in the world.

Alongside the free community, they help hundreds of CTOs through private mastermind Circles, one-to-one CTO coaching, conferences and other resources. The CTO Craft mission is to increase the success of technology-enabled startups and scale-ups by providing CTOs with the skills and support they need.

Prior to coaching and mentoring new leaders, Andy held CTO roles at Made.com, Comic Relief, and interim roles at dozens of companies such as JustPark, Intu, Threads Styling, Living Maps, Spyscape, VONQ and The School of Life, and has advised and invested in several massively successful businesses in the UK, as well as many VC firms and accelerators.

Timestamps:

3:00 Addressing leadership gaps through coaching.

10:36 Emotional intelligence improvements in personal life.

16:39 Convincing CEOs about coaching benefits.

20:28 Value of external mentoring groups.

24:03 Networking opportunities at CTO events.

29:11 Managing personal expectations in leadership roles.

31:50 Importance of CTOs focusing on the first team.

Stay connected with Andy on LinkedIn

Resources Mentioned:

CTO Craft | Website

CTO Craft Events | Website

CTO Craft | YouTube

Patrick Lencioni's Books | Amazon

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube.