What does it take to lead engineering teams through decades of change—from mainframes to modern mobile? In this episode of Build to Succeed , VGV CEO David DeRemer sits down with Steven Stamps to explore: Why most tech transformations fail The concept of fearless refactoring How aviation principles apply to software teams Why Flutter is a business strategy—not just a framework The real role of leadership in driving innovation This is a must-watch for engineers, product leaders, and executives na...
Apr 29, 2026•53 min
In the dynamic landscape of technology, product management plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between innovation and user needs. In a recent podcast, Abdallah Shaban, an Outbound Product Manager at Google, shared his journey and insights into the world of product management, particularly within the realms of open-source frameworks like Flutter and Dart. His experiences provide valuable lessons for aspiring product managers and tech enthusiasts alike. Understanding the Role of an Outbound P...
Apr 13, 2026•48 min•Ep. 27
In the fast-paced world of Flutter development, effective design collaboration is key to success. In this episode of Build to Succeed, we sit down with Lucas Josefiak, the founder of Widgetbook, to explore how his innovative platform is transforming the way Flutter teams work together. Join us as we dive into the competitive spirit that drives Lucas and the significant impact of developer tooling on modern design systems. The Birth of Widgetbook Lucas Josefiak founded Widgetbook with a vision to...
Apr 13, 2026•56 min•Ep. 28
On today's episode, we're joined by Viktor Lidholt , Founder of Serverpod , whose previous roles include CTO at JoinBuzz, founder and CEO at Newstech, and senior software engineer on the Flutter team at Google. Viktor is currently building Serverpod, a full-stack Dart framework transforming how Flutter teams approach backend development. We explore Viktor's journey from game development to startup founder, his early work shaping Flutter, and the technical insights behind Serverpod's architecture...
Feb 11, 2026•43 min•Season 1Ep. 26
On today's episode, we're joined by Kody Peterson , whose previous roles include work on large-scale systems at Walt Disney Company, leadership at multiple startups, and mobile product development in the golf technology space. He is currently Director of Software Engineering for Digital Studio at Foresight Sports , where he leads teams building high-performance software experiences for athletes and coaches. Kody discusses engineering leadership, cross-platform development, and pushing the bounda...
Jan 28, 2026•52 min•Season 1Ep. 25
On this episode, we're joined by Phil Rabin , whose previous roles include Senior Engineering positions at Uber , where he spent a decade scaling one of the most demanding mobile organizations in the world. He is currently Director of Engineering, Mobile, at SoFi . Phil discusses what it takes to lead one of the largest Flutter engineering teams in production, and how to scale systems and people. Key Takeaways: ( 00:00 ) Introduction. ( 01:29 ) Phil began coding at 15 and later built early digit...
Dec 17, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 24
On this episode, we're joined by Martin Remmelgas , whose previous roles include Industrial Placement in Singapore and Consultant at Ernst & Young. He is currently CEO at Codemagic , a company deeply embedded in the Flutter ecosystem. Martin discusses his journey from chemistry to technology, how Codemagic became a key player in the Flutter community, and what it takes to scale developer tools from startups to enterprise-level adoption. Key Takeaways: ( 00:00 ) Introduction. ( 02:01 ) Martin...
Dec 03, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 23
On this episode, we sit down with Frank van Puffelen - more commonly known as puf - an industry veteran, ex-Googler (2015-2024), and one of the most influential voices in the Firebase and Flutter communities. He shares his journey from software engineering to developer advocacy, offering insights into the changing role of developer relations, the rise of low-code tools, and the impact of AI on how software is built. Key Takeaways: ( 00:00 ) Introduction. ( 01:39 ) Frank (puf) started coding in t...
Nov 12, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 22
On today's episode, we're joined by Michael Harker , whose previous roles include Director of Product Management at Comcast and Director of Corporate and Business Development at SAP . He is currently Vice President of Product Management at Ritchie Bros. , the world's largest marketplace for used commercial equipment. Michael discusses product leadership, customer empathy, and driving digital transformation in a 70-year-old company. Michael also unpacks his journey from startups to enterprise rol...
Oct 29, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 21
On today's episode, we're joined by Andrew Brogdon , whose background spans creative writing, software engineering, and developer advocacy. Before joining Google , he held roles in advertising technology and has built a reputation as one of the early champions of Flutter. He is currently Staff Developer Relations Engineer at Google, leading efforts that connect the Flutter SDK with its global developer community. Andrew discusses how creative storytelling shapes developer relations, the evolving...
Sep 03, 2025•48 min•Season 1Ep. 20
On today's episode, we're joined by Pratap Ranade , whose past roles include Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, CEO and Co-Founder at Kimono Labs (acquired by Palantir), Forward Deployed Engineer at Palantir Technologies, and VP of Engineering at Enigma Technologies. Pratap is a physicist, who sold his last company to Palantir and is now CEO and co-founder of Arena . Arena is building Atlas - a platform of AI agents that make it easier to build and test modern hardware - from GPUs and ...
Aug 13, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 19
On this episode, we're joined by Andrew Tunall , whose past roles include VP at New Relic and Technical Product Manager at Amazon Web Services. He is currently President of Embrace , where he leads the company's product strategy and team operations. Andrew shares his perspective on observability's growing role in modern app development, how AI is transforming product workflows, and why reliability is a core business value, not just a technical metric. We explore Andrew's journey from a political...
Jul 23, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 18
On today's episode, we're joined by Kevin Smith and Mikel Corcuera , Co-Founders at Snipd , the AI-powered podcast app built to help capture and rediscover insights from spoken audio. Kevin and Mikel discuss the origin of Snipd, the challenges of building an AI-native product from scratch, and the role of Flutter in enabling rapid, cross-platform development. Key Takeaways: ( 01:54 ) Snipd lets users triple-tap to save podcast clips with AI summaries. ( 05:53 ) Snipd utilizes AI to improve captu...
Jul 10, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 17
On this episode, we're joined by Landon Robinson , previously Senior Software Engineer at Superformula , and Mobile Lead at SteadyIQ . He is currently Staff Engineer at Etsy , where he leads platform work on the Etsy Seller app. With over 20 years in the industry, Landon brings deep experience in web, Android, iOS, and Flutter development. He shares how Etsy's mobile team adopted Flutter to build a more efficient and scalable seller experience. Landon walks us through the team's unique "away tea...
Jun 18, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Pierre Benz, Engineering Manager at Headspace , brings a unique blend of experience in mobile development, agency work, and mental health tech. Before joining Headspace, he held roles at design agency AKQA and in multiple startups spanning IoT and consumer apps. He began his career focused on game development and human-computer interaction at the University of Cape Town, blending technical depth with a keen interest in user psychology. In this episode, Pierre shares how his team at Headspace tra...
Jun 02, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 15
On today's episode, we're joined by David Goldman , whose career journey includes roles in investment banking and diversified investing before becoming a Partner at Celesta Capital . David shares insights into deep tech investing, the realities of venture capital, and strategies for navigating technological change in dynamic markets. He also reflects on the role of conviction in startups, the evolving impact of AI, and the traits he sees in successful founders and companies. Key Takeaways: ( 03:...
May 07, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Brian Abston , Senior Director of Digital Technology at The Wendy's Company , brings over two decades of experience in software development, platform architecture and IT leadership. Before joining Wendy's, he spent four years as IT Director and Platform Architect at SONIC Drive-In, leading digital initiatives in QSR. His background includes roles as a Java Developer at MSCI Inc. and Power Costs, Inc., where he honed his expertise in scalable software solutions and enterprise technology. In this ...
Apr 16, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Michael Gyarmathy , Staff Software Engineer at PGA of America , brings a wealth of experience in full-stack development, cloud-native technologies and DevOps. At PGA of America, Michael leads engineering efforts to enhance the golf experience through digital products like PGA Coach, which helps golf professionals streamline their businesses. In this episode, Michael shares how customer obsession, iterative development and engineering culture drive innovation at PGA of America. He also discusses ...
Mar 26, 2025•41 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Dan Hou , Founder and Partner at Eskridge , joins us to discuss how companies can effectively integrate AI into their operations and digital products. With a career spanning Microsoft, Motorola, Huge and Amazon, Dan has spent years identifying paradigm shifts in technology. Now, at Eskridge, he helps mid-market businesses deploy AI strategies that drive real impact. Key Takeaways: ( 07:08 ) AI in businesses falls into two categories: internal efficiency and product innovation. ( 08:51 ) High-imp...
Mar 05, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 11
On today's episode, we're joined by Thiago Ghisi , Director of Engineering at Nubank . With nearly two decades of experience in the software industry, Thiago has held roles such as Senior Software Engineering Manager at Apple , Engineering Director, Mobile Engineering at American Express and Senior Quality Assurance Consultant at Thoughtworks . Thiago shares his evolution from hands-on engineering to leadership, insights into building Canonical platforms and the transformative journey of adoptin...
Feb 19, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 10
On this episode, we're joined by Jorge Coca , Head of Engineering at Very Good Ventures , whose career spans over a decade of innovative contributions to the Flutter ecosystem and mobile engineering. Jorge's journey includes pivotal roles at BMW, where he spearheaded Android and Flutter development, and SPR, where he led impactful consulting projects. Jorge discusses the evolution of scalable and user-friendly engineering practices, the importance of aligning technology with business goals and f...
Feb 05, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On today's episode, we're joined by Chris Synan , Vice President of Engineering at Keller Williams Realty, Inc . Chris has been with Keller Williams since just before the COVID lockdown and has played a critical role in driving the company's technology transformation. With experience managing large teams and overhauling systems at companies such as Dell, AMD, CA Technologies, and General Motors, Chris has valuable insights on large-scale innovation, team culture transformation and technological ...
Jan 22, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 8
On today's episode, we're joined by David Chen , whose previous roles include Chief Technology Officer of Skycatch and Senior Software Engineer at Twitter. He is currently Head of Software Services at Agtonomy , where he focuses on building autonomous farming solutions to address labor shortages in agriculture. David shares his journey from drone-based mining technology to robotics in agriculture, offering insights into designing impactful technology. Key Takeaways: ( 01:14 ) Autonomous rides se...
Jan 08, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7
On today's episode, we're joined by Sam Moore , VP of Architecture at Betterment , where he has led groundbreaking initiatives, including the re-platforming of mobile codebases from native to Flutter, and the launch of Betterment Checking. Sam's extensive experience in scaling infrastructure and software architecture has made him a key figure in driving Betterment's technological advancements. Sam discusses leading major tech transitions, managing technical debt, fostering innovation and scaling...
Nov 07, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 6
On today's episode, we're joined by Patricia Roller , former co-CEO of Frog Design and current CEO of Vidlet Inc ., a company known for pioneering video research in product development. With a rich background in design and leadership, Patricia shares her insights on the critical role of company culture in driving innovation and success within startups. Key Takeaways: ( 02:10 ) Culture should be the top priority in any startup. ( 04:45 ) The CEO must lead by driving ideas and allowing mistakes. (...
Oct 09, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 5
On today's episode, we're joined by Kyle Crouse , whose previous roles include Senior Manager, Design Technology at Amazon , Principal Design Technologist at frog and Creative Technology Director at Method and Visa . He is currently Director of Concept Technology at Very Good Ventures . Kyle discusses the integration of design and technology in product development. Key Takeaways: ( 05:11 ) Building lean MVPs in startups involves rapid prototyping and quick iterations. ( 08:46 ) Integrating desig...
Sep 25, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Ready to revolutionize your approach to tech? We're joined by Teresa Wu , VP of Software Engineering at JPMorgan Chase & Co ., whose previous roles include Senior Staff Engineer at tide , and Android and Mobile Lead at Ostmodern . Teresa shares invaluable insights on mastering new technologies like AI and Flutter, emphasizing the critical role of community, curiosity and strategic risk management in successful product development. Key Takeaways: ( 08:45 ) AI's broad appeal spans various role...
Sep 04, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 3
On this episode, we're joined by Carsten Wierwille , former Executive at ustwo , Method , GlobalLogic and frog , and current Board Director at Very Good Ventures . Carsten shares his insights on building sustainable habits, transforming company culture and balancing purpose with profit. Key Takeaways: ( 01:04 ) The importance of focusing on habits to achieve long-term goals. ( 03:18 ) How incremental improvements lead to significant changes. ( 05:16 ) The role of a leader in fostering a company'...
Jul 31, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In the first episode of "Build To Succeed," we're joined by Eric Seidel , Founder of Shorebird , Co-Founder of Flutter and former Director of Engineering at Google . Eric discusses his career journey, shares insights on building impactful products and tackles distinctive approaches to addressing business challenges, particularly focusing on his work with Flutter and Shorebird. This podcast explores the world of building successful tech products by talking to leaders who have brought ideas to lif...
Jul 31, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1
