In this special episode, Kevin Goldsmith is joined by longtime friend and peer Kevin Stewart, SVP of Engineering at Splice, to challenge the familiar but flawed narrative: that a team inside a big company can "operate like a startup." Drawing on their shared experiences at Adobe and divergent paths through startups, they explore why innovation often stalls inside large organizations and what makes real startup environments fundamentally different. This wide-ranging conversation touches on cultur...
Apr 13, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 34
In this episode of the "It Depends" podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith discusses the lessons learned from creating Spotify's Technology Career Steps framework. Kevin shares insights from his experience leading the effort to build a structured career path for Spotify's technology team, discussing the process's challenges and successes. The episode covers key topics such as balancing behaviors versus achievements in career growth, the importance of aligning career pathing systems with company culture, ...
Mar 30, 2025•45 min•Ep. 33
In this episode of "It Depends: Lessons in Technology Leadership," host Kevin Goldsmith discusses Chapter 33 of his book, which details the career framework he helped develop at Spotify. Kevin emphasizes that a career pathing framework is the most critical document for engineering leaders. It serves as the backbone of organizational culture by reinforcing desired behaviors through promotion and performance management. Kevin explains how the Spotify framework was carefully designed to: Emphasize ...
Mar 16, 2025•51 min•Ep. 32
In this episode of the "It Depends" podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith shares his unique experience designing Spotify's engineering career framework. As the leader of this initiative, Kevin provides a behind-the-scenes look at how Spotify's distinct career pathing system was developed, a system that reinforced its unique engineering culture rather than undermining it. Kevin explains the delicate balance of timing when implementing a career framework. Waiting too long (as Spotify did) can cause proble...
Mar 02, 2025•44 min•Ep. 31
Are your hiring practices unintentionally limiting diversity in your organization? In this episode of It Depends host Kevin Goldsmith explores the critical changes that can help technology companies build more inclusive and high-performing teams. Drawing on his experience scaling engineering teams, Kevin challenges conventional hiring biases—such as prioritizing certain universities or requiring excessive pre-interview work—and offers actionable steps to reduce bias in the hiring process. If you...
Feb 16, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 30
As major tech companies retreat from their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, startups can lead the way. In this episode, Kevin Goldsmith explores why diverse teams consistently build better products and create stronger, more effective workplaces. He reflects on personal experiences in leadership, shares insights on how startups can leverage the "law of small numbers" to make a meaningful impact, and explains why prioritizing diversity isn't just the right thing to do—it’s also sma...
Feb 02, 2025•21 min•Ep. 29
In Episode 27 of It Depends: Lessons in Technology Leadership, Kevin Goldsmith explores the process of creating a management training curriculum at Avvo. Reflecting on his journey as a manager and lessons learned from his early days at Microsoft and Adobe, Kevin highlights the importance of intentional training for engineering managers. This episode delves into the innovative approach used at Avvo, including collaborative exercises to identify training priorities and designing tailored developme...
Jan 19, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this insightful episode of The It Depends Podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith, seasoned CTO and author, takes listeners behind the scenes of his first CTO role at Avvo, a legal tech company. Kevin shares his real-world experience in transforming the organizational structure by introducing journey teams—an innovative approach influenced by, but distinct from, Spotify’s model. He discusses the challenges of managing small teams, the necessity of fostering team autonomy while maintaining accountabilit...
Jan 05, 2025•48 min•Ep. 27
In this episode of It Depends, host Kevin Goldsmith, a seasoned technology leader and CTO, explores the intricacies of Spotify's famed matrix organization model and its applicability to other companies. Drawing from his firsthand experiences at Spotify during its formative years, Kevin delves into the successes and challenges of implementing the Spotify model, addressing common misconceptions and the cultural nuances that influence its effectiveness. Kevin recounts how the model's flexibility an...
Dec 22, 2024•44 min•Ep. 26
In this episode of It Depends, host Kevin Goldsmith dives into Chapter 26 of his book It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012–2022. Kevin shares his firsthand experiences with the Spotify model—a revolutionary approach to team organization designed to foster agility, innovation, and collaboration. Drawing on his years at Spotify, Kevin explains how the model allows teams to dynamically form, dissolve, and remix based on company needs. He also addresses some common misconceptions about ...
Dec 08, 2024•30 min•Ep. 25
Kevin Goldsmith, Chief Technology Officer and author of It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership (2012–2022), shares a unique chapter from his audiobook in this episode of It Depends. Recorded on the road in Chicago, Kevin reflects on his unexpected journey into the Operational Excellence (OpEx) community, a world rooted in Six Sigma and Lean methodologies. Kevin recounts his experiences speaking at OpEx conferences and collaborating with leaders in industries where quality is critical, such...
Nov 24, 2024•24 min•Ep. 24
In this episode of The It Depends Podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith dives into the intricacies of hiring agile coaches—a role he discovered while working at Spotify and which has been transformative in his approach to building high-performing teams. Kevin shares personal stories of successes and challenges with agile coaches across different companies, reflecting on how this role can dramatically boost productivity and collaboration, although sometimes misunderstood. He also explores the current sta...
Nov 10, 2024•35 min•Ep. 23
In this episode of It Depends host Kevin Goldsmith dives into the art of management through the lens of systems thinking. Using the metaphor of gardening, Kevin explores how leaders can “plant the seeds” for success by setting up the right environment, empowering teams, and stepping back to let growth happen organically. He shares practical insights on Kanban boards, the power of autonomy, and the challenges of fostering alignment across teams with different goals. Whether you're a seasoned lead...
Oct 27, 2024•31 min•Ep. 22
In this episode of It Depends, Kevin Goldsmith wraps up his insightful series on crafting and delivering effective performance reviews. Drawing from his extensive experience as a CTO and tech leader, Kevin discusses the challenges and nuances of giving feedback, especially for senior leaders who might not receive regular performance reviews themselves. He shares practical strategies for self-evaluation and growth, including the importance of building a personal advisory board and seeking feedbac...
Oct 13, 2024•37 min•Ep. 21
In this episode of the It Depends podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith, an experienced CTO and technology leader with over 30 years in the industry, dives into the intricacies of making raise recommendations as part of performance reviews. Drawing from his book "It Depends: Writings on Technology Leadership" and a talk he delivered at Lead Dev Berlin in 2019, Kevin unpacks the often misunderstood processes behind salary budgeting and recommendations. He shares insights on how companies allocate salary ...
Sep 29, 2024•39 min•Ep. 20
In this insightful episode of The It Depends Podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith delves into a critical aspect of leadership: writing effective and fair performance reviews. Kevin, an experienced CTO and author of It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership, shares lessons from his own career spanning over 30 years, including his time at Adobe, Spotify, and Microsoft. This episode, part of a four-part series on performance reviews, focuses on how to take the data you've gathered and craft meaningful,...
Sep 15, 2024•35 min•Ep. 19
Join Kevin Goldsmith on the "It Depends" podcast as he explores the nuanced world of performance reviews in technology leadership. Drawing from his extensive experience and his book, Kevin offers actionable insights on making performance reviews more effective and less burdensome. This episode guides listeners through assembling relevant data and providing feedback that genuinely aids employee development. Tune in to transform how you approach performance reviews, making them a powerful tool for...
Sep 01, 2024•26 min•Ep. 18
In this episode of the "It Depends" podcast, Kevin Goldsmith, a seasoned Chief Technology Officer, explores the importance of effective one-on-one meetings between managers and their direct reports. Drawing from his extensive experience, Kevin offers practical tips for making these meetings more productive and engaging, such as taking walks during the meetings or using tactile objects to encourage conversation. He emphasizes the need for consistency in holding one-on-ones, particularly in remote...
Aug 18, 2024•23 min•Ep. 17
In this episode of the It Depends podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith delves into the complexities of managing partially distributed engineering teams. Kevin discusses the nuances of communication, collaboration, and culture in partially distributed teams, emphasizing the unique challenges that arise when some team members work remotely while others remain in the office. He highlights his experiences at companies like Adobe, Microsoft, and more, offering valuable lessons on effective management strate...
Aug 04, 2024•33 min•Ep. 16
In this episode of the "It Depends" podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith, a seasoned CTO and tech executive, explores the valuable lessons that can be gleaned from employee resignations. Drawing from his extensive experience and insights from his book "It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012-2022," Kevin delves into how a resignation can actually present a unique opportunity for growth and improvement within a team. Kevin discusses the emotional and professional impacts of resignations, the p...
Jul 21, 2024•31 min•Ep. 15
Welcome to the It Depends podcast with your host, Kevin Goldsmith! Kevin is a seasoned Chief Technology Officer with over 30 years of experience in software development, having worked in both colossal companies and budding startups. In each episode, Kevin delves deeper into the chapters, offering more context and behind-the-scenes stories. This week, Kevin revisits a chapter from 2013: What Do I Look for When Hiring an Engineer? Tune in as he discusses the evolution of hiring practices in the te...
Jul 07, 2024•34 min•Ep. 14
In this episode of the "It Depends" podcast, host Kevin Goldsmith delves into the complexities of decision-making in management and its implications on organizational policy. Titled "Every Decision Creates a Policy," this chapter is particularly significant, highlighting common managerial pitfalls and their long-term effects on company culture and consistency. Kevin shares his extensive experience to illustrate how seemingly simple approvals can set precedents, inadvertently shaping future polic...
Jun 23, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 13
This chapter discusses what you can do as a manager to protect your team from layoffs: Ensure the team is aligned with company goals. Raising the visibility of the good work of the individuals on the team. Managing performance. All of these things will help when someone is trying to decide if anyone from your team should be laid off. This episode adds more information for individuals and talks about how managers are judged more by the work of their team and less by their own individual contribut...
Jun 09, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Politics! The word has such a negative connotation when discussing work and corporate culture. Political tactics or maneuvers aren't inherently bad. It is the intent behind them that makes them so. You can leverage those same tactics for good instead of evil. In this episode, Kevin delves into 'The P Word' and discusses the good and bad sides of politics in the workplace based on his own experiences. Whether you're navigating corporate hallways or startup pathways, this one's packed with insight...
May 26, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Teams create their own languages organically, which is essential to team bonding and belonging. Understand this and use it to improve how your team works together and to make it easier when onboarding new members. Links: The newsletter with the text of the chapter: https://kevingoldsmith.substack.com/p/building-a-vernacular-with-your-engineering "It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012-2022" https://itdependsbook.net It Depends newsletter: https://kevingoldsmith.substack.com Questions/...
May 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 10
If you are on the technology management track, the final role is Chief Technology Officer. Still, the path to the role is not obvious because the role itself differs greatly from company to company. The episode includes chapter 10 from "It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012-2022," "Becoming a CTO." This chapter discusses the common skills needed for the CTO in almost any company and how the role differs between early-stage and mid-stage companies. More information about the book is a...
Apr 28, 2024•34 min•Ep. 9
Once again, two shorter chapters in this podcast from the book. How I get my focused work done: When you are a manager, constantly interrupted, how can you get focus time to devote to your projects? The Known Unknowns: Understanding the mastery curve. Links: Book/Podcast/Newsletter website: https://itdependsbook.net/ Questions/Comments/Suggestions contact@itdependsbook.net...
Apr 14, 2024•24 min•Ep. 8
Two chapters from the book this week! Discussing a deliberate approach to managing your calendar and tracking how you actually are using your time, and then how to approach your work with thoughtfulness and decisiveness instead of just making decisions based on instinct. More information about the book: https://itdependsbook.net/ Ask a question or request a signed copy: contact@itdependsbook.net The newsletter: https://kevingoldsmith.substack.com/...
Mar 31, 2024•27 min•Ep. 7
Taking a day, once, twice, or even four times a year to reflect on how things are going and think about where you want to go next is a valuable practice. This episode includes how to approach this practice and get value from it. This episode also includes Chapter 5 of the audiobook "It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012-2022" by Kevin Goldsmith. It Depends Book website: https://itdependsbook.net/ CTO Podcast link: https://pod.link/1356275803/episode/7a88eac00279eb4bd3172b9a59d21ab7 J...
Mar 17, 2024•23 min•Ep. 6
One of the questions I most frequently get from engineering leaders or aspiring leads is "how much coding do you do?" or "How do you handle coding and managing?" One of the hardest things for me in my development journey was letting go of developing features on the products I worked on. This episode is all about that. I include Chapter 4 of the audiobook for It Depends: Writing on Technology Leadership 2012-2022, which is all about this step in your development as a more senior engineering leade...
Mar 03, 2024•27 min•Ep. 5
