Why do engineering teams slow down as they scale? It’s not the technology—it’s the management systems. In this episode, Michi Kono, CTO at Garner Health and former engineering leader at Meta, Capital One, and Stripe, shares his battle-tested approach to building scalable engineering organizations. We explore why most teams slow down as they scale and how to build systems that accelerate growth. Our conversation covers everything from designing effective org charts to creating accountability with...
Aug 18, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 229
How do you build a high-performing engineering team in the AI era? And will AI make fundamental engineering skills obsolete? In this episode, Mohan Krishnan, Head of Engineering at Grab, shares lessons from leading multiple transformational engineering teams. Drawing from his experience at Grab, Bukalapak, BBM Emtek, and Pivotal Labs, Mohan explains why core engineering fundamentals still matter, even in the age of AI, and will become even more valuable than ever. He discusses building disciplin...
Aug 11, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 228
How has Infrastructure as Code changed in the last five years? Explore the key shifts and how to align your infrastructure to real business value. In this episode, Kief Morris, a Distinguished Infrastructure Engineer at Thoughtworks, returns to discuss the third edition of his book “Infrastructure as Code.” He shares fresh insights on designing and delivering dynamic systems for today’s cloud-driven world. Kief explores the evolution of IaC, practical methods for modern teams, the next generatio...
Aug 04, 2025•56 min
Ever wondered how AI is being applied in the world of clinical trials where human lives are at stake? In this episode, Patrick Leung, CTO of Faro Health and former Google Duplex Engineering Lead, reveals how AI is transforming the clinical trial process — a process that can cost up to $2 billion per drug and take over 10 years to complete. Patrick reveals how Faro Health’s AI systems generate complex clinical documentation in minutes instead of months in which hallucinations aren’t acceptable, w...
Jul 28, 2025•54 min•Ep. 226
Is your engineering team running like the wild, wild west? What does engineering excellence look like in practice? In this episode, Ganesh Datta, co-founder and CTO of Cortex, explores what it takes to achieve engineering excellence. Ganesh shares lessons from his own journey, from early bug-fixing to building a company focused on engineering excellence. We discuss how platform engineering and internal developer platforms (IDPs) can help teams scale, improve reliability, and align with business ...
Jul 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 225
Is your software development process stuck on a conveyor belt? Discover how to break free from outdated manufacturing mindsets and build truly high-performing, agile teams that “Move Fast and Break Silos.” In this episode, experienced CPTO, Klaus Breyer, introduces a revolutionary approach to software development. He explains why treating software engineering like a factory assembly line leads to inefficiency, micromanagement, and disempowered teams. Learn how to slice work effectively—from obje...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 224
Is AI taking over the craft of coding? Many engineers now face an identity crisis. In the episode, Distinguished Engineer Annie Vella discusses her research on AI’s impact on software development. She explores the “software engineering identity crisis” as the craft of coding becomes automated. Annie warns that the seductive speed of AI tools can lead to lower quality and delivery instability, a trend supported by reports from DORA and GitClear. She also cautions that over-reliance on AI prevents...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 223
What if your most critical systems run on code that no one fully understands? In this episode, Omer Rosenbaum, CTO and co-founder of Swimm, explains how to use AI to close the knowledge gap in your legacy codebase. Discover the limitations of AI in understanding legacy code and learn novel approaches to automatically document complex systems, ensuring their critical business logic is preserved and understood within the organization. Beyond legacy systems, Omer also shares practical advice for ho...
Jun 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 222
Feeling like you have valuable technical insights to share but struggle to put them into words? You’re not alone. In this episode, Piotr Sarna, author of “Writing for Developers” and an experienced open-source maintainer, shares the common hurdles developers face in writing and provides practical tips to get started. Discover how cultivating a writing habit can not only boost your personal brand but also improve your technical skills and create new career opportunities. Key topics discussed: The...
Jun 23, 2025•51 min•Ep. 221
In this special in-person episode, Sanne Grinovero shares the story of Java’s evolution from his unique perspective as a long-time open-source contributor. He shares his 16-year career journey at Red Hat, highlighting his amazing work on key projects like Hibernate, Infinispan, and especially the creation of Quarkus. His career trajectory, from a student who initially disliked Java’s complexity to a leading figure in its modernization, shows the transformative power of open source. A key part of...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 220
Tired of feeling like your team is stuck in a cycle of frustration and miscommunication? What if the biggest blocker in your tech career isn’t your code, but your thinking? That’s the core premise of Systems Thinking, and in this episode, Diana Montalion (author of “Learning Systems Thinking”) shares the practical insights and mental models to help you make that essential shift. Key topics discussed: What systems thinking is and its core principles The difference between linear thinking (which w...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 219
Understand the secret behind one of Amazon’s most powerful innovation tools and learn how you can use it to drive clarity, alignment, and better decision-making. In this episode, Marcelo Calbucci, author of “The PRFAQ Framework,” dives deep into the PRFAQ (Press Release & Frequently Asked Questions) framework, a unique approach that combines narrative storytelling and strategic FAQs to crystallize initiative vision and strategy. Key topics discussed: What the PRFAQ framework is — and why it’...
May 26, 2025•54 min•Ep. 218
(08:54) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Why do so many well-intentioned initiatives fail to move the needle? In this episode, Sriram Narayan, author of ‘Impact Intelligence,’ reveals how to ensure your efforts translate into real, measurable business impact. Stop shooting in...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 217
(05:46) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm .Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Feeling uneasy about how your personal data is used, and wondering if companies are doing enough to protect it? In this episode, Katharine Jarmul, author of “Practical Data Privacy,” dives deep into one of the most critical and rapidly evolv...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 216
(04:07) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm .Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code.Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Are too many meetings killing your productivity and making your team less effective? Discover a new approach to work where meetings are no longer the default and deep work takes the center stage. In this episode, Sumeet Moghe, the author of the ...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 215
(03:59) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Stop fearing Friday and late-night deployments! Discover how the most painful part of software development—deploying to production—can become routine, safe, and even boring. In this episode, I sit down with Valentina Servile (ThoughtWorks lead dev...
Apr 28, 2025•59 min•Ep. 214
(05:57) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Are we looking at software engineering the wrong way? What if it’s less about writing code and more about making better decisions in an ever-changing system? Learn a revolutionary approach to understanding complex software systems in my conversati...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 213
(07:40) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. What if everything you’ve been taught about software architecture is fundamentally at odds with how the real world works? Dive into my conversation with Barry O’Reilly, a veteran architect and former Chief Architect at Microsoft, as we explore a r...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 212
(03:43) Brought to you by Swimm.io. Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of technological change? How do you not just survive, but thrive through decades of major changes in the tech industry? With 42 years experiencing the tech industry’s biggest transformations, Paula Pau...
Mar 31, 2025•59 min•Ep. 211
(05:29) Brought to you by Swimm.io Start modernizing your mainframe faster with Swimm . Understand the what, why, and how of your mainframe code. Use AI to uncover critical code insights for seamless migration, refactoring, or system replacement. Tired of API dependencies slowing down your development and testing? Dive into my conversation with Tom Akehurst, creator of WireMock, and discover the art of using API mocking to build successful software in complex distributed environments. Key t...
Mar 24, 2025•52 min•Ep. 210
Discover the secrets to early retirement and financial independence from a tech industry veteran! In this episode, we dive deep into the inspiring journey of Kristine Howard, who transitioned from a dynamic career in tech to a life of early retirement, reaching financial independence and personal fulfillment along the way. Key topics discussed: Learn why tracking your expenses is the key to financial freedom Master the balanced money formula for budgeting success Uncover smart investing strategi...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 209
(07:37) Brought to you by Lemon.io Lemon.io is your go-to platform for hiring top-tier, pre-vetted software engineers from Europe and Latin America. You'll get matched with your developer in just 48 hours. Tech Lead Journal listeners get 15% off your first 4 weeks of work at lemon.io . Ever wondered what it takes to climb the tech leadership ladder from engineer to executive? In this episode, we follow the journey of Norman Noble, CTO of Mindvalley, as he shares his insights and expe...
Mar 03, 2025•49 min•Ep. 208
(04:44) Brought to you by Lemon.io Lemon.io is your go-to platform for hiring top-tier, pre-vetted software engineers from Europe and Latin America. You'll get matched with your developer in just 48 hours. Tech Lead Journal listeners get 15% off your first 4 weeks of work at lemon.io . Want to communicate more effectively and get your work the attention it deserves? Learn how to harness the power of storytelling in a business setting with Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic, the bestselling author o...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 207
(06:49) Brought to you by Lemon.io Lemon.io is your go-to platform for hiring top-tier, pre-vetted software engineers from Europe and Latin America. You'll get matched with your developer in just 48 hours. Tech Lead Journal listeners get 15% off your first 4 weeks of work at lemon.io . Want to learn the key principles and future of DevOps that can help you ship code faster and more reliably? In this episode, I sit down with Yevgeniy Brikman, co-founder of Gruntwork and author of “Terraform: ...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 206
(03:55) Brought to you by Lemon.io Lemon.io is your go-to platform for hiring top-tier, pre-vetted software engineers from Europe and Latin America. You'll get matched with your developer in just 48 hours. Tech Lead Journal listeners get 15% off your first 4 weeks of work at lemon.io . Ever wonder what a credit score for your codebase would look like? In this episode, Matt Van Itallie, founder of Sema, discusses how his company is revolutionizing the way we assess and understand code quality, in...
Feb 10, 2025•58 min•Ep. 205
Are you tired of cargo cult engineering leadership? In this episode, David Guttman, author of “The Superstruct Manifesto”, shares his intriguing manifesto on building and leading high-performing engineering teams. We explore: - Why daily standups are overrated and what to do instead - How to avoid the trap of the "10x engineer" myth - Why computer science riddles don't belong in your interviews - The importance of estimates (hint: it's not about the accuracy!) - How to treat your developers like...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 204
Is your ML project stuck in POC hell and failing to deliver real value? In this episode, I sit down with David Tan and Dave Colls, co-authors of the book “Effective Machine Learning Teams” to discuss the complexities of building and deploying ML models, building and managing effective ML teams, and ensuring successful ML projects. Key topics discussed: - Learn the key differences between ML engineering and traditional software engineering. - Why so many ML projects fail to reach production or de...
Jan 27, 2025•59 min•Ep. 203
“ Looking at the development pace of this area, it’s just a question of when generative AI will take over larger parts of software engineering. It’s a leadership responsibility to ensure your organization is ready for AI and you are taking the right path. ” AI is changing EVERYTHING – including the way we build software. Are you READY for it? In this episode, we dive deep into the impact of AI on the future of work, particularly in the software development space. Join me and André Neubauer as we...
Jan 20, 2025•53 min•Ep. 202
“ Evolutionary architecture became a necessity, not because anybody wanted it to be, but because you didn’t have a choice. You have to be able to change your systems to keep up with changing business and consumer expectations, let alone regulatory frameworks. ” In this episode, I have an insightful conversation with Rebecca Parsons, coauthor of Building Evolutionary Architectures and ex-CTO of ThoughtWorks, on the topic of evolutionary architecture. Rebecca shares the definition and principles o...
Jan 13, 2025•57 min•Ep. 201
“Leadership is where you have, not necessarily a large organization, but increasing scope and increasing impact, while bringing lots of people along with you.” In this milestone episode of the podcast, James Stanier returns for the third time to discuss his latest book, “Become a Great Engineering Leader.” We explore the role of an engineering leader and delve deep into the nuances of engineering leadership. James explains the difference between an engineering leader and an engineering manager t...
Nov 25, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 200
