Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! In this episode, you'll learn what CTO coaching is, who it’s for, the impact it can have, and how to find the right coach for your goals. Adam Horner shares common CTO challenges, the skills needed to succeed at the executive level, and a framework for accelerating leadership growth. Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [02:10] Common struggles CTOs face [03:45] How coaching provides clarity and accounta...
Mar 11, 2025•42 min•Ep. 34
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Dan Gwalter is a fractional consultant and former IT director who helps businesses navigate growth challenges. In this episode, you're going to learn why Dan left a high-paying corporate job to build a career he actually enjoys, how to craft a strong personal brand on LinkedIn that attracts clients, why conversations—not sales pitches—are the key to building a thriving consulting business, the simple process Dan uses to kee...
Mar 04, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 33
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! In this episode, you'll learn how to structure effective one-on-one meetings with engineers, how to maintain alignment between individual performance and company goals, how to use a rolling agenda for tracking progress, and how to transition from weekly check-ins to quarterly and annual reviews seamlessly. Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction [00:38] Importance of one-on-one meetings for engineers [01:22] How often should you meet wit...
Feb 25, 2025•33 min•Ep. 32
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Matt Watson is the CEO of FullScale and previously bootstrapped an SaaS company to $35 million ARR before a $150 million exit. In this episode, you're going to learn what skills CTOs need to become CEOs, why understanding sales and marketing is crucial for tech leaders, how to delegate effectively to focus on big-picture strategy, why communication and collaboration are key to scaling engineering teams, and what AI’s role is in sh...
Feb 18, 2025•44 min•Ep. 31
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Ritavan is a machine learning expert, author of Data Impact , and has worked in industries such as banking, energy, and real estate. In this episode, you're going to learn how to avoid complexity traps in data-driven decision-making, how to leverage unique advantages to create real business value, why alignment across teams is critical for success, the importance of simplifying processes to reduce inefficiency, and the role of dat...
Feb 11, 2025•53 min•Ep. 30
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Daniel Jarjoura is the Managing Director at Avolta, specializing in helping engineering-led companies prepare for mergers and acquisitions. In this episode, you'll learn the importance of building products that solve broad problems for developers, how to use open source as a growth tool while monetizing through premium services, why GitHub metrics can help predict future success, how to scale from a developer-led market to enterpr...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 29
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! In this episode, you'll learn the top mistakes founder engineers make when starting a business, why early technical decisions can have long-term business consequences, how to choose co-founders with complementary strengths, the importance of understanding business fundamentals as a technical founder, and strategies for picking the right tech stack for your startup's needs. Dr. Georgios Christou graduated from Carnegie Mellon Unive...
Jan 28, 2025•37 min•Ep. 28
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Stephan Schmidt is a CTO coach and the author of “Amazing CTO”. In this episode, you're going to learn why hiring the right people is the foundation of success and how to assess candidates effectively. Stephan shares his strategy for running weekly one-on-one meetings and why they should focus on alignment rather than status updates. You'll also hear about the importance of trust in leadership and practical ways to build it within...
Jan 20, 2025•47 min•Ep. 27
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! David Wascha is a seasoned product and tech leader with experience at Microsoft, MOO, Travelex and Zoopla. In this episode, you're going to learn when to combine product and tech leadership roles and when not to, why the distinction between tech-enabled and deep tech businesses matters for leadership structure, how to avoid tension and misalignment between product and tech teams, the importance of representing and advocating for a...
Jan 14, 2025•45 min•Ep. 26
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! In this episode, you'll learn how to streamline your recruiting process, craft compelling job ads, evaluate candidates effectively, and create an exceptional onboarding experience. Timestamps: [03:48] Deciding when to hire [04:27] Importance of employer branding [05:32] Creating a role description [06:13] Writing a job advert [07:09] Talent sourcing strategies [07:56] Using recruiters effectively [08:48] The role of headhunters [0...
Jan 07, 2025•30 min•Ep. 25
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs! Roman Labunsky is the co-founder and CTO of an early-stage cybersecurity startup based in Israel. In this episode, you're going to learn how Roman's experience leading a military tech unit during wartime shaped his approach to building resilient teams and processes. You will discover strategies for managing onboarding and handovers under extreme constraints, the value of starting simple to scale effectively, and why clear communic...
Dec 31, 2024•50 min•Ep. 24
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 tec...
Dec 24, 2024•8 min•Ep. 23
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 c...
Dec 17, 2024•47 min•Ep. 22
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...
Dec 10, 2024•55 min•Ep. 21
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 b...
Dec 03, 2024•41 min•Ep. 20
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...
Nov 26, 2024•51 min•Ep. 19
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 th...
Nov 19, 2024•37 min•Ep. 18
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 skill...
Nov 12, 2024•53 min•Ep. 17
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 t...
Nov 05, 2024•31 min•Ep. 16
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...
Oct 29, 2024•52 min•Ep. 15
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, especial...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 14
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 technol...
Oct 14, 2024•46 min•Ep. 13
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 u...
Oct 12, 2024•53 min•Ep. 12
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 p...
Sep 30, 2024•26 min•Ep. 11
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 aimin...
Sep 23, 2024•45 min•Ep. 10
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...
Sep 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 9
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...
Sep 09, 2024•17 min•Ep. 8
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 a...
Sep 02, 2024•59 min•Ep. 7
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. Spen...
Aug 26, 2024•54 min•Ep. 6
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 Ident...
Aug 19, 2024•16 min•Ep. 5
