When we see things with a fresh set of eyes, we can notice many things others around us have gotten used to. Be it if you're standing in front of cheeses you've never heard of before in an Italian supermarket or when you joined a new team. How can we maximize learning to ensure we improve our weak spots and double down on our strengths? Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter ...
Aug 12, 2025•8 min•Ep. 312
If your internal conversations are all about your struggles and obstacles, and you always skip over the actual progress you've made, you will inevitably generate self-inflicted burnout sooner or later. Don't tell yourself you're on a hamster wheel… if you ain't! Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directl...
Aug 05, 2025•9 min•Ep. 311
You should be thinking ahead, but don't confuse that with useless busywork that doesn't actually matter. We do it because we're anxious, because we want to do *something*, or because we wrongly mistake that for leadership. But if there's no diff, it doesn't matter—or even worse. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach ...
Jul 29, 2025•10 min•Ep. 310
We moved to Rome and are essentially starting the house from scratch. It's tough, but also liberating. When we're only limiting ourselves to incremental thinking, we might get stuck in a local maximum. Without liberating ourselves from current constraints, making substantial progress can be nearly impossible. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For an...
Jul 22, 2025•10 min•Ep. 309
🎶 If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad 🎶 Actually, it can. Leaders who wrongly think their first priority is to ensure their team is always happy, fine, and dandy create nurseries, not impact powerhouses. Do you know what's important and how to be a good leader without constantly trying to please your team? More in this week's episode. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best new...
Jul 15, 2025•8 min•Ep. 308
There are things that you can just put aside and not think about them until you have to. And then there are areas where you can save a lot of effort by ensuring regular maintenance. That's the difference between having to overwhelm your org with the equivalent of WD40 in a rush, and having the ability to handle a situation you knew would come with an already laid out plan. More in this week's episode! Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The T...
Jul 08, 2025•10 min•Ep. 307
You definitely shouldn't be too hard on yourself, and any particular failure shouldn't rattle you too much. Yet, it is dangerous to get so accustomed to failures and cutting yourself slack that you never start taking action. Rather than keep pushing that diet off by a week, how about committing to some baby steps in the right direction right now? More in this week's episode. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating Sys...
Jul 01, 2025•8 min•Ep. 306
Whenever you're hiring someone, you realize that titles don't mean the same for everyone. It's not enough to have a reference call where they say someone was a "good senior engineer" and be satisfied, nor can you just interview for a "CTO" position without understanding what CTO even means in the company. This week's episode is about ensuring you get the right people in the right positions. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executi...
Jun 24, 2025•8 min•Ep. 305
Somewhat annoyingly, my usual reply when someone tells me they have a certain issue is to ask for real examples. You'd be surprised to see how often people are overly critical of themselves, or obsess over issues long resolved. In today's podcast episode, we talk about learning to shortcircuit a lot of internal criticism, so you only bother with what actually matters. Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe t...
Jun 17, 2025•8 min•Ep. 304
Cognitive dissonance is sometimes a must, because not everything can be clearly decided one way or another. Nevertheless, while you might be aware of the dissonance, as it gets spread in your organization it usually translates into confusion and misalignment. In this episode, we discuss how you'll avoid dissonance to create a more autonomous team around you. Check out Unplugged with Aviv . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe t...
Jun 10, 2025•8 min•Ep. 303
So many CEOs are worried about their team lacking "urgency" and throw that word around, without realizing how to increase productivity in a manner that's effective. Too often we end up with performance hustling, where people make a show of working hard. Instead, you can create real urgency by showing how much you value everyone's time. More in this week's episode! My new offering, with way too low introductory prices: Aviv Unplugged Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The T...
Jun 03, 2025•12 min•Ep. 302
We're all going to make a lot of mistakes, we might as well get better at maximizing the learning-per-mistake we get. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger… if you actually make the effort to get better knowing what you now know. This week's episode is about managing your mistakes portfolio. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me direct...
May 27, 2025•8 min•Ep. 301
Everyone celebrates long-tenured team members—but what if comfort is killing your company? Let's discuss the hidden dangers of having people who’ve been in the same seat for too long. From culture fossilization to growth stagnation, we’ll talk about how stability can become a sedative, and why fresh eyes—not old habits—are what drive real progress. If you’ve got people who “know how things work,” ask yourself: are they still moving forward, or just making sure nothing changes? Grab a copy of my ...
May 20, 2025•9 min•Ep. 300
When things aren’t going smoothly, most tech leaders don’t slow down to rethink—they speed up to fix. We overcompensate. We protect the team too much, get involved in every decision, pile on late nights, or jump in to do others’ jobs. It feels noble, but it’s actually avoidance. In this episode, I unpack the hidden damage of overcompensating leadership: how it stunts team growth, creates dependency, and feeds your own ego more than your org’s future. If you think you’re being helpful, this one’s...
May 13, 2025•9 min•Ep. 299
Many leaders nowadays suffer from this chronic condition. They do everything right if you only judge each single action by itself. On any given day, you can look at their decisions and say you would've done the same. But the best leaders know that this is a "greedy algorithm" sort of trap and escape. Are you suffering from chronic reaction? Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For an...
May 06, 2025•10 min•Ep. 298
Imagine if your private leadership notebook — the one where you wrote what you really think about your team — suddenly became public. How surprised would they be reading it? How surprised would you be watching their reactions? In this episode, we explore the uncomfortable but essential gap between what leaders think and what they actually say. Learn why withholding honest feedback creates silent confusion, why coaching means sharing the real story early , and how radical transparency can turn th...
Apr 29, 2025•10 min•Ep. 297
Product Mastery – The Tech Leader’s Force Multiplier Most tech leaders settle for “understanding the product.” But true product mastery is something else entirely. It’s the difference between being a tech "leader" and being a genuine executive. In this episode, the final one in the series, we unpack what product mastery really means, why it’s the trait that amplifies all the others, and how it lets you shape not just what gets built—but what wins. If you’ve ever felt like your team’s impact is c...
Apr 22, 2025•11 min•Ep. 296
Executive Mindset — Suspending Disbelief Before you shoot it down, can you believe it’s possible? This penultimate episode in our eight traits series is about cultivating the executive mindset: the leader who fuels momentum by suspending disbelief, creating space for bold solutions instead of killing ideas with realism too soon. Don't be a CT-No video . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech execut...
Apr 15, 2025•10 min•Ep. 295
Say It Like You Mean It: Communication for Tech Leaders In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the eight essential traits of exceptional tech leaders—this time, tackling the ever-crucial skill of communication . Too many leaders assume that because they’ve said something, they’ve communicated it. But how often have you walked away from a conversation certain you were clear, only to discover later that the other person heard something entirely different? Whether you’re speaking to your t...
Apr 08, 2025•12 min•Ep. 294
You’re Not Coaching—You’re Just Talking at People In this next installment of the Eight Traits series, we dive into one of the most misunderstood (and underused) leadership skills: Coaching . Everyone thinks they’re coaching because they give feedback or advice. But real coaching? It’s about helping people think better, not just telling them what to do. If you want a team of independent thinkers—not task rabbits—this one’s a must. Grab my free impact coaching framework ebook . Grab a copy of my ...
Apr 01, 2025•9 min•Ep. 293
Most tech leaders say they value autonomy. But when it comes to actually letting go and empowering their teams? That’s where the cracks show. In this episode of the Eight Traits series, I unpack how autonomy isn’t just about giving freedom—it’s about intentional delegation, trust, and designing teams that think for themselves (without blowing things up). If you’re still the bottleneck—or if “delegation” means throwing tasks over the fence—this one’s for you. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing...
Mar 25, 2025•11 min•Ep. 292
For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. After previously discussing vision, now we're covering translating that into action: Instilling Purpose . Vision's no good if it's locked up in your head because then you have to p...
Mar 18, 2025•11 min•Ep. 291
For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. This time, we're continuing with vision : A foundational tenet of every strategy, executives who lack vision don't know where they're headed. Let's go over simple questions to asse...
Mar 11, 2025•9 min•Ep. 290
For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. We’re starting with accountability : Can people trust you to follow through? Do you deliver on what you commit to? Let’s find out. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Techno...
Mar 04, 2025•15 min•Ep. 289
When you're playing other people's games, you're following a path selected by others. You might have a better way of reaching that destination, or an entirely different one. Too often, we find ourselves playing by rules that weren’t designed for us, following paths that don’t serve us, and chasing goals we never truly chose. In this episode, I break down the power of opting out, the courage it takes to reject playing other people’s games , and how tech leaders can create careers and companies th...
Feb 25, 2025•13 min•Ep. 288
This team was spinning its wheels for weeks—endless discussions, half-baked experiments, and no real progress. Then, they put a “safety net” in place, and within days, they made leaps they hadn’t achieved in months. What changed? And more importantly—can you do the same? Too often, teams fear taking bold steps because failure feels too costly. But with the right structures in place, they stop playing defense and start creating. In this episode, we dive into how the right guardrails can unlock in...
Feb 18, 2025•11 min•Ep. 287
🥗 Salad or Risotto? The Leadership Balancing Act 🍛 Some things can be tossed together in minutes. Others need time to develop depth and character. 💡 A salad? Chop, mix, done. Quick and fresh. 🔥 Risotto? Slow, careful stirring. Rushing ruins it. In tech leadership, knowing what needs speed and what demands patience is everything. Confuse the two, and you end up with a half-baked strategy—or worse, a burnt-out team. Reserve your spot for the Coaching Upgrade #2 livestream. Grab a copy of my bo...
Feb 11, 2025•13 min•Ep. 286
Leadership headaches? If you’re just taking painkillers instead of treating the root cause, you’re letting problems fester until they explode—usually at the worst time. Are you practicing ‘Ibuprofen Management’? Let’s talk about it in this week’s episode. Get my free ebook about the impact coaching framework . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach ...
Feb 04, 2025•11 min•Ep. 285
Some engineering leaders are so process-driven, they’re practically begging AI to replace them. Are you so intent on bolting everything down, you're mostly ensuring there's no innovation happening? Don't be a bureaucrat. Over-optimization and rigid systems kill creativity, making human leadership irrelevant. More on this week's episode. Get a copy of the Impact Coaching Framework ebook . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to ...
Jan 28, 2025•11 min•Ep. 284
Is your team essentially operating like teenagers working at McDonald's, not having any real authority or agency to do anything without asking for their parent's permission? The right coaching and environment can unlock their potential, and the wrong ones easily deteriorate into a messy space with lots of unhappy faces. More on this week's podcast episode. Join my upcoming public livestream about upgrading your coaching skills . Sign up and also get my free ebook about the impact coaching framew...
Jan 21, 2025•9 min•Ep. 283
