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Building and scaling startups involves numerous uncertainties and complexities, from ideation to exit. Many entrepreneurs and tech leaders struggle with innovation risks, team cohesion, and the fear of failure. Today, serial entrepreneur David Hersh shares his lessons from founding and exiting four large companies.
David discusses key tech startup challenges, such as product ideation, early monetization, and building strong teams. He offers tech leaders and aspiring founders valuable lessons on adapting to market needs, making strategic pivots, and navigating the journey from startup to acquisition.
David highlights the critical role of teamwork in navigating the ups and downs of startup life, noting that building a trusted, cohesive team can be more important than the idea itself. He also shares the importance of building the products that customers want and the value of embracing external ideas.
Tune in to hear David’s candid reflections on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, his best and worst decisions, and his advice on managing post-acquisition transitions in large companies.
“Scratching your own itch is effective because if you’re solving a problem for yourself, you’re likely solving it for others.” ~ David HershIn This Episode:
- Lessons from product ideation to execution
- Monetization strategies and business viability analysis
- David’s best and worst decisions: the role of teamwork
- Reflecting on mistakes and pivots
- How to choose an exit strategy as an entrepreneur
- How to navigate post-acquisition challenges
And much more!
Connect with David Hersh:
- LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhersh/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Over the past 18 to 24 months, temporary labor usage in the U.S. has dropped by 15%, despite the strong economic performance. This surprising decline in temp labor penetration highlights a critical shift in workforce strategies and the need for companies to evaluate their labor mix.
Hugo Malan, President of Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology, and Telecom, is here to discuss one of the most pressing issues for business leaders today: finding the right labor mix. As a seasoned leader in workforce solutions, Hugo shares valuable insights on how companies can achieve the right balance between permanent, temporary, and consulting labor to drive flexibility, continuity, and innovation.
Hugo explains how short-term economic fears, such as concerns about a recession, have led companies to reduce their use of temporary staff and maintain permanent staff. He anticipates a normalization in the demand for temporary staffing by 2025 as economic anxiety decreases and companies look for more flexible labor options.
Tune in to learn how to prepare your company for future demand fluctuations and maintain a flexible, high-performing workforce.
“If you don’t have a flexible component in your labor force, it becomes more difficult to respond fast enough to an upturn or downturn in demand, and that can have significant negative impacts on your bottom line.” ~ Hugo MalanIn This Episode:
- Defining labor mix: permanent, temporary, and consulting
- The importance of finding the right labor mix
- Surprising shifts in the U.S. labor market
- The root causes of labor market changes
- The impact of economic anxiety on temporary labor
- Future trends and predictions for the staffing industry
- Advice for business leaders on finding the right labor mix
And much more!
Connect with Hugo Malan:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-malan-0994191/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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As AI continues to shape the future of tech, leaders must ensure they're using it responsibly while maintaining human-centric values. Navigating the ethical complexities of AI is crucial to avoid costly mistakes that could compromise both teams and technology.
Today’s episode features Ken Judy, a partner at Stride. Ken has over 30 years of experience in the tech industry, with 15 years spent in executive leadership roles. He highlights the need for accountability and professional ethics in AI development, emphasizing that adopting AI should enhance human roles, not replace them.
Ken highlights potential risks, such as intellectual property violations and misuse of AI outputs. He advocates for proactive efforts to avoid these issues, including new governance roles to oversee AI ethics within organizations, much like Agile's Scrum masters ensure accountability.
Are you ready to lead your team into the future of AI responsibly? Tune in to this insightful episode and learn how to align tech practices to long-term values so that AI supports human potential and organizational goals.
“If you care about people, your first instinct will not be how many of these people I can replace. It'll be, "How can I help these people get their jobs done better?” ~ Ken JudyIn This Episode:
- Ethical principles in AI development
- Transparency and best practices in AI
- Governance and accountability in AI
- Agile principles and AI integration
- Final thoughts on ethics in AI
And much more!
Connect with Ken Judy:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjudy
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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AI's rapid evolution is impacting the project management profession. It’s shifting the focus from manual crisis management to strategic oversight, enabling tech leaders to deliver higher-quality outcomes faster and more efficiently.
Today’s guest, Adam Roberts, is a seasoned project management expert with over 20 years of experience at major companies such as Disney, Viacom, and NBCUniversal. We are talking about the role of AI in project and program management, exploring its potential, and the challenges it presents.
Adam shares how AI is already reshaping routine tasks, such as note-taking and scheduling, allowing project managers to focus on more strategic responsibilities. He also addresses AI's inherent risks and limitations, emphasizing the need for vigilance and human oversight in leveraging these technologies.
If you’re a tech leader aiming to stay ahead of the curve and effectively lead your teams in an AI-driven world, this episode is a must-listen. You will learn how AI can drive efficiency, reduce project risks, and potentially redefine the future of project management roles.
“The notion of 80 percent of project management work being handled by AI can be a very frightening statistic, but it might mean there is capacity to take on more and deliver more.” ~ Adam RobertsIn This Episode:
- AI's impact on project and program management
- Challenges and limitations of AI in project management
- The impact of AI on the project and program managers’ profession
- The future of AI in project management
- Myths and misconceptions about AI
- Organizational responsibilities and AI policies
And much more!
Connect with Adam Roberts:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scrumexpert/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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The Harvard Business Review once called data science the “sexiest job in the 21st century.” A decade later, a significant gap exists between academic training and the practical demands of data science in business. Educational programs focus heavily on technical skills without preparing students for real-world challenges.
Marco Morales, a seasoned professional, has spent the last decade at the intersection of business and technology, leading data science initiatives in media and entertainment. Marco explains why tech leaders should care about this gap and offers actionable steps, such as dedicated data science internships, to help new graduates transition smoothly into the industry.
Marco emphasizes the importance of upskilling data scientists to collaborate effectively with non-technical stakeholders in a typical business setting.
Tune in to learn key methodologies and best practices for building impactful data products and mitigating the experience gap for new data scientists entering the workforce.
“As a tech leader, you’ll find that people don't usually hit the ground running. There's a learning curve, and it's a cost that any company ends up incurring for getting people ready to be contributing as data scientists.” ~ Marco MoralesIn This Episode:
- Marco Morales’ background and experience in data science
- The gap between academic and business data science
- The challenges in applying academic data science
- Problem-solving in a controlled academic setting vs in the real world
- Teaching data scientists to collaborate with other specialized professionals
- Best practices for data science in business
- How tech leaders can mitigate the gap
And much more!
Connect with Marco Morales:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcomoralesbarba
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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How do you decide between ditching and reusing software? Nolan Frausto, the CTO of AdaptedMind, discusses his experience leading a complete software rewrite at the education technology startup.
AdaptedMind experienced rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing significant issues with its outdated codebase, which had been developed over ten years by a very small team. Nolan explains his process of assessing the current code, identifying fundamental issues, and deciding to rebuild from the ground up.
He emphasizes the importance of hiring the right people and gaining trust from the founders and team members for a successful migration.
If you are a tech leader tasked with deciding whether to reuse or rewrite software, Nolan’s experience and lessons will help you make the right choice for your organization. Tune in for this and more!
“Spending an extra month or extra time with your hiring will pay dividends across the board down the line. It's a cliche; hire good people, hire the best, but it's a cliche for a reason.” ~ Nolan FraustoIn This Episode:
- Assessing the code quality before the decision to rewrite
- AdaptedMind’s software rewrite journey: Steps and challenges
- Executing the switchover seamlessly
- Migration strategy, timelines, A/B testing, and team growth
- The importance of gaining trust from the founders
- Reflections and lessons learned in the migration
And much more!
Connect with Nolan Frausto:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolanfrausto
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Are you a tech leader struggling to control tech debt while navigating the rapid advancements in AI? Stride’s Head of AI, Dan Mason, is here to help us unravel the complexities of using generative AI to manage and prevent the tech debt spiral.
Dan explains that GenAI's effect on tech debt largely depends on how organizations use it. With proper guidance and context, GenAI can improve code quality, but without oversight, it can lead to bad code and increased tech debt.
Dan highlights the necessity of providing GenAI with detailed human-level documentation and instructions for teams to achieve better code quality. Also, the benefits of AI tools differ across industries. Cautious industries like banking may see a reduction in tech debt, while fast-moving startups might incur more debt.
Consequently, Dan emphasizes the need for tech leaders to have a strategic plan and ensure AI-generated code is thoroughly reviewed to prevent tech debt accumulation and maintain code integrity. He also warns about the potential pitfalls of ignoring GenAI’s impact on tech debt.
Listen to the full episode to understand how thoughtful integration of AI tools can enhance team capacity and lead to more intelligent decision-making in your organization.
"The best way to avoid incurring new debt is to be honest about what GenAI can do. You can't plan your workflows around 'GenAI will just do everything.' Find the things that it's good at and figure out which constraints GenAI can loosen for you. " ~ Dan MasonIn This Episode:
- The impact of AI on code quality
- The role of human language instructions and human oversight
- How to determine the right AI strategy and tools
- Strategic application of AI in various industries
- How to use Stride Conductor to remediate tech debt
- The evolution of the relationship between GenAI and tech debt
- Best development practices to prevent the tech debt spiral
- Consequences of ignoring GenAI's impact on tech debt
And much more!
Connect with Dan Mason :
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnmason
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Did you know that some principles of code debugging can transform your tech team's productivity? Lisa van Gelder, a tech veteran with over 25 years of experience, shares her journey from debugging code to debugging entire teams.
Lisa explains the concept of 'debugging' a tech team, akin to debugging code, which is crucial to identifying and resolving productivity and performance issues. She outlines the importance of metrics, specifically the DORA metrics and cycle time.
Lisa advocates for a comprehensive debugging strategy involving data analysis and team conversations to uncover and address problems, emphasizing mastery, autonomy, purpose, and psychological safety as essential elements.
The conversation also highlights challenges and best practices for managing small and large teams and the necessity of stakeholder communication when making changes to avoid negative consequences.
If you are a tech leader, this conversation will give you insights on managing and improving your team’s performance effectively, so tune in!
"You really want to debug a team if you don't know what's going on. If you know what's going on, cool, hopefully, you can fix it. But if you don't know, that's when debugging comes into it. " ~ Lisa van GelderIn This Episode:
- What is team debugging?
- How to start team debugging
- Interpreting metrics and team dynamics
- Best practices for gathering data and team insights
- Frameworks for interpreting data and understanding team issues
- Debugging different team sizes
- How to manage adverse debugging outcomes
- When to debug a team
And much more!
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
- Learn more about DORA metrics - https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/devops-sre/using-the-four-keys-to-measure-your-devops-performance
- Buy “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel Pink - https://a.co/d/4OtPnKA
Connect with Lisa van Gelder :
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-van-gelder
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/lisa_van_gelder
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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In a world where traditional programming skills are evolving faster than ever, tech leaders must adapt to stay ahead. Today’s guests, Rob O’Brien and Moin Haque, discuss the emerging concept of "English is the new Python."
Rob is a partner at Stride and has over 10 years of experience in product and management consulting. Moin is a lead technologist at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) with over 20 years of experience in tech and data analytics.
Rob and Moin explain how natural language interfaces are creating efficiencies and reshaping various tech fields. They highlight the critical role of prompt engineering in effectively utilizing AI technologies.
The guests provide practical steps for organizations to adapt to the evolution, such as building knowledge graphs and ensuring a strong data foundation. The conversation also emphasizes the evolving role of technologists and the growing importance of communication and critical reasoning skills for tech leaders.
As a tech leader, it’s time for you to embrace the shift towards natural language and AI. Tune in to learn how you can adapt your leadership strategies to stay competitive and drive innovation in your organization.
"In my experience with technology, there's always been some level of inherent or implicit inefficiency, but when you have the ability to communicate in natural language, there's an efficiency there. And if done right, there's also a greater efficacy. " ~ Rob O'BrienIn This Episode:
- English is the new Python: What does this mean?
- How do you know when technologies are wrong?
- Natural language disruption: Challenges and opportunities for organizations
- The role of prompt engineers in building natural language interfaces
- External resources on natural language and prompt engineering
- Advice for the next generation of technologists
- The future of natural language interfaces
And much more!
Connect with Rob O'Brien:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-o-brien-82865b25
Connect with Moin Haque:
- Website - https://www.iff.com/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/haquem
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Remote work became increasingly attractive to employees after the pandemic because of its flexibility. Consequently, organizations now have easy access to the best talents worldwide. However, managers have to constantly deal with the overlap of the employees’ home and work life.
How can managers help remote workers achieve work-life balance and create objective performance measures to optimize their productivity? Today’s guest has valuable insights for managing remote teams.
Sean Campbell, CEO and founder of Cascade Insights, is a well-regarded consultant, speaker, author, trainer, mentor, and educator. Sean shares insights on remote work productivity and work-life balance tips from his expertise in leading remote companies for over 24 years.
He emphasizes the need for managers to master asynchronous communication and remote workers to sharpen their writing skills. In addition, companies should adapt hiring and management strategies to the remote work model and invest in their digital footprint.
Sean also underscores the need for clear performance measures and the importance of embracing flexibility while setting reasonable business constraints to ensure productivity and employee satisfaction in remote settings.
If you're grappling with dwindling productivity among your remote workers or seeking practical strategies to help your employees achieve a healthier work-life balance, this episode is for you!
"I think no matter the size of the firm, you absolutely have to invest in your digital footprint because that's how everybody finds you now. " ~ Sean CampbellIn This Episode:
- Sean’s 24-year journey, and the evolution of remote work
- The importance of a strong digital footprint
- Eras of remote work: From impossible to hybrid
- Best practices for managing remote workers
- Tips for balancing work and home life for remote employees
And much more!
Connect with Sean Campbell:
- Website - https://www.cascadeinsights.com/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancampbell
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Getting a new job in today’s labor market is challenging, especially for senior tech leaders exploring new domains. New technologies have emerged, making it harder for job applicants to prove their skills. How do you transition to a new industry as a tech leader without domain expertise?
Today’s guest, Kevin Lupowitz, is a seasoned tech leader with over 20 years of experience. He shares his story of transitioning from financial technology to a pivotal role as the head of technology at CLEAR, a global biometrics security company, without prior experience.
How did he do it? Kevin learned the importance of demonstrating impact in previous roles, leveraging adjacent skills, and the willingness to learn. He also emphasizes the crucial role of adapting to new technologies, building trust and maintaining it through achieving milestone goals, and clear communication with hiring managers.
So, if you are ready for the big switch, tune in to learn how best to present yourself in job applications and the value of being open to new domains in today's challenging labor market.
"One thing I would encourage people to do is be more open-minded if they're looking for new opportunities. It's okay to look for opportunities outside of your kind of historical domain that you've been operating in. " ~ Kevin Lupowitz.In This Episode:
- Kevin's journey from fintech to CLEAR's tech leader
- Leveraging lack of domain expertise as an asset
- The surprises and challenges of a tech transition
- Adapting to the evolving labor market: Insights for tech leaders
- Tips for hiring and being hired in tech
And more!
Connect with Kevin Lupowitz:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/klupowitz
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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Is your performance review process hindering your team’s optimal performance?
In assessing performance, companies often share OKRs equally among team members and then review individual performance at the end of the year based on these shared OKRs.
But this approach seems to offer no incentive for teamwork or higher performance.
So, how should tech leaders review team performance without hurting teamwork?
My guest, Fabio Lessa, is here to help us identify the best strategies for creating a performance-oriented culture within tech teams. Fabio leads Duolingo’s platform engineering team and has over 15 years of experience building engineering teams at startups and large companies, such as Spotify and SoundCloud.
In this episode, Fabio shares Duolingo’s recent experience with the “tiger teams” approach to boosting performance. Forming a tiger team involves freeing specialists from regular responsibilities to focus on a particular task.
Fabio observed that tiger teams outperform average teams because all team members pay undivided attention to the task. In fact, one such tiger team exceeded performance expectations by completing a 3-month task in just 2 weeks!
The key? Tech leaders must create a distraction-free environment and break down complex tasks. Tech leaders must also set clear goals and communicate how the project’s scope contributes to the company’s goals.
Tune in for this and more insights on how to boost your team’s performance.
"The main way to impact performance is at the environment level, not at the individual." ~ Fabio LessaIn This Episode:
- Team leadership lessons from the Tiger Teams approach
- Causes of poor team management and how to fix them
- How to create a culture of performance in teams
- Why team predictability and continuous improvement are critical
- Team characteristics that support a culture of performance
And more!
Connect with Fabio Lessa
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabiolessa
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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How do you achieve a company’s mission and financial success in tough economic times? My guest, Anil Beniwal, is here to help us navigate this balance.
Anil is Arcadia's CTO and has over two decades of experience in the tech industry. He shares valuable insights on why financial understanding is crucial for CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and Heads of Products.
Financial literacy enables CTOs and other leaders to assess the potential ROI of investment, mitigate financial risks, and prioritize spending on projects that bring the highest value to the company.
Financially literate leaders communicate more effectively and collaborate with other departments, including finance, operational, and commercial departments. Effective communication is also critical for leaders to demonstrate the value of technology investments and secure funding from stakeholders.
Anil also highlights the importance of financial transparency, especially with employees. Transparency builds trust between employees and leaders. Employees make better decisions when they understand the impact of their decisions on the bottom line. However, CTOs must balance transparency and discretion to avoid misinterpretation of financials.
Where do you draw the line in financial transparency as a CTO? My guest has valuable insights on this and more, so tune in!
"Financial literacy equips the CTO with the ability to make really informed decisions that align technology investments with strategic goals." ~ Anil BeniwalIn This Episode:
- The role of employee financial literacy in achieving a company’s mission
- How to balance financial outcomes with technical outcomes
- How financial literacy contributes to a tech leader's success
- Strategies for enhancing financial literacy among tech leaders
- How to balance financial transparency with discretion
And more!
Connect with Anil Beniwal:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/abeniwal
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/
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In times of financial constraint, how can tech companies strike the right balance between innovation and efficiency? As budgets tighten and resources become scarce, leaders must make tough decisions about where to invest their time and money.
One strategy that has proven effective for many organizations is platform reuse. By building internal platforms that can be leveraged across multiple teams and projects, companies can reduce duplication of effort, improve time to market, and free up resources for more innovative pursuits.
Today’s episode guest, Marcus Frödin, VP of Engineering for Music at Spotify shares his insights on how to identify the best candidates for platform reuse, how to communicate the benefits to stakeholders, and how to navigate the challenges of shifting from a mindset of abundance to one of constraint.
Drawing on his experience at Spotify, Marcus provides real-world examples of how platform reuse has contributed to operational efficiency and faster time to market for new products like Spotify for Podcasters and Spotify for Audiobooks.
Whether you're a tech leader looking to optimize your resources or an engineer curious about the benefits of platform thinking, this episode is packed with valuable insights and practical advice. Join us as we explore the art and science of balancing innovation and efficiency in constrained times.
"Constraint breeds innovation. And so I think as a technology industry... when you have more tight boundaries, it forces leaders to make more explicit trade-offs." ~ Marcus FrödinIn This Episode:
- Introducing Marcus Frödin
- Shifting from abundance to constraint and how it affects platform reuse decisions
- How to identify the best candidates for platform reuse
- Amortization of reuse
- Preventing security and vulnerability risks in platform reuse
- Communicating platform shifts across the organization
- Addressing team concerns during platform changes
- Balancing innovation and efficiency in platform reuse
- Leveraging constraints to drive innovation in tech teams
- Successful examples of platform reuse contributing to operational efficiency
- Spotify's platform reuse strategy for faster time to market
And more!
Connect with Marcus Frödin:
- Website - https://leaddev.com/community/marcus-frodin
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusfrodin/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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How can we effect change in our tech teams to become more agile? Perhaps you've tried Scrum Agile and found that you're stuck with new vocabulary for the same old problems. If so, you may be ready for Agile Kata!
Originating in martial arts, a 'Kata' involves deliberate, repetitive practice to master a form. By practicing business agility with Agile Kata, an organization can build new habits and skills to shift a corporate culture. It certainly worked for Toyota.
Today's guest is Joe Krebs, the creator of the Agile Kata certification program, host of the Agile.fm podcast, and founder of Incrementor which specializes in agile training.
There couldn't be a more knowledgeable person to speak on the virtues of Agile Kata than Joe!
Today's episode is sure to make you consider how you can incorporate the patterns of change management into your tech team and business! It's a fresh, hot topic that we are sure you will enjoy. Please join us.
"You can see it (Agile Kata) as a pattern of change management towards any kind of agility." ~ Joe KrebsIn This Episode:
- What is Agile Kata?
- Agile Kata in four steps
- How to get from your current condition to your target condition
- How to combine Agile Kata with Scrum
- How to use Agile Kata instead of Scrum
- Agile Kata as a grassroots movement
- Where does Agile Kata fit in with OKRs?
- How do I know if I need Agile Kata for my tech team?
- Do you need an Agile Kata coach for implementation?
And more!
Connect with Joe Krebs:
- Agile Kata Book - https://www.agilekatabook.com/
- Agile Kata Certification - https://www.agilekata.pro/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-consulting/
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How can we break down dev team silos for increased communication and a better-quality end product? Reversing Conway's Law is one way to go about it, and today's guest has a wealth of experience on how to do just that!
Krishna Bala is the Senior VP of Engineering at Proscia, a medical imaging startup that is fighting cancer with AI-enabled Digital Pathology.
Using the case study of Proscia itself, Krishna outlines the benefits of building common elements across teams and handling change management when reorganizing roles and teams.
There is also an in-depth explanation of Conway's Law as well, for those tech companies looking to break down the barriers to better communication between their teams and not be limited in their output by their organizational structure.
Higher quality product by design awaits. We just have to reverse a law to do it. Krishna's knowledge of how to build your organization to achieve its goals will surely be appreciated. Please join us.
"As humans, I think we're just comfortable staying in that hierarchy, staying in our own little system. Work is hard enough, challenging enough that you basically say, 'Okay, this is my box; I'm going to innovate within that box'." ~ Krishna BalaIn This Episode:
- Why are silos bad?
- What is Conway's Law?
- Reversing Conway's Law: what does that entail?
- What good comes from breaking down siloes?
- How is Krishna using this thinking in his work today?
- Organizing a deliberate common core team
- Changing the tires while the car is moving!
- Appreciating the importance of change management
- Figuring out the release cadence for your common core team
And more!
Connect with Krishna Bala:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbala97/
- Website - https://proscia.com/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/
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Given the challenging times that we live in, how do we scale tech teams that stand the test of time? Brian Lanehart is President, CTO, Chief Risk Officer, & Co-Founder at Momnt.
Pronounced 'moment', Momnt is a fintech platform that makes lending easy for your business and financing easy for your customers.
Launching in March of 2020, this is a fascinating story that involves coders answering phones to deal with customers while building out their roadmap and starting to scale on the eve of a global pandemic.
Brian's experience, coupled with his co-founders' investment in company culture, holds the key to how Momnt has been able to scale so quickly.
Today's episode of Scaling Tech covers everything from trauma bonding to the intersection between data models and generative AI, not to mention an appreciation of the holistic approach that is required to build a team (and data model) that is robust enough to stand the test of time. Please join us.
"I'm gonna take all the complexity on the delivery team so the user's perspective can be as simple as humanly possible. And so every time we make a decision: is this going to make someone's life better, more secure, faster, or easier? That was the decision driver." ~ Brian LanehartIn This Episode:
- How do you build in preparation for a fast scale?
- Momnt's lean, phone-answering team at launch
- Can novice entrepreneurs pull off coding this complex?
- Overcoming the burden of legacy code
- How is generative AI changing things?
- How has rapid growth affected employee morale?
- Creating a culture that allows you to go off-script
- What is critical to Momnt's success going forward?
And more!
Connect with Brian Lanehart:
- Website - https://www.momnt.com/about-us
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianlanehart/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/
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How do you build your tech stack so that your underlying systems are strong enough when you scale? Today's guest has 20 years of experience building scalable and robust technology stacks for companies across the board – he’s ideally suited to answer that question.
Heman Duraiswamy is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Circa, building stronger communities through payment innovation. In a nutshell, his company is revolutionizing the rent collection process in the multi-family real estate industry.
Heman shares his experience transitioning from working for a multi-billion dollar enterprise to starting his own business, and the challenges and differences he faced in building a tech stack for a big company versus a startup.
He also talks about the importance of product-market fit, the factors to consider as a technical founder, and the role of monitoring and iterating in the success of a startup.
If you're looking to make sure that your tech stack isn't a liability as you 10X and scale, this one's for you!
"The single most important thing (as a technical founder) that you cannot compromise is making sure that you're building your architecture, your underlying systems... that are scalable." ~ Heman DuraiswamyIn This Episode:
- How Heman transitioned into starting his own business
- The key ingredients needed to be a successful technical founder
- How Circa payments work in helping with rent cashflow
- How to hedge against your tech stack liability
- The importance of proper monitoring (correlation IDs)
- It's not what you build, it's how you build it
And more!
Connect with Heman Duraiswamy:
- Website - https://www.wearecirca.com/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemananthan/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/
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What is it like being a female founder in a post-COVID business landscape, trying to raise venture capital while also trying to raise your kids?
Jean Smart is the founder and CEO of Penelope, a venture-backed 401(k) platform that's focused on serving the five million American micro and small businesses.
Those of us who have worked for a small company will know what a struggle setting up a 401(k) can be. And so, at the height of COVID, Jean gave up her salaried career as a Wall Street exec working in financial services to found Penelope and help folk (like her immigrant parents) invest in their retirement.
Like most business owners who work for themselves, the '9 to 5' quickly becomes a '6 to 6'. Compromises need to be made about who you spend your time with outside of work and how you break down the goals you are trying to achieve into a manageable maths problem of time best spent.
There's a self-confidence and self-esteem that Jean exemplifies as she has come into her own as a female founder, unafraid to raise venture capital, make big decisions, not dwell on her mistakes, and create impact with her business.
This inspiring episode provides valuable insight into the mindset we need to run our own businesses while still running our own lives. Please join us.
"If everything's been easy, then starting a company's really hard. But if you've already been doing hard things, then you got this." ~ Jean SmartIn This Episode:
- What's it like being a female founder?
- What's been the most surprising aspect of the job?
- Learning not to dwell on your mistakes as a business owner
- The advantages of being a female founder
- Jean's advice on how to secure VC funding
- Reducing your goals to a manageable maths problem
- What are the keys to Jean's success?
And more!
Connect with Jean Smart:
- Website - https://penelope.co/news
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeankimnewyork/
Connect with Debbie Madden:
- Website - https://www.stride.build/
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/
- LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/
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What is DevSecOps, and how can we embrace it as we continue improving our systems development cycle?
To answer this important question is Sean D. Mack, a transformational technology leader who has literally written the book, ‘The DevSecOps Playbook: Deliver Continuous Security at Speed’.
Appreciating the crucial role that security (at speed!) plays in your DevOps process begins with understanding company culture. It’s not so much about understanding the tools (“moving to the cloud”) as it is about the People, Process, and Technology.
All the stakeholders need to appreciate that prioritizing security upfront will save time and money in the long run. It’s not a case of security being something too hard to understand so you think that if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.
Ask yourself: what could go wrong if we don’t prioritize security? This is increasingly more prevalent with AI writing code and far fewer eyeballs on the software development process.
Learning how to begin with the end in mind, ask the right questions, and embrace collaboration are all key issues that Sean helps us to understand.
Getting things to market faster, better, and now more secure is sure to see DevSecOps gain traction as we learn that it’s not too complex a term to understand.
How we start employing it in our systems development cycles is something that (thankfully) Sean is giving us some great pointers for, straight from his playbook. Please join us.
“One of the things that’s important with dev sec ops (and powerful about it) is that it’s not just about security. It’s about secure at speed.” ~ Sean D. MackIn This Episode:
What is DevSecOps? How is it different to DevOps?How Sean helps businesses keep their businesses secure (People, Process, and Technology)Understanding process: begin with the end in mindHow important is continuous deployment?What are the most costly mistakes of DevSecOps?The power of employing a DevOps coach (but not outsourcing the internal change needed)Building security into how we work, upfrontHow do non-technical stakeholders think about DevSecOps? How do we educate ourselves about DevSecOps?And more!
Connect with Sean D. Mack:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seandmacknyc/
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/SeanDMackNYC
- Sean’s Book - Amazon.com: The DevSecOps Playbook: Deliver Continuous Security at Speed (Audible Audio Edition)
Connect with Debbie Madden:
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