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    Technology

    Scaling Tech – The blueprint for successful tech teams

    Are you a CTO, Chief Product Officer or Tech leader?

    Then this one’s for you:

    If there was one tool that would help you learn best practices and avoid top mistakes so that you can achieve your goals, would you consider that tool?
    If you answered “yes,” this is the tool you’ve been looking for.

    Debbie Madden is a serial tech entrepreneur.
    She is well known for helping teams scale in ways that result in measurable outcomes paired with a strong culture. She is the founder & chair of Stride, a national agile software development consultancy. Stride helps the world’s top brands like SeatGeek, Spotify, Codecademy, and Casper get high-quality products to market while modeling the way for tech and product best practices that upskill and enable tech teams.
    Episode after episode, you’ll hear top tech leaders and experts in their fields sharing first-hand successes, failures, and lessons learned about the topics that are a high priority for today’s tech teams.

    Let the technology leaders of our time share first-hand stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned as they lead and grow their teams amid an ever-changing landscape.

    For more information on Debbie Madden and Stride visit https://www.stride.build/

    Advertise

    Copyright: © Copyright 2023 Debbie Madden

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Google Play
    • Spotify
    Latest Episodes:
    Product Management Across 4 Startups: Lessons Learned with David Hersh Oct 08, 2024

    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 Hersh


    In 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/

    How Business Leaders Should Think About Labor Mix Today with Hugo Malan Sep 24, 2024

    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 Malan


    In 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/

    Ethical AI: How Tech Leaders Can Balance Innovation with Transparency, Ethics, and Human Value with Ken Judy Sep 10, 2024

    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 Judy



    In 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/

    The Impact and Potential of AI on Project and Program Management with Adam Roberts Aug 27, 2024

    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 Roberts


    In 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/

    Data Science Decoded: The Academia vs Industry Showdown with Marco Morales Aug 13, 2024

    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 Morales


    In 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/

    Deciding When to Ditch Versus Reuse Software with Nolan Frausto Jul 30, 2024

    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 Frausto


    In 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/

    Exploring GenAI’s Impact on Tech Debt with Dan Mason Jul 09, 2024

    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 Mason


    In 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/

    How to Debug Your Team to Boost Performance with Lisa van Gelder Jun 18, 2024

    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 Gelder


    In 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/

    English is the New Python with Rob O’Brien and Moin Haque Jun 04, 2024

    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'Brien


    In 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/

    Remote Work 3 Years Later With Sean Campbell May 21, 2024

    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 Campbell


    In 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/

    How to Enter an Industry as a Tech Leader Where you are NOT a Domain Expert with Kevin Lupowitz May 07, 2024

    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/

    How to Create a Culture of Performance in Teams with Fabio Lessa Apr 23, 2024

    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 Lessa


    In 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/

    The Critical Role of Financial Literacy for Tech Leaders with Anil Beniwal Apr 09, 2024

    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 Beniwal


    In 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/

    How Spotify Optimizes Platform Reuse for Operational Efficiency with Marcus Frödin Mar 26, 2024

    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 Frödin


    In 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/

    Agile Kata With Joe Krebs Feb 27, 2024

    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 Krebs


    In 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/

    Conway’s Law and Breaking Down Dev Team Silo With Krishna Bala Feb 13, 2024

    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 Bala


    In 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/

    Scaling Tech Teams To Stand the Test of Time with Brian Lanehart Jan 30, 2024

    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 Lanehart


    In 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/

    Building a Tech Stack For Your Startup with Heman Duraiswamy Jan 16, 2024

    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 Duraiswamy


    In 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/

    What It's Like To Be A Female Founder with Jean Smart Jan 02, 2024

    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 Smart


    In 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/

    The DevSecOps Playbook: Deliver Continuous Security at Speed with Sean D. Mack Dec 19, 2023

    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. Mack


    In 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 mind
    • How 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, upfront
    • How 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:

    - Website - https://www.stride.build/

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiemadden1/

    - LinkedIn Page - https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-build/

    Building a High-Performing Product and Technology Organization with Nick Maiello Dec 05, 2023

    What does it take to build a high-performing technology organization? For Nick Maiello, it's a combination of data-driven decision-making, having cross-functional teams, and getting your culture right.

    And Nick should know. He has a range of experience, from starting technology companies to scaling out multiple digital transformations in a number of different industries, including consumer travel and e-commerce.

    Currently the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer for Chargely, Nick goes so far as to say that the term 'technology organization' is an outdated one.

    We should be 'cutting edge organizations' as we leverage technology and other tools at our disposal to adopt a customer-centric approach to our businesses.


    Once you understand your company's 'why', what qualities should you look for when hiring talent to navigate technology's changing landscape? And when it comes to software solutions, do you custom-build or go for off-the-shelf?


    Balancing the long-term plan with being iterative, and learning to stay the course with a strong leadership team are more of the ingredients required for a high-performing organization.


    Debbie and Nick show that when efficiency is driven by necessity, things start to click. Please join us on this week's impactful episode of Scaling Tech!


    "Embracing P&T (Product and Technology) means embracing a customer-centric approach. Understanding the priorities of the customer comes first and you do this using customer feedback and data analytics." ~ Nick Maiello


    In This Episode:


    - How can companies embrace the role of Product and Technology in today's digital landscape?

    - How can big-picture thinking benefit software engineering solutions?

    - Why is there a need to shift towards custom-built, cutting-edge technologies?

    - Understanding 'Build, Borrow, or Buy'

    - Why you need passionate people on board for your digital transformation

    - Is software eating the world?

    - The importance of being lean and fast in a startup


    And more!


    Connect with Nick Maiello:

    - E-mail - nickmaiello@chargely.app

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmaiello


    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/

    IBM's Retrospective Radar with Anthony Coppedge Nov 21, 2023

    How do we come together and share and learn? And combine that with planning for what we want to do next. Or, to put it another way, how do we take feedback and then actually act on it?

    Anthony Coppedge is the principal global Digital Sales Agile Lead at IBM, where he guides the training, facilitation, and coaching of sellers, marketers, product owners, and executive leaders globally across all of IBM in how to apply Business Agility.

    His latest Agile invention is the 'Retrospective Radar', a visualization tool and technique for teams to reflect together in a spirit of continuous improvement.

    It combines Stephen Covey's 'Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern' with 'The Starfish Retrospective' by Pat Kua as the starting point for quantifying qualifiable information and then turning that color-coded feedback into actionable intelligence!

    We've all sat through retrospective meetings where we go over what has and hasn't worked in the past quarter and then tried to work out who does what next. And very often, employees grow tired of giving feedback because nothing seems to change.

    Quite simply, the Retrospective Radar is a more efficient meeting model and work results visualization tool. It combines the Retrospective meeting and Iteration Planning meeting into one team meeting instead of two separate meetings.


    It is undoubtedly a brilliant way for companies to incorporate and act on employee feedback in a way that leads to meaningful company change!


    Anthony's invention and resultant insights prove that communication leads to coordination, which in turn leads to collaboration.


    Company siloes get broken down, time gets saved, and aggregated feedback becomes actionable intelligence. Find out more inside this week's episode of Scaling Tech!


    "If you can visualize it, you can talk about it." ~ Anthony Coppedge


    In This Episode:


    - What is IBM's Retrospective Radar?

    - The power of being able to pivot from your learnings

    - How to quantify a qualifiable problem

    - Understanding Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern

    - Does feedback lead to change?

    - The Impact of Actionable Intelligence

    And more!


    Resources:

    - About the Retrospective Radar: https://bit.ly/retroradarintro

    - Free MURAL template for the Retrospective Radar: https://bit.ly/muralretroradar

    - Creative Commons usage rights for the Retrospective Radar: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


    Connect with Anthony Coppedge:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycoppedge/


    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/

    The Chicken Story with Brian Guthrie Nov 07, 2023

    Does process change need to be super complicated? Does change work best when it comes from within a team rather than an external influence? And how can we improve conversations around process change from being less inference-based to more data-driven?

    All these questions are raised as we hear 'the chicken story' from Brian Guthrie in today's episode of Scaling Tech, which explores how a synchronistic process can lead to more staff synchronicity, and even engineer empathy!


    Brian Guthrie is the CTO and Founder at Orgspace – a people platform for software teams. He's learned to look to improve process through internal change.


    And so while Brian doesn't come in and wave a magic wand and tell teams what to do, he has previously bought a rubber chicken and a bell, and waited while engineers sit on their hands until the next step in the process is ready to be implemented and evaluated.


    'The chicken story' is a neat lesson in being explicit about your goals during process change. Is it okay for staff to wring a rubber chicken's neck while also ringing a bell to say their job is done? Find out in today's insightful episode! Please join us.


    "Asynchronicity has a way of hiding slow processes." ~ Brian Guthrie


    In This Episode:


    - Understanding the goal of engineers being responsible for developing and performing their own merges

    - Brian buys his own rubber chicken – and bell!

    - How to improve process through internal change

    - The need to change the conversation from inference to data-driven

    - How to create empathy among your engineers

    - What would Brian do differently now?

    - Why process change needn't always be super complex

    And more!


    Resources:

    - The Chicken Story - https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2006/continuous-integration-on-a-dollar-a-day


    Connect with Brian Guthrie:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bguthrie/

    - Twitter - Brian Guthrie (@bguthrie) / X


    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/

    Transparency in Technology with Josh Tatum Oct 24, 2023

    What does transparency in technology look like? What should be hidden, what should not, and what are the expectations?

    Today's guest is Josh Tatum, the Co-Founder of Carputty (auto financing, reinvented). Josh has been a driving force in the consumer finance and technology industry for the better part of two decades and brings a wealth of educated opinion and insight to the topic of transparency.


    Did you know that supermarkets are using the Bluetooth on your phones to track your in-store movements and then target you with coupons accordingly? Are you aware of what credit reporting agencies are doing with your data when you get into debt with your student loan, or to buy a car?


    How do we know that the information we provide tech companies with isn't being sold or used to discriminate against us? And what can we do about the "hyper-targeting" of customers in specific areas and demographic groups?


    Josh is giving us plenty to think about as he elucidates on the triangle of Technology, Transparency, and Trust. In his opinion, all people should know what information they are giving away - AND what it is being used for.


    As companies are being forced to slow down and consider the consumer's interests more, now is a great time to protect our engineers by being transparent about what we are creating, while still protecting the 'secret sauce' that is our Intellectual Property.


    There's an important balance that is worth striving for. Details inside!


    "Do consumers really know where credit reporting agencies are gathering their data? Is that transparent enough? You can get your report for free, you can get some things for free, but knowing what they actually do with it would actually scare a lot of consumers." ~ Josh Tatum


    In This Episode:

    - What does transparency in technology even mean?

    - How do we give consumers debt?

    - Can we trust Credit Reporting Agencies?

    - Who owns your profile, and who is trusted with your financial information?

    - How the auto industry finances your car deal

    - What Intellectual Property should be protected from the public?

    - How supermarkets use your Bluetooth to track your in-store shopping behavior

    - Learning to always ask 'the why?' and to trust your engineers!


    And more!


    Connect with Josh Tatum:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-tatum-3bb86541/

    - Website - https://www.carputty.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/

    How To Beat Burnout with Aldric Giacomoni Oct 10, 2023

    How do you tell if you have burnout? Are there key milestones that you should look out for on the way down? And are there healthy indicators to celebrate your recovery?

    Aldric Giacomoni has been a member of the New York Tech scene for over 15 years and is an old friend and colleague of host Debbie Madden. He also suffered recently from burnout, and in today's episode of Scaling Tech, he's candidly sharing what got him through it in a highly relatable episode.

    From early warning signs and misdiagnoses, through to the power of having candid conversations with people who know you well enough to point out when something seems amiss, there is almost a methodology of steps and repeatable processes that you can apply as you learn to take care of yourself in the same way as you would your business.

    Discover what helped Aldric tackle the pile of dirty laundry, get back to job hunting, and beat the pandemic blues in this episode of Scaling Tech that seeks to prioritize mental health by starting a conversation. Please join us.


    "I had an outsized emotional response to a question that was not particularly emotionally charged. And that's when I realized: this is probably burnout." ~ Aldric Giacomoni



    In This Episode:

    - When do you know that you have burnout?

    - What are the misdiagnoses with burnout?

    - The importance of having meaningful conversations with people who know you

    - Why you should get preemptive professional therapeutic help

    - The power of a regular meditation practice

    - What are the milestones as you start to recover from burnout?

    - Seeing burnout recovery through the lens of repeatable processes

    And more!


    Connect with Aldric Giacomoni:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevoke/


    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/

    Balancing Tech Proficiency and Stakeholder Goals with Blackstone's Rob Wisniewski Sep 26, 2023

    How do you balance technical proficiency with stakeholder goals? Who talks to whom, and who owns the process as you build out your product management teams while showing your stakeholders their much-needed ROI?

    These are some of the challenges Rob Wisniewski has faced over the years as a CTO who has specialized in helping companies scale while automating their big idea.

    Rob Wisniewski is a Managing Director in Blackstone's Technology and Innovations Group and has worked in a variety of tech leadership roles in multiple industries and at various stages of company growth.

    Stakeholder sophistication is a key component for Rob as you establish a healthy stakeholder connection while also assessing when to put your product management team in the same room as your stakeholders.

    Learning that the stakeholders control the process and that as you scale up your effectiveness as a tech organization, you become more human and therapy-driven anyway (which in turn helps your stakeholder approach) are just some of the smart insights that have made Rob a much sought-after CTO.

    An external valuation can also be important at the right stage of product development as we "learn to get out of the way of our own experiments," as Rob succinctly puts it.

    There's also good news in this episode for owners looking to tighten their belts as Rob and Debbie comment on the merits of getting better outcomes with a measure of economic restraint.

    Join us for a lesson in remembering why we create value when we create tech – and how we can protect that process through healthy corporate culture and communication. Please join us.

    "For me, it's about finding that product management discipline, really putting time, effort into your version of it, and making sure that there's transparency with the stakeholders via that function." ~ Rob Wisniewski


    In This Episode:

    - Appreciating your purpose of creating value with your tech

    - Who gets to talk to whom when you're building out your product management?

    - Understanding stakeholder sophistication

    - Why the process is owned by the stakeholders

    - What happens when stakeholder needs and priorities conflict?

    - What has Rob seen insofar as 'mistakes in the making'?

    - Getting a better outcome with a measure of economic restraint

    And more!



    Connect with Rob Wisniewski:

    - Website - https://www.blackstone.com/

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwisniewski/



    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/

    Going from CTO to Business Operations with Nick Rockwell at Fastly Sep 12, 2023

    What are the skills you take when you go from being CTO to head of business operations – and what are the new skills you acquire? And how can a company benefit from having a former CTO looking at its systems and processes?

    Nick Rockwell is currently the EVP for Strategy and Operations at Fastly, having transitioned from within the company as CTO. Before that, Nick was CTO at The New York Times, and he's been a CTO for the better part of 22 years!

    All of this makes him expertly qualified to chat with our host Debbie Madden about the skills an engineering mind can bring to meetings, including how to take a data-informed approach (rather than data-driven) to learning, research, and information, as well as still using data for outcomes.

    The challenges of being cross-functional, learning how to communicate with your teams once senior management has worked out what is a priority, and even the personal identity shift that occurs when you take on a different role within the same company all provide valuable insight into the day to day operations of a thriving tech company.

    The human challenges of team cadence and doing the simple things really well to achieve success are all carefully considered and articulated by an engineering mind who is now re-engineering company systems.

    This episode is for all engineers looking for an insight into what it's like to bring those skills to the boardroom table and take on other company challenges. Please join us.

    "It stands to reason that if you want to change anything about how the company runs, it's at least 80% a communications challenge." - Nick Rockwell

    In This Episode:

    - Nick shares on re-defining his identity within the company

    - Thinking like a product manager – understanding prioritization

    - Understanding that every company process is manifested in a system

    - Appreciating that the mechanics of corporate communication holds the key to change

    - Nick's insights into cross-functionality

    - Why a "data-informed" approach is better than a data-driven one

    And more!

    Connect with Nick Rockwell:

    - Website - https://www.fastly.com/

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickrockwell/

    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/

    Making Performance Management a Top Priority with Cat Miller Aug 29, 2023

    Performance Management! Why is it more important now than ever? And how can you make it a top priority in your organization? In increasingly volatile times, is it worth replacing that person on the team who's giving you 20% less than the next candidate could? And when is a good time to do performance reviews?

    Cat Miller is the CTO of Flatiron Health, leading an organization of over 400 technologists who are working together to reimagine the infrastructure of cancer care. Cat is a software and data engineer by training, with over a decade's experience in data-focused startups and nine years growing the team at Flatiron (through acquisition and beyond).

    Cat is addressing the issue that most companies either find themselves in a state of hypergrowth or attrition – and in either scenario, there's usually an open headcount.

    So, if you're growing fast, there seemingly isn't the time to evaluate performance output. And if there's suddenly a hiring freeze, when someone leaves, you don't receive a backfill for that position. Another challenge is that managers are often not incentivized to performance manage because they don't know what's on the other side of that process.

    But as Cat and Debbie concur (and we can attribute the sentiment to Simon Sinek), feedback is a gift. And so thinking about where the person you are evaluating wants to be in five years can help the process.

    Good managers care about other people, but it is also about thinking about a person's worth and output from the perspective of the business – and the impact that person's performance has on the rest of their team.

    This is a fascinating deep dive into the 'Why, How, What, When, Where, and Who?' challenges that performance management throws up. And if we are looking for steady organizational growth and staff prosperity, these are challenges we need to face. Please join us.

    "Product managers really know when their engineering team is delivering – and when it's not." - Cat Miller


    In This Episode:

    - Why Performance Management isn't a Top Priority (when you have open roles to fill)

    - The challenge of performance managing someone out of a role that then needs to be filled

    - How can we use business urgency to drive performance?

    - What are the risks of de-prioritizing performance management?

    - Who's asking: Is this the best you can do?

    - When is a good time to do performance reviews?

    And more!


    Resources:

    • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle - https://www.amazon.com/Burnout-Secret-Unlocking-Stress-Cycle/dp/198481706X
    • Feedback is a Gift - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tttv9lRPcLA


    Connect with Cat Miller:

    - Website - https://flatiron.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/

    The Path to Becoming a CTO With JP Grace Aug 15, 2023

    What is it like to take seven months and interview literally hundreds of founders and co-founders of businesses before taking your next job as a CTO?

    This is the fascinating story of JP Grace, a seasoned engineering leader who's paved his way in the tech industry with his ability to drive business growth and positive change.

    JP Grace is the current CTO of Endear, where he's assisting omnichannel retail brands in driving sales with an easy-to-implement clienteling platform.

    How he got to where he is today is a lesson for aspiring CTOs in being intentional about what they want from their next job – and the lengths they are prepared to go to get it.

    For JP, this involved reaching out to his network, chatting with VCs, and taking countless interviews just to see if that next company could be the right fit. Along the way, he learned how to incorporate interview feedback so that he could tell his story in a more impactful manner.

    Learn what chopping wood meant to JP as he figured out how to present his best self and prepare for when the stars aligned with the right career opportunity.

    Your career trajectory can take off too with the intentionality and directionality that JP and host Debbie Madden are astutely discussing in this entertaining episode of Scaling Tech. Please join us!


    "You have to spend a couple of hours a week just researching opportunities and understanding 'Is there a business here? What is this company actually doing?'" - JP Grace



    In This Episode:

    - How JP first got inspired by technology and making new things out of nothing

    - What JP learned from interviewing hundreds of business founders over a period of 7 months

    - Paying attention to how your message is resonating with the people you're speaking to

    - Learning how to wait for the right opportunity to present itself

    - What advice does JP have for aspiring CTOs?

    And more!


    Connect with JP Grace:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephpgrace/


    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/

    Onshore vs Offshore Hiring in a Hybrid World with Joe Burgess Aug 01, 2023

    Which is better: onshore versus offshore hiring? This is an important consideration in today's hybrid world. To answer this question, Scaling Tech's Debbie Madden has brought in Joe Burgess: someone who's tried both approaches in recent months.

    Joe Burgess started his career as a software developer and teacher at Flatiron School, after which he transitioned into leading teams of data scientists, engineers, designers, and education professionals to build the education product at Flatiron – and then deliver it to tens of thousands of students.

    Joe then co-founded Ribbon Education where he now focuses on education and sales. Building startup teams is second nature to Joe, but as he found out with some of his offshore hire experimentation, mistakes can be made.

    This episode is a lesson in, among many things, defining the requirements of the job. Understand those requirements clearly so that a team can communicate at a certain level so that you can attain a certain work level.

    And as simple as it sounds, for Joe hiring early on via Upwork, the ability of his tech hires to understand English proved to be a stumbling block.

    Most startups can ill afford the resources to teach someone the job, and walking that fine line between finding someone who is suitably qualified to build you a CRM platform and giving a young coder an opportunity is well-considered and elucidated by Joe and Debbie.

    How can you go about hiring junior offshore talent? Is timezone important? How do you create the right work culture with a hybrid team? Answers to these questions and more in this week's educational episode of Scaling Tech.


    "When you're a brand new startup (and we're just getting going), it's really hard to allocate the resources to teach someone how to do something." - Joe Burgess


    In This Episode:

    - Joe's early experiences hiring offshore via Upwork

    - What are the requirements of the job? Defining those clearly

    - The overlap between teaching and management

    - The challenges of hiring junior offshore talent

    - How to tackle timezone issues

    - Understanding your employment law options when hiring offshore

    - How to create the right hybrid work culture


    And more!


    Resources:

    - Horsepaste (codenames online) - https://www.horsepaste.com/


    Connect with Joe Burgess:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmburges

    - Ribbon Education - https://www.ribbonedu.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/

    Scaling Innovation at Etsy with Matt Holford Jul 18, 2023

    How do we think about innovation? And then, how do we scale it? Matt Holford is a Senior Director of Engineering at Etsy and a technology leader who's had quite a storied career working as a musician and in various creative digital service agencies.

    As such, he has a unique perspective on how to frame scaling innovation.

    How do we give staff the space for idea generation? And then, how do we validate and implement new ideas at a company level? For Matt, opening the door for product innovation means being able to have pockets of creative conversation in high-pressure situations.

    It's about having the right expectation of bandwidth to take on new ideas – something that is completely distinct from how good the new idea may be.

    Setting goals at the right altitude is also important in today's tough economy. You can set big-level innovation goals that then cascade down to each individual team, but those teams may then feel robbed of the permission to innovate themselves.

    Looking at innovation through the prisms of the individual, the team, and the organization is one of the creative ways that Matt is coming up with new idea-generation methods. Please join us in this fascinating conversation about the cadence and scalability of innovation.

    "The context matters so much in terms of how willing people are to think about technology and engineering as a creative practice." ~ Matt Holford


    In This Episode:

    - Appreciating how Matt's career has informed his understanding of product development

    - How do you take on board engineer ideas while satisfying stakeholder interest?

    - Understanding the practice of generating ideas both inside and outside the business

    - How comfortable is Matt with 'throwaway ideas’?

    - How do we scale innovation in today's tough economy?

    - Seeing the time required for idea generation as a sliding scale

    - What is the right cadence for idea generation?

    And more!


    Resources:

    - Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters - https://www.amazon.com/Ideaflow-Only-Business-Metric-Matters/dp/0593420586

    - Creative Strategy Generation - https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Strategy-Generation-Creativity-Strategies/dp/0071850112#customerReviews

    - Thinking in Bets - https://www.annieduke.com/books/

    - The Voltage Effect - https://www.thevoltageeffect.com/


    Connect with Matt Holford:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattholford/?trk=public-profile-join-page


    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/

    Build vs Buy - How to Be a Good Partner to Your Vendor With Ian Lotinsky Jul 04, 2023

    How can we be a good partner when we buy from a vendor? How do we, as the customer, get good at providing feedback? As we partner with the right SaaS companies, how do we get the most out of those partnerships right out of the gate?

    On today's episode of Scaling Tech, I am by Ian Lotinsky, a product and team builder who is the CTO at Great Minds, an online ed-tech business. Ian is answering Debbie's questions with his own, such as 'How do we understand the people on the other end of the Zoom call?' and 'How can we learn as much as possible about the people using our products?'

    Creating a partnership mindset requires alignment around the question, 'How do we ask questions?' As we embark on a partnership journey, it pays to ask the right questions upfront – at the risk of getting off on the wrong foot. Debbie and Ian delicately unpack this partnership paradox in this intriguing episode. Please join us.

    "One thing I've seen and believe and have read is that you tend to hire culture. And so I've certainly recruited folks and built a team that I could entrust partnerships to." ~ Ian Lotinsky

    In This Episode:

    - How do you create a partnership mindset?

    - How do you get to a positive outcome when you first meet a new vendor?

    - Alignment around the question 'How do you ask questions?'

    - ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing’

    - Understanding the Theory of Constraints

    - Building trust relationships through empathy

    - Upvoting a problem from within the system

    - Building a team based on your values

    - What happens when it comes time to exit the partnership?

    And more!


    Resources:

    Lead Without Blame - amzn.to/42bMoVs


    Connect with Ian Lotinsky:

    - Website - https://greatminds.org/

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianlotinsky


    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/

    Stage Appropriate Processes with Don Neufeld Jun 20, 2023

    Who do we look to as we try to implement stage-appropriate processes within our tech company? Is it the Googles and LinkedIns for their HR and staff incentive policies, or is there a better way to 'right size' our process challenges?

    Don Neufeld is the VPE Coach (Vice President Engineering), who offers leadership and performance coaching for VPEs, CTOs, and other engineering leaders.

    What makes Don so effective is that he's been there as a startup engineering leader himself, from founder to IPO stage – including CTO of Medium and VP Eng. at both ClassPass and Chartboost.

    Today Don is offering insight into first understanding your WHY as a small company and not just following in the process footsteps of tech giants. It's about the fine line between being proactive as a tech leader and doing something when it's actually needed.

    It’s also about asking if your process is better, worse, or the same as before, and making relative judgments instead of comparing yourself with companies that aren't at the same stage as you.

    What is your 'risk list,' and how are you, as a tech leader, understanding the financial implications of your business as you burn cash to get to market? Growth at all costs may well be undermining your efficiency process, and the new world doesn't look like the old one, so it's important to have a holistic understanding of your business.

    Don's insights may help you solve the right problems for your tech business at the right time – saving you time and money further down the line. Please join us.

    "A stage-appropriate process is the right process for you – not some abstract, correct, best process. Especially in engineering. This can be really challenging because engineers want to do things the right way, and so the idea of having an optimal or best process is very attractive." ~ Don Neufeld



    In This Episode:

    - How do we define the optimal process for our organization?

    - Anticipating the pain points in our processes (without solving the wrong problems)

    - Looking at similar-sized companies for policy and process comparables

    - What access do you have to a community of your technical peers?

    - How do we know if we've overshot it with our processes?

    - When should you be proactive as a tech leader – and when reactive?

    - The value of maintaining a 'risk list'

    - When to reevaluate your processes if you're restructuring or downsizing

    - What is the most common mistake startups make?

    And more!


    Connect with Don Neufeld:

    - Website - https://vpecoach.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/

    LLM Transformation Is the New Digital Transformation with Dan Mason Jun 13, 2023

    LLM fluency: what is it, why do tech teams need it, and why should we care about it? LLM transformation is the new digital transformation, and Dan Mason, a principal at Stride Consulting, is today's guest to help us understand all we need to know about Large Language Model transformation.

    Dan is a prolific product and engineering team leader who's led teams and products at ESPN, People Magazine, Viacom, and more! Dan has put together a course on LLM fluency and so is uniquely positioned to offer tech leaders out there valuable insight on how they can use deep learning techniques and massively large data sets to understand, summarize, generate, and predict new content.

    It's about understanding the outlines in the beginning so that by becoming a prompt engineer, you can potentially solve some of the more common customer problems you may be grappling with.

    Engaging LLM so you get to the point of initial utility may be a messy, creative process. Still, the upside of having expertise that builds on itself seems well worthwhile for that initial period of experimentation and understanding.

    Because it's all so new and happening so very fast, host Debbie Madden is just about the perfect host when it comes to bringing it back to her audience (tech leaders) and what they can do to increase their LLM fluency for better team productivity.

    Learn more about the downstream effects of unlocking creativity with LLM and more in this thought-provoking new episode.

    (on LLM transformation) "Really, what's going on here is just a creative explosion." ~ Dan Mason



    In This Episode:

    - What is LLM fluency, and how can you use it in your team?

    - What should we expect as we embrace LLM transformation?

    - Why is LLM the new digital transformation?

    - What new patterns and roles will emerge with LLM transformation?

    - How can tech leaders build LLM fluency and capabilities within their teams?

    - How do we engage LLM to get to the point of initial utility?

    - What areas of constraint does Dan foresee?

    - The downstream effects of unlocking creativity

    - Is the Age of Specialists now over?

    - Which industries should be the most concerned?


    Resources:

    - Stride's LLM Crash "Course": https://www.stride.build/services/ai-transformation


    Connect with Dan Mason:

    - Website - https://www.stride.build/



    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/

    Detecting Truth with Adobe's Content Authenticity Initiative with Andy Parsons Jun 06, 2023

    How do we build systems that improve the way we interact with media and with each other? Truth versus Lies when it comes to content authenticity is today's timely topic and I have brought in Andy Parsons, the Senior Director of the Content Authenticity Initiative at Adobe, to consult!

    There is a scientific curiosity for tech leaders around how we discern 'truth' from 'lies' in the media. Especially with the advent of AI, how do we prove what content is false?

    As Andy clarifies, it's actually more beneficial for us to focus on learning what content to trust, rather than proving falsehoods. Given Andy's position at Adobe – besides being a SXSW speaker and oft-quoted tech expert – he's ideally suited to provide insight on the content process that is ‘Capture, Edit, Publish,’ as well as the open source future of Content Authenticity.

    Following on from this is the idea of 'digital provenance' and using metadata that establishes the chain of custody information needed for users to make trust decisions about digital data.

    Everyone should have the right to click on a piece of media and know what it is and where it came from. After that, we can make up our own minds about whether it's trustworthy.

    With the good work of the Content Authenticity Initiative, this ideal can become more of a reality as we wade our way through 'fake news' and try to appreciate media content for the honest value it can deliver. Bring on the 2024 US election!

    "It's about trust. And trust is not between computers and cameras. Trust is between humans and organizations." ~ Andy Parsons


    In This Episode:

    - What does the Content Authenticity Initiative do?

    - Understanding the process of ‘Capture, Edit, and Publish’

    - What does digital provenance entail?

    - Discerning between publishers who need to be verified and authors wanting to remain anonymous

    - How does the Content Authenticity Initiative actually work?

    - How accessible will this technology be?

    - How will we know whether something was generated by AI?

    - Can we use AI to detect AI?

    And more!



    Resources:

    - Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) Website - https://contentauthenticity.org/

    - CAI Open-Source - https://opensource.contentauthenticity.org/

    - CAI Twitter - https://twitter.com/ContentAuth

    - CAI LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/content-authenticity-initiative/


    Connect with Andy Parsons:

    - Twitter - https://twitter.com/andyparsons

    - Andy Parsons LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyparsons/


    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/

    Agile Fluency with Diana Larsen May 23, 2023

    How do tech leaders learn to lead without blame? Today's guest is Diana Larsen, a truly dynamic and inspirational woman who works with global organizations designing high-performance work systems, and innovating team effectiveness – a theme that is top of mind for most businesses these days.

    We are chatting about the Agile Fluency model, how Diana supports business leaders in their transition to Agile methods, and her latest book ‘Lead Without Blame – Building Resilient Learning Teams.’

    All of Diana's books are required reading for anyone wanting to up their Agile game. Her insights into how teams work through the prism of the Agile Fluency model are fascinating, as is her view on how leadership is changing as our technological world is changing. I trust you will enjoy this episode.

    "It starts with the leaders. Because somebody's gotta at least make that stab in the dark to figure out 'Where are we?... Where do we think we are?... and Where are we really?' ~ Diana Larsen

    In This Episode:

    - What is the Agile Fluency model?

    - Is there a 'target' team for the Agile Fluency model?

    - Who decides what level of fluency is for them?

    - What does Diana see happening when a team member is added?

    - A success story of a business that has employed Diana's model

    - How do you avoid complacency once you've implemented Agile Fluency?

    - How we cultivate more resilient teams - insights from Diana’s new book

    And more!


    Resources:

    - Agile Fluency - http://www.agilefluency.org/

    - Diana’s books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Diana-Larsen/author/B002BM7U7Q?



    Connect with Diana Larsen:

    - Website - https://www.futureworksconsulting.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/

    Value Stream Mapping to Improve Product Development with Rob O’Brien May 16, 2023

    How do we visualize systems to improve product development? And where are the bounds of that system? Today I'm chatting with Rob O'Brien about process mapping, value stream mapping, and more.

    Rob is Principal Product Manager at Stride Consulting and has over ten years of product management experience that he brings to this conversation. Rob frames the debate for us by defining the 'socio-technical system' involving people, technology, and processes that all contribute to the overview of how we should see our product development systems.

    How do we include the engineers, the finance department, and other organizational leaders to ensure we are creating a system that can improve our products and services and ask the right questions that will ultimately improve the way we do things?

    There's a lot that can go wrong if we make assumptions about which part of our organization needs to be involved in process mapping. Rob shares the value of defining the bounds, asking those 'low-level questions,' and how to structure a two-day conference, say, whereby you are bringing in certain departments at key stages.

    Value stream mapping to improve product development is a favorite topic of mine and one that Rob provides much insight on. I trust you'll enjoy this conversation.

    "I think the next biggest one (mistake), that actually feeds to that first mistake, is really thinking about and defining the bounds of what the system is in your world. So what do you mean by 'system' - and getting alignment on that?" ~ Rob O'Brien

    In This Episode:

    - What do we mean by 'systems visualization?'

    - Where do we get it wrong when we build our product development systems?

    - How do we know if we've involved all the relevant stakeholders 'enough'?

    - The value of drilling down into some of the 'low-level questions' to ultimately save time

    - The importance of having clear definitions so you can go deeper on your processes

    - 'If you see something, say something - why it's important to speak up during the process

    - Understanding story mapping and other best practice value stream mapping approaches

    - How do we understand the specificity of what to capture?

    And more!



    Connect with Rob O’Brien:

    - Website - https://www.stridenyc.com/blog/author/rob-obrien

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-o-brien-82865b25


    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/

    Outcomes Over Output with Josh Seiden May 09, 2023

    What comes first: the outcome or the output? Today I'm chatting to Josh Seiden about one of my favorite topics: outcomes over outputs. Josh is actually the author of a book with that exact title, Outcomes over Output: Why customer behavior is the key metric for business success.

    Josh is also the co-author of Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams, and Sense and Respond: How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously.

    For Josh, the answer is clear: if we can define an outcome as a change in human behavior that creates value, then it's worth putting that ahead of the output or 'thing' we are creating.

    This is a fascinating approach to redefining the way we work, the way we set OKRs, and the way we measure success. When the name of the game is efficient growth, defining your outcomes is crucial.

    How do we make sure we are committing to the right work, though? And how do we articulate that to the teams that we build? Let's find out!

    "Let's really think about what are the things that people value, what are the outcomes that we're trying to get, and then work backwards to get to the output we need to make." ~ Josh Seiden

    In This Episode:

    - Why outputs follow outcome

    - Understanding how outcome is a change in human behavior (that creates value)

    - What do we mean when we say "outcome"?

    - What do we need to do to deliver an outcome?

    - What are AGILE teams committing to stakeholders?

    - How do we think about the way we organize our teams?

    And more!


    Connect with Josh Seiden:

    - Website-https://www.joshuaseiden.com/

    - Outcomes Over Output: Why customer behavior is the key metric for business success https://www.amazon.com/Outcomes-Over-Output-customer-behavior/dp/1091173265/

    - Sense and Respond: How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously - https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Respond-Successful-Organizations-Continuously/dp/1633691888

    - Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience - https://www.amazon.com/Lean-UX-Applying-Principles-Experience/dp/1449311652


    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/

    Expanding Customer Segmentation with Greenhouse CTO Mike Boufford May 02, 2023

    Mike is the CTO at Greenhouse, the hiring operating system for people-first companies that enables fair and equitable hiring. And today, he's in conversation with me about how to expand customer segmentation after you've hit your product market fit.

    Mike wrote his first lines of code at Greenhouse 11 years ago, and he's continued to grow with the company. There's a lot to learn from Mike as he shares his secrets on learning about different aspects of business and the company (and seeing business learning as a hobby), as well as offering up advice for other startups in the tech space.

    One example is that you don't have to be all things to all people to succeed as a startup in the tech industry. Making decisions that benefit your business and your customer today, and in six months' time, is what you should be concerned with.

    Mike illustratively shares examples of different customers, their different demands, and ultimately how Greenhouse defines their Ideal Customer Profile. I'm sure you'll appreciate this episode of Scaling Tech. Please join me.

    "When you start seeing really good retention (and) really good conversion rates, that might be an indicator that you should think about where you have more weakness – and try to get stronger there." ~ Mike Boufford


    

    In This Episode:

    - How Greenhouse got its first 200 clients via word of mouth alone

    - How does Greenhouse think about customer segmentation?

    - How does Greenhouse cater to different customers?

    - Appreciating the lesson of 'stop them at the front door'

    - Getting clear about your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)

    - Considering scaling as it pertains to product market fit

    - Mike's approach of seeing business as his hobby in order to grow

    And more!

    Connect with Mike Boufford:

    - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/boufford

    - Greenhouse - http://www.greenhouse.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/

    Creating Effective OKRs for Tech Teams with Jeff Gothelf May 02, 2023

    Are you part of a tech team that is searching for constant and continuous improvement to get better in your business every quarter, every year, and with every software or product launch? Have you had the term 'OKR' bandied about as you try to decide on your company's Outcomes and Key Results?

    Jeff Gothelf is the co-author of Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams, and Sense and Respond: How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously. Jeff is my guest today on Scaling Tech, and he's helping me unpack this popular management concept known as OKRs.

    When should your Key Results be Outcomes driven – and when should they be Output based? How do we give our tech teams the space and autonomy to identify a solution (and the freedom to pivot) while still holding the company accountable to clearly articulated goals?

    As well as being a prolific author, Jeff is a keynote speaker, trainer, and coach with large organizations – not only helping them build better products, but also build a culture that builds better products too. As such, he is ideally positioned to offer unique insight into how to create the right OKRs for your company.

    "This is definitely the flavor of the moment when it comes to management ideas." ~ Jeff Gothelf

    In This Episode:

    - Why 'the making of a thing' doesn't necessarily indicate value delivered to the market

    - When is it preferred to set an Outcome-Driven Key Result (over Output)?

    - What do teams often get wrong when setting OKRs?

    - The problem of changing your OKRs just to match the work you're already doing

    - The importance of product discovery when setting OKRs

    And more!


    Resources:

    - Free 1.5-hour Product Strategy Alignment workshop - ideal for any tech teams who seek alignment around ensuring you are building the products/features that are most valuable to your business. Email debbie@stridenyc.com to see if you qualify.


    Connect with Jeff Gothelf:

    - Sense and Respond: How Successful Organizations Listen to Customers and Create New Products Continuously - https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Respond-Successful-Organizations-Continuously/dp/1633691888

    - Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience - https://www.amazon.com/Lean-UX-Applying-Principles-Experience/dp/1449311652

    - Website - https://jeffgothelf.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/

    Introducing Scaling Tech May 02, 2023

    Are you a CTO, Chief Product Officer, or Tech leader? Have you been missing all the good things – the passion, the curiosity, the innovation, and the camaraderie – that came from tech conferences since the pandemic took its toll on live events? If so, fear not! I am here to bring the tech industry to your home.

    I'm Debbie Madden, a serial tech entrepreneur and the host of Scaling Tech. Each week I will be interviewing tech leaders as we focus on one key topic, and they share their successes and failures – knowledge that you can then apply to your business and share with your team.

    In this introductory episode, I lay out my plan on how you, as a tech leader, can apply today’s best practices to lead a high-functioning tech team in an ever-changing tech landscape. I'm excited for this journey – let's dive in!

    "If we can't bring the tech leaders to the network, we're gonna bring the network to the tech leaders." ~ Debbie Madden

    In This Episode:

    - Appreciating Debbie's history in the tech industry

    - Why Learning is more important NOW than ever for the next generation of tech leaders

    - What can we expect from Debbie's new show?

    Resources:

    - Free 1.5 hour Product Strategy Alignment workshop - ideal for any tech teams who seek alignment around ensuring you are building the products/features that are most valuable to your business. Email debbie@stridenyc.com to see if you qualify.

    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/

    Welcome to Scaling Tech - The blueprint for successful tech teams Apr 13, 2023

    Are you a CTO, Chief Product Officer or Tech leader?

    Then this one's for you:

    If there was one tool that would help you learn best practices and avoid top mistakes so that you can achieve your goals, would you consider that tool?

    If you answered "yes," this is the tool you've been looking for.

    Debbie Madden is a serial tech entrepreneur.

    She is well known for helping teams scale in ways that result in measurable outcomes paired with a strong culture. She is the founder & chair of Stride, a national agile software development consultancy. Stride helps the world's top brands like SeatGeek, Spotify, Codecademy, and Casper get high-quality products to market while modeling the way for tech and product best practices that upskill and enable tech teams.

    Episode after episode, you'll hear top tech leaders and experts in their fields sharing first-hand successes, failures, and lessons learned about the topics that are a high priority for today’s tech teams.

    Let the technology leaders of our time share first-hand stories of successes, failures, and lessons learned as they lead and grow their teams amid an ever-changing landscape.

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