The CTO Podcast

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[Replay] Doing Curiosity vs. Being Curiosity Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Quick, critical thinking is one of the core strengths of a CTO, but unlearning the problem-solving mindset might do them good. Jeff Miller, founder and CEO Jeff Miller Coaching, defines and discusses curiosity. In this episode replay, Jeff describes his experience coaching CTOs and why they struggle with curiosity.
The environment that raises CTOs is one that teaches them to solve problems as quickly as possible. CTOs have been rewarded for their ability to think quickly and critically in efficient ways, but has this critical mindset actually stunted their curiosity?
Executives of all kinds have been brainwashed into separating themselves from others, Jeff shares. While a good thing in some situations, it can hinder them from being as effective as they can be. CTOs, in particular, need to relate to many people across their organizations, which becomes difficult if they’re always seeing themselves as different.
Jeff has observed that the higher the intellect and the more successful a CTO is, the more skeptical they are of coaching.
Curiosity is an invitation to learn, make mistakes, and have fun without necessarily having the answer. We need to give ourselves permission to be curious and not program ourselves into thinking in one way.
Resources
Jeff Miller on LinkedIn | Website
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] Curiosity and the Unknown Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Curiosity exists in the realm of the unknown, and it cannot be predicted or directed. Joanie Connell of Flexible Work Solutions returns in this episode of the CTO Studio Podcast to discuss how we can learn from not knowing.
Team members can preface their questions by stating their curiosity, Joanie shares. Saying “I’d like to take a moment to be curious” immediately identifies the present time as inquiry mode, opening the floor to others to share their curiosity as well.
Fueling your curiosity with rage takes away from the genuine desire to learn something new because you have a specific end in mind with your questioning.
Participative curiosity is performative, whereas reflective curiosity is introspective. Participative curiosity only appears to be curiosity, but when this is applied, you’re not absorbing anything. Reflective curiosity, however, occurs when you are actually open to changing your mind and willing to consider something new.
It’s important to have diverse perspectives in teams to stir creativity. Whether people agree or disagree, keeping the conflict centered around the issue they disagree on can lead to more creative solutions or more thorough answers.
Resources
Joanie Connell on LinkedIn | Twitter | Website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] When Curiosity Leads to Questions, But Not All Questions Represent Curiosity Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

Asking questions is an outcome of curiosity, and curiosity leads to questions - but not all questions represent curiosity. Joanie Connell of Flexible Work Solutions returns in this episode of the CTO Studio Podcast to share how to foster curiosity in our teams by changing the way we ask questions.
Open-ended questions invite people to answer in ways that reveal their thoughts and ideas. Beginning a question with “I wonder if…” is a great way to start, Joanie shares.
Reserving judgement is key. Genuine curiosity withholds assumptions, leaving space for people to speak freely and convey what they mean without fear of being judged.
Curiosity within relationships is about feeling excited to see what the partnership and intention you’re setting with someone is going to produce.
We are often imperfect communicators, but we may be even worse when we’re curious. In our haste to learn, we may unintentionally convey the wrong message to people by how we phrase our questions and tone of voice. We should be mindful of being approachable when asking questions. Better yet, we can also tell others how we’d like to be spoken to, and how to phrase their questions in ways that don’t cause harm.
Resources
Joanie Connell on LinkedIn | Twitter | Website
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] Curiosity vs. Being Curious Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Empathy is more than simply putting yourself in someone else's shoes - it begins with curiosity and asking questions. Joanie Connell, founder of Flexible Work Solutions, defines curiosity and describes how being curious can help interpersonal relations at work. She joins Etienne de Bruin to discuss how leaders can nurture curiosity among team members.
Part of the curiosity mindset is the courage to take risks, be vulnerable, and try things that may not work.
In relationships, being inquisitive can be difficult since it often involves asking people what they're feeling even when you don't know what that might be. You have to be humble and be open to the possibility that you may be mistaken.
By setting expectations for how questioning will be used, leaders can establish a culture of curiosity. Employees may be hesitant to ask questions for fear of being punished, so leaders must take the initiative to make their environment a safe zone for curiosity.
There is a time and place for curiosity; if you keep the questions rolling at a bad time, you can slow the process down and miss deadlines.
Resources
Joanie Connell on LinkedIn | Twitter | Website
Email Etienne: etienne@7ctos.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

The Role of A CTO is Complicated Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Etienne du Bruin goes solo this week as he discusses the complicated nature of a CTO’s role. He talks about the four S’s of a CTO, and describes how systems thinking can be used to understand the role of a leader.
CTOs shield their organizations from existential threats internally and externally; stretch out the organization with design thinking and organizational design; speed up technology delivery; and work with the cross functional teams to increase sales, Etienne claims.
Complex systems consist of many elements on many different scales, all affecting one another on different levels.
Systems thinking can be used to understand how the components of a complex company interact with each other. Levels of complexity within companies necessitate that leaders be able to adapt quickly in order to manage these complexities.
Etienne believes the role of a CTO is one of business, with a budget to build teams that deliver technologies to grow revenues.
Resources
Email Etienne: etienne@7ctos.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] Aaron Longwell in the CTO Studio Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

How does the left and right brain differ in decision-making? In this week’s show, Aaron Longwell, a Software Manager at Amazon Web Services, dives deep into this idea. He joins Etienne de Bruin to talk about the importance of context in decision-making, communication, and how pushing management decisions down in an organization can lead to problems.
Some ideas you’ll hear them explore are:
Throughout history, humans have favored the left-brain model of thinking. "We pay less attention to context and … to emotions, pay less attention to the body and more to the brain," Aaron says. Alternatively, the right side of the brain is more creative.
Good communication is a major factor in solving challenges. Code is communication, so being able to communicate effectively will allow you to code more effectively.
Getting communication right from the start saves you time. Don't assume that you're being understood, verify that you are. Ask questions that can let you know that the other person is understanding what you are saying and that you're both on the same page.
The mentality of reusing what you can is flawed. The idea that because someone already built in some component of the communication in the software, so it doesn't need to be reworked opens you up for a lot of third-party dependencies and increases complexity.
Pushing management decisions lower down in an organization creates redundant decision making.
Complexity is a prerequisite to being robust.
Resources
Aaron Longwell | LinkedIn
Thinking, Fast and Slow
The Master and His Emissary
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] How to Find The Best Employees in Tech Today, with Casey Kleindienst Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

Have you interviewed and hired someone only to have it not work out soon after? This week’s show discusses the importance of hiring people who will be successful in your company’s culture. Casey Kleindienst, a Management Professor at Cal State Fullerton and a consultant to small and medium enterprises, explores how to identify those individuals. He joins Etienne de Bruin to share how to screen candidates for emotional intelligence and potential risk.
Some ideas you’ll hear them explore are:
The interview process tries to answer two questions: Does this candidate fulfill the minimum requirements for the job? And will they succeed in the company’s culture? Culture and potential are the two most important variables to consider, Casey says.
Don't hire resumes. Rather than the resume, look at the character. The character will give you a prediction of future performance. Hire people that have the potential to deliver value to your company in the long run.
Seventy percent of jobs come from the hidden job market, meaning they don’t get posted. Employers call people in their network and ask if they know suitable candidates.
Being able to teach people and bring them into learning is a skill that demonstrates that someone has actually mastered the craft that they've learned.
Decision making is a singular activity. If you assign decision making to more than one person, despite whatever discussion they have, they will eventually reach an impasse. They're not going to be able to go forward because there are two opposing views and they both have equal merit in the eyes of the holders.
Instead of running from them and trying to get rid of them, you should work towards your weaknesses. On the other side of them, there are strengths.
Resources
Casey Kleindienst on LinkedIn
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Sleep Tightly Through Your DevOps Woes with Phil Borlin and Ken Cone Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Just how easy is DevOps? In this week’s show, Phil Borlin and Ken Cone, co-founders of SleepTight, share the answer. They join Etienne de Bruin to talk about the challenges that come with navigating a company's DevOps, and what developers should keep in mind.
Some ideas you’ll hear them explore are:
DevOps is the idea that developers need to be in charge of their own destiny. Therefore, somebody needs to be able to help them get to that point.
"What we're trying to do is change the way people do computer science," Ken says. You don't have to flip the ones and zeros on the machines anymore because transistors do that. It's high time DevOps is that way for people who want to create value.
Your business should be unique in your market, but not in your ops nor your tech.
Developers should understand their tools, but that doesn't mean they have to write their tools.
Continuous integration simply means that all the code that is being written is grouped together continuously. Trunk-based development is going back to this ideal and feature flags is wrapping all the code.
Trunk based development, terraform and infrastructure are all important in approaches to code. Phil and Ken detail the steps and procedures that go into terraforming and building code infrastructure.
Resources
Phil Borlin | phil@sleeptight.io
Ken Cone
SleepTight
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

[Replay] The Importance of Psychology as a CTO with Dr. Dan Stoneman Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

How do you build and maintain relationships? In this week’s show, Dr. Dan Stoneman, Executive Partner at Gardner and former CIO of the San Diego Unified District, dives deep into this idea. He joins Etienne de Bruin to talk about the role of psychology as a CTO and the importance of relationships. He tells listeners that we should not be so focused on outcomes that we no longer have people in our lives.
Some ideas you’ll hear them explore are:
When you’re texting the most important people in your life, Dan suggests, asking them what's special about their day instead of how they're doing.
If you don't understand psychology and influence, you're not going to get anything done. While persuasion is programming people in a way, you can't do that the way you would program computers. Humans make decisions all on their own, so to be able to persuade them, you have to understand why they make the choices they do.
The three pillars of effective leadership are mastery, autonomy, and purpose.
The best thing you can do as a leader is to step out of the way so your team can activate and harness their creativity to make the product better.
How you interact and relate to your team is what drives productivity.
Years of experience will not necessarily translate into effective leadership. It takes communication, empathy, and a desire to transfer knowledge.
Resources
Dan Stoneman | LinkedIn
Drive by Daniel Pink
The Destructive Hero | The New York Times
Netscape Time by Jim Clark
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Trunk-Based Development And Feature Flags With EJ & TJ Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

What must exist for a community to be vibrant and healthy? In this week’s show, EJ Allen and TJ Taylor, CTO and Staff Engineer at Mobilize, answer this question. They join Etienne de Bruin to dig into trunk-based development, feature flags, and how community and personal connection drive business.
Some ideas you’ll hear them explore are:
Community is the tide that raises all boats. Building communities of trust and connecting with people can unlock potential for everyone.
What it means to be part of a thriving community is the same across professional and personal networks. The key components of creating a vibrant network include trust, empathy, and unlocking potential.
In software development, you must be able to take risks and be vulnerable with your team. This means that you essentially eliminate the consequences of making a mistake, allowing your team to experience psychological safety.
Building habits is one of the ways to create pits of success. That translates into looking at the habits of the people around you and figuring out how to leverage those habits to get the desired behavior. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement.
Think about how you're adding value to your customer. At the end of the day, your work is not necessarily as important as the work that your team is delivering to the customer.
"Being able to get 1% better a day makes you 37 times better in a year. Try not to worry so much about what can I get done in a day or what can I get done this week… Instead, just focus on how can I deliver the smallest amount of value as consistently as possible?"
You need every leg of the stool to be successful. That requires trust, empathy, and connection in your team.
Resources
EJ Allen | LinkedIn
TJ Taylor | LinkedIn
Mobilize
Refactoring by Kent Beck
Working Effectively with Legacy Code by Michael Feathers
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

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