alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders

#119 - Navigating Ambiguity and AI's Impact on Engineering feat. Ivan Kusalic // CTO @ Enpal


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Leading in ambiguous environments and the impact of AI on engineering practices

In this episode, Tobi talks with Ivan Kusalic, CTO of Enpal, who leads a team of 250 engineers at one of Germany's leading solar energy companies. Ivan shares insights from his extensive technical leadership journey and his recent return to coding after seven years due to his excitement about AI.

Ivan discusses how he navigates complexity and ambiguity in the renewable energy sector, where Enpal builds systems to help households manage solar panels, batteries, EV chargers, and heat pumps as integrated energy solutions. He explains the challenges of coordinating with Germany's fragmented energy grid infrastructure and how Enpal's Virtual Power Plant stabilizes the grid by coordinating household energy consumption in real-time.

Discover:

  • 🧠 How Ivan uses intuition as a leadership tool while managing complex technical organizations
  • 🌞 The technical challenges of building integrated renewable energy systems for households
  • ⚡ How Enpal's Virtual Power Plant (VPP) helps stabilize the energy grid through coordinated home energy management
  • đŸ“± Ivan's personal productivity system and thought management techniques
  • đŸ€– Insights on AI's impact on engineering productivity and the future of coding
  • 🚀 Practical tips for managing complexity and making decisions in ambiguous environments
  • TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Introduction to Alphas Podcast
    00:54 Meet Ivan Kusalic, CTO of NPAL
    02:00 Ivan's Journey into Engineering and Leadership
    07:05 The Role of NPAL in the Renewable Energy Sector
    14:54 Navigating Ambiguity in Complex Systems
    16:30 The Importance of Intuition in Leadership
    23:24 Tools and Techniques for Managing Thoughts and Productivity
    26:01 The Future of AI in Engineering
    29:07 Experimenting with AI in Coding
    29:57 Productivity Gains with AI Tools
    30:40 Challenges with AI in Complex Projects
    31:37 AI's Randomness and Managing It
    32:24 Real-World Examples of AI Limitations
    35:08 Setting Up AWS Infrastructure with AI
    38:10 The Evolution of Tech Stacks
    44:35 Adopting AI in Large Organizations
    51:01 Reflections and Advice for Engineers
    54:28 Conclusion and Contact Information

    QUOTE:

    "Intuition is an impulse to explore. It triggers the right thoughts for exploration in a moment that you would otherwise miss." - Ivan Kusalic, CTO of Enpal

    ...more
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    alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical LeadersBy Tobias Schlottke - alphalist CTO Podcast

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