alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders

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


Listen Later

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
  • 📱 Ivan's personal productivity system and thought management techniques
  • 🤖 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
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

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

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    6 ratings


    More shows like alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders

    View all
    The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source by Changelog Media

    The Changelog: Software Development, Open Source

    288 Listeners

    Kassenzone | CEO Interviews by Alexander Graf & Karolin Junker De Neui

    Kassenzone | CEO Interviews

    5 Listeners

    OMR Podcast by Philipp Westermeyer - OMR

    OMR Podcast

    38 Listeners

    The OMR Podcast International – Go inside the minds of the biggest names in digital and tech by Philipp Westermeyer, founder and CEO of OMR / Scott Peterson, digital marketing editor, OMR

    The OMR Podcast International – Go inside the minds of the biggest names in digital and tech

    3 Listeners

    REWORK by 37signals

    REWORK

    212 Listeners

    Handelsblatt Morning Briefing - News aus Wirtschaft, Politik und Finanzen by Teresa Stiens, Christian Rickens und die Handelsblatt Redaktion, Handelsblatt

    Handelsblatt Morning Briefing - News aus Wirtschaft, Politik und Finanzen

    57 Listeners

    OMR Media by Pia Frey

    OMR Media

    3 Listeners

    Welttournee - der Reisepodcast by Adrian Klie & Christoph Streicher

    Welttournee - der Reisepodcast

    6 Listeners

    OMR Education by OMR Education / Rolf Hermann / Andre Alpar / Tarek Müller

    OMR Education

    2 Listeners

    Handelsblatt Disrupt - Der Podcast über die Zukunft der Wirtschaft by Sebastian Matthes, Handelsblatt

    Handelsblatt Disrupt - Der Podcast über die Zukunft der Wirtschaft

    16 Listeners

    OMR Silicon Valley Update by Christian Byza

    OMR Silicon Valley Update

    11 Listeners

    Doppelgänger by Philipp Glöckler, Philipp Klöckner

    Doppelgänger

    12 Listeners

    Handelsblatt Today - Der Finanzpodcast mit News zu Börse, Aktien und Geldanlage by Solveig Gode, Nicole Bastian, Sandra Groeneveld, Nele Dohmen, Anis Mičijević

    Handelsblatt Today - Der Finanzpodcast mit News zu Börse, Aktien und Geldanlage

    35 Listeners

    OHNE AKTIEN WIRD SCHWER - Tägliche Börsen-News by Noah Leidinger, OMR

    OHNE AKTIEN WIRD SCHWER - Tägliche Börsen-News

    14 Listeners

    5050 by OMR by Isabelle Gardt & Kira Schubert

    5050 by OMR

    0 Listeners

    OMRap by Torben Lux, Falk Schacht, Niko Hüls

    OMRap

    0 Listeners

    Die Elon Musk Story by 1LIVE für die ARD

    Die Elon Musk Story

    2 Listeners

    KI-Update – ein heise-Podcast by Isabel Grünewald, heise online

    KI-Update – ein heise-Podcast

    5 Listeners

    OMR Rabbit Hole: Die Höhle der Löwen by Florian Rinke, OMR, Podstars by OMR

    OMR Rabbit Hole: Die Höhle der Löwen

    0 Listeners

    Handelsblatt KI-Briefing - Das News-Update zu Künstlicher Intelligenz by Larissa Holzki

    Handelsblatt KI-Briefing - Das News-Update zu Künstlicher Intelligenz

    0 Listeners