John-Denis Greze joins Mang-Git Ng to dive into JDG's extensive career in tech, including his tenure as CTO at Plaid. JDG shares his decision-making process on build vs. buy, highlighting examples from his time at Plaid. He also discusses his current venture, Town AI, which aims to automate small business tax prep through AI. The conversation touches on the challenges and joys of being a founder, including management philosophies and leveraging modern AI tools. 

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 

01:33 JD's Background and Career Journey 

02:25 Joining Dropbox and Career Growth 

04:59 Transition to Plaid and Leadership Roles 

06:51 Challenges and Reflections on Management 

08:52 Networking and Fairness in Tech 

14:20 Management Lessons and CTO vs VP of Engineering 

23:18 Starting Town and the SMB Tax Space 

26:32 Building Products in Existing Markets 

28:26 The Build vs. Buy Dilemma 

30:58 Strategic Decisions in Product Development 

38:17 AI and Rapid Prototyping 

43:53 Personal Projects and Tools 

47:14 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].