What happens when a brilliant engineer or software developer builds a successful business, but realizes they don't actually know how to be a CEO? In this episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla interviews growth adviser Pete Steege to tackle the unique challenges faced by "Accidental CEOs."

Pete spent decades in tech marketing before launching his own firm, B2B Clarity, right during the pandemic. Today, he shares his proprietary CMP (Clarity, Meaning, Purpose) Growth framework designed to help technical founders simplify their messaging, align their company culture, and scale intentionally.

If you are tired of losing deals because your product feels "too complicated" to explain, this episode is your masterclass in marketing with meaning.

🚀 Watch the full episode to hear Pete’s inspiring story and actionable business advice!

📌 Key Takeaways:

(1) The "Accidental CEO" Trap: Technical founders excel at building great products but often struggle to lead a company because their expertise is in code or engineering, not corporate strategy.

(2) Uncover Your "True Story": Stop selling features and start selling outcomes. Pete shares how a $20M low-voltage company went from explaining complicated tech to pitching the ultimate result: "bringing the workplace to life."

(3) The CMP Growth Framework: A deep dive into the four waves of business evolution: Uncover (finding clarity), Deploy (building an aligned culture), Scale (becoming a market leader), and Sustain (defining your legacy and finish line).

(4) Marketing is Generosity: Why traditional "spammy" marketing fails, and how providing free, high-value content on platforms like LinkedIn naturally attracts your ideal clients.

(5) The Value of a Crisis: How Pete used a sudden pandemic-era job loss as the ultimate stepping stone to build a thriving advisory practice.

If you enjoyed this episode, please Like, Subscribe, and hit the Notification Bell to stay updated with more insights for tech leaders!

#AccidentalCEO #TechStartups #B2BClarity #LeadersInTech #BusinessFramework #FounderToCEO #CMPGrowth

What does it really take to scale a global technology architecture completely on your own terms? In this deeply emotional and highly technical episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla is joined by real-time communications pioneer Jerod Venema, Founder and President of LiveSwitch.

🔑 Key Takeaways From This Episode:

(1) Seizing the WebRTC Revolution: How Jerod aligned his architecture with Google and Firefox’s browser updates to release the world's first native WebRTC SDK for iOS and Mac.

(2) Redefining Failure: Why mistakes are simply transaction costs paid to experience. In Jerod's framework, failure isn't a bad quarter—it's the exact moment you choose to stop trying.

(3) Cosmic Scale vs. Commonplace Value: Why providing real-time diagnostic video apps to working-class painters and plumbers to give them their family time back is more rewarding than powering stadium jumbotrons.

(4) The Unilateral Hires Veto: Inside the hiring framework Jerod used with his co-founding brother, where either could veto an applicant based purely on an cultural red flag with zero explanations required.

(5) Smashing the Founder’s Ceiling: The structural trap of the "hustle mentality" and how learning to step aside to form a grassroots partnership with Brian Hamilton saved the company from stagnation.

🚀 About Our Guest:

Jerod Venema is the Founder and President of LiveSwitch, a premier provider powering high-quality, mass-scale interactive video for Fortune 500 giants and small businesses globally. Founded in 2008, LiveSwitch has evolved from a grassroots startup into a multi-million dollar tech leader featured across Inc. Magazine, VentureBeat, and the Financial Post.

🎯 CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: Are you empowering your team to operate with the same intensity as a founder, or are you absorbing all the organizational stress yourself? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

If you found value in this unfiltered masterclass on tech entrepreneurship, make sure to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE for more leadership breakdowns!

#LeadersInTech #WebRTC #LiveSwitch #TechLeadership #Bootstrapping #FounderMindset #SoftwareArchitecture #NASA #SuperBowlTech

In a world where tech leaders jump ship every two years, Jake Blough (CTO of Service Express) has spent a quarter-century building a legacy from the ground up. Starting in a family auto shop and eventually entering Service Express in shipping and receiving, Jake’s journey is a masterclass in stewardship, grit, and technical innovation.

Today, Jake oversees Supply Chain, Data Science, and R&D for a global leader in datacenter infrastructure maintenance. In this conversation, we dive deep into how a "mechanic’s heart" and a "No Rearview Mirror" leadership style propelled a company from $4 million to over $325 million.

Key Takeaways from this Episode: 💡

• The Hardware of Leadership: Why the ability to troubleshoot a car engine translates directly to fixing complex enterprise servers.
• Celebrating the Red: How to build a "failure-tolerant" culture where red metrics are viewed as opportunities for innovation rather than grounds for punishment.
• The 100x Algorithm: The strategies behind scaling a business across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.
• The Power of Partnership: Why every "Activator" needs a patient partner to balance urgency with wisdom.
• Working Yourself Out of a Job: The "secret sauce" to career longevity—building systems so well you can hand the keys to the next leader and find a bigger problem to solve.

About Jake Blough: Jake is the CTO of Service Express, where he focuses on the future of datacenter infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions, and internal process optimization. He is a firm believer in "Progress over Perfection" and building "scrappy" teams that aren't afraid to fail fast.

Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the BELL to stay updated on the latest leadership insights in tech!

#ServiceExpress #TechCTO #Leadership #DataCenter #BusinessScaling #CareerAdvice #DigitalInfrastructure #LeadersInTech

In this episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, host David Mansilla sits down with Kin Lee-Yow, CIO of CAA Club Group. Kin oversees the technological backbone of an organization obsessed with member safety—from roadside assistance to complex insurance underwriting through CAA Insurance and Echelon Insurance.

Kin shares his personal "immigrant success story," moving from the tropical climate of Mauritius to the University of Waterloo, and how his early love for "tinkering" evolved into a high-stakes career in Cybersecurity and AI.

Key Takeaways:

• The Mission of Safety: Learn how a simple mission statement—"obsessed with member safety"—drives every technical decision at CAA.
• Leadership is Psychology: Kin explains why his high school psychology course ended up being more valuable than his coding classes when it came to managing people.
• The 5 Principles of Success: A deep dive into Kin’s framework for a healthy corporate culture: Respect, Learning, Collaboration, Innovation, and Commitment.
• Collaboration Over Competition: Discover the definition of true collaboration—working to make your partner look good rather than trying to outshine them.
• The AI & Internet Parallel: Insights on why Generative AI is a powerful research tool that still requires human discernment and the "Clarify and Verify" method.
• Sharing is Growing: Why the "old school" mentality of hoarding knowledge is a "horrible lie" that keeps your career stagnant.

About the Guest: Kin Lee-Yow is the CIO for CAA Club Group, focusing on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and the ethical implementation of AI. He is a mentor to students and a firm believer in the "Golden Rule" of business: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Follow for more insights from the giants of the tech industry!

#LeadersInTech #CAACanada #CIO #TechLeadership #CyberSecurity #GenerativeAI #ServantLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Mentorship #TechInnovation

In 1998, Miloš Topić arrived in the U.S. with two suitcases and zero English. Today, he is the VP and Chief Digital Officer at a major university, leading thousands. How do you close that gap?

In this episode, we explore the "Refugee Grit" mindset—an unfair advantage that allows leaders to thrive in chaos and innovate when there is no roadmap. We’re breaking down a "golden nugget" from the Leaders in Tech podcast that reveals the exact strategies Miloš used to scale the executive ladder by focusing on people, problem-solving, and the "Machete Principle."

This story is just the beginning. If you want to hear the full, deep-dive conversation about the future of tech leadership and Miloš's incredible journey, you can watch the complete episode here:

https://youtu.be/arkNzF6GyGM

[What You’ll Learn]

🔑 The Machete Principle: Why entrepreneurs don't need a map, they need a blade.

🔑 The Insomnia Hack: The fastest way to get noticed by your CEO.

🔑 Wartime Leadership: How to handle a massive tech crisis without losing your team.

🔑 The Power of the Second Choice: Why your "passion" might be hiding behind an accidental opportunity.

If you’re building your own path right now, drop a "Machete" 🪓 in the comments. We’d love to hear which of Miloš’s lessons resonated most with your journey. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe to join our community of tech leaders and entrepreneurs.

In this episode of "Leaders in Tech," host David Mansilla sits down with Vivek Vaidya, General Partner at Superset, to pull back the curtain on the "Company Builder" model. Vivek shares his 25-year journey from surviving the .com crash to overseeing massive exits to Microsoft and Salesforce.

If you are a founder or tech leader, this conversation is a masterclass in Founder-Market Fit, "clock speed," and the grit required to turn a raw idea into a durable, data-driven enterprise.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between an incubator and a Company Builder Studio.
• How to identify "Painful Business Problems" before writing code.
• The secret to surviving a "Hard Right Turn" (Pivot) in a volatile market.
• Why building technology is easy, but building companies is the ultimate challenge.

Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned CTO, this episode will change the way you think about resilience and market adaptation.

#LeadersInTech #AI #Startups #TechLeadership #VivekVaidya #LeadersInTech #VivekVaidya #Superset #CompanyBuilder #AIStartups #TechLeadership #Entrepreneurship #VentureStudio #DataScience #ScaleUp #FounderGrit #TechPivots #MicrosoftAcquisition #SalesforceMarketingCloud

The world is changing at an exponential rate. By 2030, two billion jobs will be transformed or displaced. Are you prepared to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption, or will you fall into it?

In this "Golden Nuggets" highlight, we’re extracting the high-level leadership blueprint from John Rathje, VP and CIO of Kent State University. John oversees the tech strategy for a top-tier R1 research powerhouse—the same place that birthed the liquid crystal technology in your smartphone.

From writing code on a borrowed computer to leading global tech shifts, John shares why "looking up" is the most important skill an entrepreneur can have in the next decade.

Key Takeaways:

(1) Stop Hunting, Start Solving: Don't build a product and look for a market; find a massive pain point and obsess over it.

(2) Environment is Everything: You are the architect of your team's creativity. Build an "Innovation Hub," not just a workspace.

(3) Human Impact to Code: Technology is built by people, for people. If you lose the human element, you lose your competitive edge.

Listen To The Full Podcast Episode Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vr-_ybTrFI

#FutureOfWork #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipTips #TechInnovation #GoldenNuggets #JohnRathje #2030Vision #BusinessGrowth #StartupAdvice

What does it take to lead through forty years of digital revolution? In this episode of Leaders in Tech, host David Mansilla sits down with technology consultant Adrian Smith to trace his journey from the "school of hard knocks" to the high-stakes world of global consulting.

Adrian shares the incredible story of how he went from a summer job loading half-inch tapes to building the groundbreaking videotex systems that powered the London Stock Exchange. We dive deep into the mindset required to survive in an industry where you are judged solely on your deliverables.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

👍 The "Invaluable" Intern: How Adrian turned a boring entry-level role into an essential business asset by mining data for leadership.

👍 Disruptive Tech: The 1980s "Netflix" style technology that gave retailers a massive edge.

👍 The Consultant’s Creed: Why over-delivering and maintaining a "bug-free" reputation is the only way to scale a consulting business.

👍 The Accidental Meeting: A hilarious and insightful story about a breakfast meeting with Bill Gates that happened by total mistake.

👍 The Golden Rule of Leadership: Why you should never burn bridges and why your junior staff might be your most important resource.

#TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #ConsultingLife #TechEvolution #LeadersInTech #DigitalTransformation #BillGates #LondonStockExchange #CareerGrowth #BusinessIntegrity #OverDeliver

In this episode of Leaders in Tech, host David Mansilla talks with Adrian Smith, the tech head (CIO) of the London business consulting firm AdSatis. Adrian, who has helped banks and financial companies for decades, shares a strong warning about modern technology: it's incredibly fast, but also surprisingly easy to break.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Power of Experience: Why managers who have seen years of booms and crashes are crucial for making level-headed decisions today.
• The Weekly Fixes Problem: Adrian asks why big software makers release hundreds of fixes every week, creating unstable systems that are always at risk.
• One Mistake, Global Chaos: We look at how a single technical failure can stop major airlines or shut down a bank for days, showing how vulnerable we all are.
• Work from Home vs. Office: A deep dive into why people need to be social, and why key jobs (like doctors and drivers) prove that society still needs people to physically show up.
• The Fight for Privacy: A discussion on why governments asking for secret entry points (backdoors) into our phones is a serious threat to personal freedom and security.

#AdrianSmith #TechVulnerability #CIO #PrivacyMatters #FutureOfWork #HyperConnectedWorld #BusinessAdvice #ExperienceCounts

In this episode of Leaders in Tech, we sit down with George London, Chief Technology Officer at Upwave, to explore how data and science are transforming the world of brand advertising. From his early career at Bridgewater Associates to leading Upwave’s engineering and data teams, George shares how curiosity, adaptability, and people-centered leadership shaped his journey.

Discover how Upwave brings “science to the top of the funnel”, why George believes AI is underhyped, and what meaningful leadership looks like in today’s tech world.

👉 Topics Covered:

• How Upwave measures brand advertising scientifically
• George’s journey from Philosophy to CTO
• Leadership lessons in managing technical teams
• The transformative power of AI
• Why meaningful work and relationships drive long-term success

📍 Guest: George London, CTO at Upwave

📍 Host: David Mansilla, Founder of ISU Corp

🎧 Subscribe for more inspiring conversations with today’s leading tech innovators.

#LeadershipInTech #Upwave #DataScience #AIInnovation #CTOInsights #LeadersInTechPodcast