What better way to kick off 2026 than getting back in the studio,

Series 2 of the Leadership Roadmap starts with Mike Leonard, VP of Engineering & Data at Pet Circle.

Mike shares practical insights on managing technical debt, the reality of "build vs. buy" decisions, and how to scale technical teams using AI as a force multiplier.

We got into:

• 02:14 The Journey of Replatforming a 13 Year Old Monolith → modern stack
• 14:57 Vendor selection + integrating an agency team for the long haul
• 32:31 Why e-comm is not “just a shop”
• 25:38 AI inside the business + what’s coming customer-side
• 42:08 Build vs buy - software decisions

Mike’s perspective is super practical, especially around agility, risk appetite, and what really changes when you scale.

Out next week on Apple & Spotify.

LinkedIn Page: @Leadership Roadmap

Youtube Channel: @Leadership Roadmap YT