The CTO Podcast

Check out the latest CTO Studio featuring Aaron Longwell. Aaron is building the app that hosts all of the Afghanistan Legal System. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Aaron Longwell: Website // LinkedIn
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Check out the latest CTO Studio featuring Aaron Longwell. Aaron is building the app that hosts all of the Afghanistan Legal System. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Aaron Longwell: Website // LinkedIn
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

How does the left and right brain differ in decision-making? In this week’s show, Aaron Longwell, a Software Manager at Amazon Web Services, dives deep into this idea. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Aaron Longwell: Website // LinkedIn
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Sri Shivananda, CTO and EVP of Product and Platform Engineering at PayPal, wraps up the conversation with Etienne with some key insights into nurturing your network and managing perception. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Sri Shivananda: Website // LinkedIn // Twitter
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Sri Shivananda, CTO and EVP of Product and Platform Engineering at PayPal, is back with Etienne to discuss authenticity, cultivating relationships, and building influence in your organization. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Sri Shivananda: Website // LinkedIn // Twitter
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

This week, Etienne is joined by Sri Shivananda, CTO and EVP of Product and Platform Engineering at PayPal. Today, Sri explains why he makes fast email response times a top priority. Show Notes

Connect With: 

• Sri Shivananda: Website // LinkedIn // Twitter
• The CTO Podcast: Website // Speaker Application
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

The connection between the CEO and the CTO tends to fall apart in the first 100 days. It's not specifically a technical challenge but more of a relationship-building challenge. Why is that such a challenge for technical experts? What should happen in the first few months to set both parties up for success? Listen to  Benjamin Shapiro, Founder of I Hear Everything, and Etienne de Bruin, Founder of 7CTOs, talk about Etienne's book, CTO excellence in 100 days. 

Connect With: 

• Benjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn
• The CTO Podcast: Website 
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Today's reality is that company leaders must constantly learn and gain insights from multiple sources to succeed. CTOs are not left out, but the problem is CTOs are too busy to alter their routine to learn. Thankfully there's a platform defying the odds - podcasts. Why do CTOs care about podcasts? Listen to Benjamin Shapiro, Founder, and CEO of I Hear Everything, as he discusses why CTOs love podcasts and more. 

Connect With: 

• Benjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn
• The CTO Podcast: Website 
• Etienne de Bruin: Website // LinkedIn //  Twitter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

Host Etienne de Bruin shares a powerful way to reframe difficult meetings with developers. In this episode, Etienne will discuss the ABC of getting on the same page and how to deal with complicated meetings that don't go as planned.
Key ideas:
Etienne shares his experiences of meetings with developers where there is a misunderstanding or disagreement about a project. He acknowledges the frustration and concern that can arise for a leader in these situations.
The importance of creating a clear project vision, mission, and values, which serve as a governing document that provides guidance when things become challenging.
The challenges leaders face in meetings where there is disagreement with their teams, such as repeated explanations, pushback, and exceptions that take up most of the meeting.
The ABC approach for dealing with difficult meetings:
Awareness: The first step in dealing with these meetings is awareness, where leaders should write down their feelings and observations during the meeting. This includes noting any fixation on a potential issue, and understanding what is happening in the meeting.
Be Blameless: The second step is to approach the meeting without assigning blame. Leaders should aim to be blameless, which means not blaming others or themselves, but instead focusing on finding a solution.
Be Committed: The final step is to stay committed to your goal. “Stay committed to your developers, stay committed to your team, stay committed to the projects and the outcomes that you're pursuing,” Etienne says.
The ABC approach provides a framework for leaders to handle difficult meetings, reducing frustration and helping to find a solution that everyone can agree on.
KEY QUOTES:
“Stay committed to your developers, stay committed to your team, stay committed to the projects and the outcomes that you're pursuing.” - Etienne de Bruin
Are you a CTO looking to take your role to the next level? Or are you stepping into a new CTO position and want to make the most of your first 100 days? Then you won't want to miss out on this exciting new project! 
On March 7th, Etienne is releasing his highly anticipated book "The Essential First 100 Days for CTOs". 
It's a must-read for all aspiring and established CTOs. This comprehensive guide covers all the key elements to revamp your role as a CTO at your existing company, or get off to a strong start in your new role.
Head over to CtoExellence.com and join the mailing list for all the latest updates on where and when you can purchase the book.
Resources:
CTO Excellence

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com

In this episode of the CTO Studio Podcast, host Etienne de Bruin sits down with Jorge Valdivia, the CTO of Fleetio. Jorge shares valuable insights on how his team handles software development, the role of engineers and product managers, and the importance of investing in people. He delves into the strategies and processes that have helped Fleetio stay ahead of the curve in the highly competitive world of software development. 
Jorge is the CTO at Fleetio, a fleet management software company that helps organizations track, analyze, and improve their fleet operations. Fleetio helps fleets track their own vehicles internally, and also helps with compliance reporting. Rather than doing the work for the customer, the platform helps users unlock the full potential of their fleet management. 
The company has around 40-50 engineers working on two main products: a web app for fleet managers and a mobile app for Android and iOS.
The teams were initially divided by discipline (web, mobile, internal tools) but it wasn't scaling well, as mobile was always trying to catch up with web. As such, they reorganized the teams around domains of the system (Fleet Maintenance, Fleet Operations, Core Team) with developers from different disciplines working together towards the same goal.
Fleetio adopted an Agile approach, with product managers running the day-to-day execution. Goals are set at a quarterly level and communicated down to teams. Product managers do customer discovery to understand what to work on.
Engineers and product managers have different perspectives and goals, with engineers focused on the present and product managers focused on the future. This can lead to friction between the two groups, but it can also be beneficial in terms of balancing out different perspectives. The CTO may only need to intervene in individual cases.
Fleetio’s early history and its founder's belief in remote work led to its remote-first culture. The company tries to pretend like everyone is remote, even if they work in the same office, to maintain a remote-first culture and encourage communication.
The company places a high importance on the mental well-being of its employees, and works to maintain psychological safety and communication to ensure that employees are comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns.
Investing in people, whether through professional development or personal interests, will ultimately lead to a return on investment in the form of happier, more connected employees. Managers should be attuned to the well-being of their employees, proactively offer support, and invest in their growth and success.
Some clients ask for SOC 2 reports as part of their due diligence process, which can speed up the sales process.
The security team reports directly to the CTO, who is also responsible for cross-functional communication and business process optimization within the organization.
The CTO must focus on strategic initiatives and coach others on how to work with them in their new role. Etienne points out that value stream mapping is a powerful tool for the CTO to facilitate conversation within the organization and create value for customers.
KEY QUOTE:
"Investing in people is one of the most important things a company can do. It's not just about hiring the best engineers, but also providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed." - Jorge Valdivia
Resources
Jorge Valdivia on LinkedIn
Fleetio Careers

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ctopod.com