In this episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, host Kovid Batra engages in an insightful conversation with Christopher Zotter, the Head of Digital Engineering at Sky, Germany. Christopher brings a wealth of experience, including a decade of leading engineering teams and founding a software development agency.

Known for his unique leadership philosophy, Christopher believes in the power of building trust, embracing failures, and fostering a transparent culture. He shares his journey from an apprentice in Germany to a leadership role, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience and continuous learning. The discussion delves into the challenges and strategies of managing culturally diverse remote teams, effective communication, and transitioning from legacy systems to cutting-edge technologies. Christopher also highlights the significance of being a role model and integrating community involvement into one's career. This episode offers a deep dive into the principles and practices that can guide leaders in nurturing successful global development teams.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

📈 Christopher’s journey from apprentice to a global leader

💼 Balancing leadership with running a side business

b) Key Takeaways

🔑 How to build trust and foster a transparent team culture?

📣 Embracing failure as a tool for growth and encouraging open dialogue

🌐 Navigating the complexities of remote leadership to drive effective team collaboration

👥 Integrating community involvement as a leader to stay connected and grounded

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🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

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In this episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, host Kovid Batra engages with Vilas, an accomplished engineering leader with significant experience at companies like Walmart, Netflix, and Bill.com.

They discuss the concept of Developer Experience (DevEx) and how it extends beyond simply providing tools. Vilas highlights the importance of enabling developers with frictionless processes and addresses the multidimensional challenges involved. The conversation delves into Vilas’s journey in DevEx, insights from designing platforms and enabling developer productivity, and the necessity of engaging with key opinion leaders for successful adoption. Vilas shares personal anecdotes and learning experiences, stressing the significance of treating developer enablement as a product and encouraging collaboration.

The discussion concludes with advice for those stepping into DevEx roles, underlining the evolving significance of this field in the industry.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

🎥 Vilas’s love for cinema & BTS stories

🏃‍♂️ Unwinding through movement

b) Key Takeaways

🔑 The role of frictionless processes in improving DevEx

🎯 Treating Developer Enablement as a product to drive real impact

🤝 How to engage with key opinion leaders for successful platform adoption

💬 Practical advice for those stepping into DevEx roles

Looking for top tech mentors like Vilas who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

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🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

In this episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, host Kovid Batra is joined by Carlos Neves, the Head of Engineering at Vitality, as they explore the often challenging transition from an individual contributor (IC) to an Engineering Manager (EM).

With over 15 years of experience in engineering and leadership, Carlos shares his journey from Portugal to the UK, his initial interest in computer science influenced by a cousin, and his passion for salsa dancing. The discussion delves into the importance of gaining horizontal exposure within an organization, understanding the nuances of management beyond technical skills, and building confidence to overcome imposter syndrome. Carlos emphasizes the significance of proactive communication, trusting the team through delegation, and seeking mentorship. He shares insights into making a conscious decision to transition into management, highlighting the need for self-assessment regarding technical passions and people management skills.

The episode concludes with advice for those considering this career path and the introduction of groCTO Connect, a mentoring initiative aimed at helping technical leaders advance.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

🇵🇹 Carlos’ path from Portugal to the UK

💻 Balancing interests: Sports vs. Computer Science

💃 Salsa dancing as a creative outlet

b) Key Takeaways

🧠 How to gain horizontal exposure for a smoother transition into management

💬 Tips for overcoming imposter syndrome through better communication

🤝 How to effectively delegate by trusting and empowering your team

🎯 Career reflection: Deciding between coding & people management

Looking for top tech mentors like Carlos who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

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🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

Welcome to today’s episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, where host Kovid Batra talks with Jagannath Kintali, former Head of Engineering at Dojo and ex-startup co-founder, about building impactful engineering teams focused on customer delight.

Jagannath shares his extensive experience of over 18+ years in engineering, discussing the importance of building what is needed rather than overshooting with extravagant systems. He emphasises creating high-performance teams through trust, purpose, and customer empathy. Jagannath highlights his journey, the learnings from his startup, and how he implemented these insights at Dojo, including stories about curtain ordering systems and observability projects. This episode provides valuable insights on leadership, team building, and aligning engineering efforts towards solving real customer problems.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

👨‍💻 Jagannath’s rise from Orissa to tech leadership in the UK

✈️ Passion for engineering and a dream to fly

📈 Startup lessons: product focus, team-building, and execution

b) Key Takeaways

👥 Building customer-driven, high-performing teams

🛠️ How trust, purpose, and empathy drive engineering success

⚖️ Startup insights: start small, iterate fast

🔍 Implementing learnings at Dojo with real-world projects

🚀 Aligning engineering teams to solve real customer problems

👨‍💼 Practical advice for leaders balancing system design with customer needs

Looking for top tech mentors like Jag who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

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Accelerate your journey towards success🚀

🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

Welcome to today’s episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, where host Kovid Batra sits down with Venkat Rangasamy, Director of Engineering at Oracle and an advisory member at HBR, to discuss how AI is reshaping the engineering landscape. Venkat shares his journey from a humble background to leading at Oracle, diving into his passion for mentorship and the revolutionary impact of AI on the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

In this episode, Venkat explores how AI is making product development faster, cheaper, and more efficient, while also addressing the challenges of using public versus local LLMs. He offers actionable advice for engineering leaders in startups, focusing on the evolving role of developers and how to navigate this transformative phase in tech.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

👨‍💻 Venkat’s humble background to leading at Oracle

🤖 His passion for mentorship and generative AI

b) Key Takeaways

🤖 How AI is revolutionizing the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

⚖️ Challenges with public vs. local LLMs

🔒 Security and IP concerns with AI

💡 Making product development cheaper, faster, and more efficient with AI

👨‍💼 Evolving role of developers in the AI-driven era

🛠️ Actionable advice for engineering leaders navigating this shift

Looking for top tech mentors like Venkat who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

Sign up with groCTO Connect for 1:1 mentorship from top CTOs & tech leaders.

Accelerate your journey towards success🚀

🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

Welcome to today’s episode of the groCTO Originals podcast, where host Kovid Batra interviews James Charlesworth, Director of Engineering, Sheffield Site Lead at Pendo, to discuss the common conflict between product and engineering teams.

James brings over 15 years of experience in engineering and leadership to share strategies for fostering empathy, collaboration, and effective communication. He emphasizes the importance of understanding each team's priorities, the impact of misalignment, and how impactful one-on-one interactions can build trust within teams.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

👨‍💻 James’ background and early passion for tech

🎸 Exploring creative non-tech hobbies

b) Professional Journey

🎓 A pivotal moment: Choosing the wrong degree

🧭 Navigating life and discovering your niche

c) Key Takeaways

💟 Bridging the ‘Product vs Engineering’ gap with empathy

👔 The role and influence of Engineering Managers

🤝 How frequent 1-on-1s build trust within teams

🌱 Practical tips for introverts in tech

Looking for top tech mentors like James who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

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🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

Welcome to another episode of exploring tech leadership! Today, your host Kovid Batra welcomes Vladislav Maličević, CTO at Jedox.

Vlado shares his 20-year journey from being one of the first developers at Jedox to becoming the CTO of the company. He discusses his personal background, the growth and transformation of Jedox, and the company's strategic decisions, including the shift from open-source to a full-fledged cloud platform.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

✨ Vladislav’s introduction

🇩🇪 Personal life & shift to Germany

b) Professional Journey

👨🏻‍💻 Vlado’s journey from developer to CTO at Jedox

🚀 Competing with existing competitors like IBM & SAP

c) Key Takeaways

📈 Jedox's evolution: How they created space in the market

👩‍💻 The role of open source in Jedox's growth

✅ Transition to cloud and key decisions

🎯 Building vs. Outsourcing: How to make the right choice?

Looking for top tech mentors like Vladislav who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

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🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.

Welcome to another episode of exploring tech leadership! Today, your host Kovid Batra welcomes Leonid Bugaev, Head of Engineering at Tyk.

With 20 years in IT, mostly with startups, Leo brings a fresh perspective on entrepreneurship and leadership. He’ll share his insights on navigating economic downturns, building strong engineering teams, and keeping motivation high in tough times. Leo’s focus on transparent communication and strategic priorities offers valuable guidance for thriving in any economic climate.

💡 Highlights

a) Getting Candid

👨🏻‍💻 Leonid’s introduction

✨ Personal life & hobbies

b) Professional Journey

🚀 Starting a business at 17 & working with startups

💰 Side hustles & monetization

c) Key Takeaways

📈 Understanding the patterns of economic downturns

👩‍💻 How to build business context for Engineering teams

✅ Avoiding chaos & maintaining motivation

🎯 Leo’s strategic priorities during a recession

💬 Building trust with transparent communication

Looking for top tech mentors like Leonid who can help you take up your new tech leadership role with confidence or guide you with your next career move?

Sign up with groCTO Connect for 1:1 mentorship from top CTOs & tech leaders.

Accelerate your journey towards success🚀

🎧 Full Episode

This episode is also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more.

Thanks for listening to the podcast. That’s it for today 👋

1) Subscribe to groCTO — If you aren’t already, consider becoming a groCTO subscriber.

2) Share amongst fellow Engineering Leaders and CTOs! Your referral empowers & builds our groCTO community.