Modern CTO
Modern CTO is a podcast where technology leaders and CTOs share insights and experiences. Hosted by ProSeries Media, it features interviews with CTOs from various industries including aerospace, artificial intelligence, and robotics. The show aims to provide value to tech leaders through engaging and intelligent conversations.
Episodes
Hunting for Alien Technology with Avi Loeb, Harvard Astrophysicist
If scientists are being entirely honest, is non-human technology already on earth?
Today, we're talking to Avi Loeb, Harvard astrophysicist and head of the government's new UAP Science Advisory Council. We discuss why the hunt for alien life is shifting from waiting for a radio call to checking the mailbox for a package, how a so-called "dark comet" turned out to be a lost Soviet spacecraft, and
Is the Specialist Executive Dead? with Mahesh Guruswamy, COO at Kajabi
We were told to specialize endlessly…now, AI is here.
Today, we're talking to Mahesh Guruswamy, COO of Kajabi. We discuss why the specialist executive is becoming extinct as tech gets commoditized, how "AI fatigue" is really grief over eroding craft rather than exhaustion, and why the biggest threat to the AI boom might be economics, not technology.
All of this right here, right now, on the Mode
Tech Titans: Go From Burnt Out to Fired Up with Justin Fanelli, Department of Navy CTO
If you’re feeling burnt out, it’s not the work you’re doing. It’s the mission you’re on.
Today, we're talking to Justin Fanelli, Chief Technology Officer of the Department of the Navy. We discuss why direct communication is fuel rather than friction, how the most driven government workers are often the ones who've already "made it" elsewhere, and why burnout has almost nothing to do with hours wo
Can this Company Fix America’s Broken Food System? with Luiz Beling, CEO of Apeel Sciences
Why did a smear campaign almost take out this anti-food waste company?
Today, we're talking to Luiz Beling, CEO at Apeel, about how a company that captured 60% of the U.S. avocado market can lose it almost overnight to a coordinated smear campaign. We discuss why narrative security now matters as much as cybersecurity, how a childhood kidnapping in Brazil quietly shaped his approach to crisis lea
Confronting Plummeting Birth Rates & Banning Superintelligence with Connor Leahy, US Director at ControlAI
He’s 31, and nobody he knows is having kids. Tech is to blame, but what’s the solution?
Today, we're talking to Connor Leahy, US Director at ControlAI. We discuss why plummeting birth rates look eerily similar to what happens when zoo animals stop breeding, how ideas can spread and cause real harm the same way diseases do, and why the safest path with superintelligence might be to ban it outright
Are Engineers Redundant Now? with Hrishi Dixit, Co-Founder & CTO of Autonomy Finance
Developers, how confident are you in the future of your job?
Today, we're catching up with Hrishi Dixit, cofounder and CTO of Autonomy Finance, about what actually happens when you hand the keys to AI in a regulated industry — why the first pass of AI-generated code is never shippable, how a commingled client data hallucination can end a company overnight, and why the engineers who survive the AI
Where Do We Draw the Line on Letting AI Build? With Zach Goldberg, CEO at Gruntwork
What happens when the worst among us get their hands on the most powerful tools?
Today, we're talking to Zach Goldberg, CEO at Gruntwork, about the messy edges of AI adoption. We discuss why "vibe coding" has created a new category of disposable, single-purpose software that never would have existed before, why the line between AI you can trust to read data and AI you can trust to write to produc
Why do 81% of Mature AI Programs Get Rolled Back? with Daniel Morris, CPO at Sinch
Confidence and readiness are actually NOT the same thing.
Today, we're talking to Daniel Morris, CPO at Sinch, about why 81% of mature companies roll back their AI programs even as 89% of leaders claim they're fully prepared, how the shift from SMS to rich messaging is rewriting the rules for how brands connect with customers, and why the next evolution of authentication might mean your phone sil
How Snapchat is Evolving in the Age of AI with Saral Jain, SVP, Head of Engineering
This is how Snapchat sets itself apart in the social media space: they’re not a social media company.
Today, we're talking to Saral Jain, SVP and Head of Engineering at Snapchat, about how one of tech's most underestimated companies is quietly outpacing giants. We discuss why Snapchat has always refused to call itself a social media company and what that distinction means for every product decisi
Why Kubernetes Still Feels So Hard & What to Do About It with Steve Francis, CEO of Sidero Labs
What if you didn’t have to solve problems? You can just remove them entirely.
Today, we're talking to Steve Francis, CEO at Sidero Labs, about why the most dangerous thing running in your infrastructure might be the operating system itself. We discuss how eliminating features rather than adding them is the real path to security, why the promise of multi-cloud portability turned out to be a lesson
Why Does AI Momentum Stall in Large Organizations? with Kyle Lagunas & Allyn Bailey
Understanding these key points is what actually moves the needle on AI gains.
Today, we're talking to Kyle Lagunas, analyst and founder at Kyle & Co, and Allyn Bailey, senior director of communications at SmartRecruiters, about why AI momentum in HR is stalling and what's actually moving the needle. We discuss why the organizations leading on AI aren't doing anything flashy, how the most boring r
Are Apps Going to Get Axed by Conversational AI? with Jacques Klick, Director of Market Strategy at Sinch
We’re putting more and more trust into AI. Will it all blend into one app?
Today, we're talking to Jacques Klick, Director of Market Strategy & Product Marketing at Sinch. We discuss why the app store era is quietly ending and what replaces it, how a 62% enterprise AI adoption rate is hiding a 74% rollback problem, and what RCS actually is and why it might be the most underutilized channel in mar
When Will Robots Live With Us? Inside 1X's NEO with Dar Sleeper, VP of Design & Product
Would you live with a humanoid robot? Could you beat one in a fight?
Today, we're talking to Dar Sleeper, VP of Design, Product, and Marketing at 1X, the company building Neo, a humanoid robot designed to live and work alongside humans in the home. We discuss why the home is actually the most strategic beachhead in humanoid robotics, how world models are collapsing the gap between robots that fol
The 5 Levels of AI Coding & the Collapse of Human-Written Code with Trevor Hinesley, Co-Founder & CTO at Soundstripe
His company policy is: there will be absolutely no human-written code.
Today, we're talking to Trevor Hinesley, Cofounder and CTO at Soundstripe. We discuss the five levels of AI-written code and what it actually looks like to operate at the highest ones, why Trevor's team has a strict policy of zero human-written code, how the "dark factory" concept is reshaping what engineers actually do, and w
Marty Cagan on Product Management Theater in the Age of AI
Product managers are FORGETTING that they’re problem solvers.
Today, we're talking to Marty Cagan, product management author and founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group. We discuss why most tech companies are unknowingly running a model that almost guarantees shipping things that don't matter, how AI is simultaneously exposing and accelerating that problem, why the real bottleneck was never y
From Mammoths to Humans: The Case for Gene Editing with Eriona Hysolli
Can today’s technology really prevent tomorrow’s diseases?
Today, we're talking to Eriona Hysolli, biologist and co-founder of Manhattan Genomics. We discuss why preventing genetic disease before birth is a more powerful idea than treating it in adulthood, how the UK quietly pioneered a procedure that most of the world still considers off-limits, why the loudest opposition to gene editing often c
Why Your AI Has No Idea What's Happening in the World with Campbell Brown, CEO & Co-Founder of PredictHQ
Understanding the real world is the biggest potential advantage of AI.
Today, we're talking to Campbell Brown, CEO and cofounder of PredictHQ, about the layer of real-world intelligence that AI models are still missing. We discuss why 65% of unexplained demand spikes come down to something most businesses completely ignore, how a New Zealand car rental company became the data backbone for Uber an
Are Our Brains Wired Together? The Power of the Mind in Business & Beyond with Moran Cerf, Neuroscientist & Professor
If you understand this about your brain, you’ll be unstoppable.
Today, we're talking to Moran Cerf, neuroscientist and professor, about why the hidden signals shaping human behavior have more in common with ants and fish than we'd like to admit, how smell — not vision — may be the most underestimated force behind the decisions we make, why brains in the same room quietly synchronize whether their
Why Being the Best at Your Job Is Holding You Back with Bill Tingle, Executive Coach for Tech Leaders
If you’re trying to get ahead and you’re the best at your job, then we have bad news for you.
Today, we're talking to executive coach Bill Tingle. We discuss why being the best at your job is actually holding you back, how executive presence goes far deeper than confidence or gravitas, and why building the right relationships matters more than any result you'll ever deliver.
All of this right he
Tech Titans: Learn How to Remix as a Leader with Michael Grinich, founder at WorkOS
Every product and piece of art you love is a ripoff…and that’s a good thing.
Today, we're talking to Michael Grinich, founder of WorkOS. We discuss why copying great work is a sign of maturity rather than weakness, how the best builders draw inspiration from wildly different industries, and why the most enduring motivation in tech is really just a form of suffering.
All of this right here, right
Tech Titans: Your Team Should be Acting or Arguing with Brendan Wovchko, CTO at Ramsey Solutions
If you’re not arguing with your team, you might be making a big mistake.
Today, we're bringing you timeless advice from Brendan Wovchko, CTO at Ramsey Solutions. We discuss why most organizations have a shared urgency problem and what to do about it, how the "act or argue" principle can transform your team culture, and why the best technologists are still driven by mission instead of money or sta
What It Looks Like to Give AI 80% of Your Project with Dan Cardinal, CTO at Beghou
Here's what decisive AI leadership ACTUALLY looks like in practice.
Today, we're talking to Dan Cardinal, CTO at Beghou, about how he's using tools like Blitzy to achieve 80% autonomous project completion at scale. We discuss how caution in sensitive industries like healthcare shapes AI adoption, why human-in-the-loop controls are non-negotiable for production AI at scale, and how one skeptic wen
Why Software Is Never “Done” Anymore with Iccha Sethi, SVP of Engineering at Vanta
How do we decide that a project is actually finished in the age of AI?
Today, we're talking to Iccha Sethi, SVP of Engineering at Vanta. We discuss why software is never truly done in the age of AI, how engineering leaders can manage model drift through evaluation frameworks, and why the top 1% of engineers all share one unexpected trait.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podc
The Future of Employee Experience & The Field of Foresight with Jacob Morgan, host of Future Ready Leadership
Employee experience is in shambles today. How can you put it back together?
Today, we're talking to Jacob Morgan, Author and Futurist at Future Ready Leadership. We discuss why organizations must return to the basics of employee experience in an AI-driven world, how leaders need to adopt five key archetypes to stay relevant, and why designing for flexibility inside your organization is the future
Tech Titans: The Art of Making Yourself Redundant with Hrishi Dixit, Principal at Gordian Labs
Don’t be afraid to make yourself entirely…replaceable?
Today, we're talking to Hrishi Dixit, Principal at Gordian Labs. We discuss how to make yourself redundant as a tech leader, why culture is the only thing that outlasts you, and how knowing when to get out of the weeds is the mark of a truly great CTO.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!
To connect with Hrishi, vi
Tech Titans: How Do You Lead When No One's Looking? with Jack Tam, Intuit
Here's what integrity under pressure ACTUALLY looks like in practice.
Today, we're talking to Jack Tam, SVP of Engineering at Intuit. We discuss why integrity means holding yourself to a high bar even when no one is looking, how a growth mindset and curiosity across disciplines can sustain a 20-year career, and why this is the most exciting time in technology despite the uncertainty AI brings.
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Tech Titans: How to Stop Fitting In and Start Leading with Tony Martignetti
He learned that he had to leave the room to truly make a difference.
Today, we're talking to Tony Martignetti, Executive Coach and Author of Campfire Lessons for Leaders. We discuss why hiding your true self at work leads to burnout, how the three C's of curiosity, compassion, and connection can unlock self-awareness, and why leaving the room to change the room is the ultimate act of courageous l
Tech Titans: Your Team Can't Trust You If They Can't Predict You with Noah Cantor
Change is faster than ever. Your team needs to ACTUALLY trust you.
Today, we're talking to Noah Cantor, Executive Coach. We discuss why most tech leaders receive no training before stepping into leadership roles, how inconsistent leadership styles lead to demotivated and underperforming teams, and why aligning your actions with your core values is the key to reducing stress and leading with clari
Will AI Kill Code Review? with Francisco Trindade, VP at Braze
Everybody’s talking about it… what are you actually going to DO about it?
Today, we're talking to Francisco Trindade, Vice President of Software Engineering at Braze. We discuss why AI is shifting the bottleneck from writing code to reviewing it, how companies must invest in restructuring their codebases to unlock 10x productivity gains, and why systems thinking is the key to effective engineerin
When AI Writes All the Code, Who's Watching? with Kayvon Beykpour, Cofounder & CEO of Macroscope
The results are in: AI has humans beat at code review. What now?
Today, we're talking to Kayvon Beykpour, Co-founder and CEO of Macroscope. We discuss why large organizations must embrace AI or risk falling behind, how agentic coding tools are transforming the software development lifecycle, and why the real bottleneck in modern engineering is no longer writing code.
All of this right here, righ
Why AI is Actually Artificial Creativity with Brian Alvey, CTO of WordPress VIP
The robots were supposed to do the dishes. Instead, they're writing poetry.
Today, we're talking to Brian Alvey, CTO at WordPress VIP. We discuss why AI should be thought of as artificial creativity rather than artificial intelligence, how modern CTOs no longer need large teams to build and ship at scale, and why embracing shortcuts is the only rational response to the pace of technological chang
The AI Bubble Nobody's Talking About with Brian Singer, CTO as RSI
Everybody is looking at the WRONG bubble.
Today, we're talking to Brian Singer, CTO at RSI and President of Singer Concept. We discuss the AI bubble nobody is talking about, why healthcare executives are being disproportionately misled by false AI vendors, and how to structure shared-risk partnerships that guarantee ROI before you spend a dime.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CT
What Will Usher in the Next Renaissance with Zack Kass, Author & Former OpenAI GTM Lead
It’s about time for the next age of human flourishing. Will AI get us there?
Today, we're talking to Zack Kass, author and former OpenAI Go-to-Market Lead. We discuss why AI will likely cure cancer before autonomous vehicles dominate our roads, how mid-market and family-owned businesses can survive the AI consolidation wave, and why the future of AI is invisible infrastructure rather than apps.
TECH IN THE MORNING: OpenAI Axes Sora, Disney Pulls Out, and Slop Dominates
Ready for a brand new show?
Today, in a special episode, we're talking about OpenAI shutting down Sora and what it means for the future of AI-generated video. We discuss why consumer demand wasn't enough to keep Sora alive, how AI-generated content is fueling a misinformation crisis on social media, and why the rise of fake digital content might actually push us back toward valuing in-person conn
Tech Titans: How to Know You’re Not Really a CTO with Alan Williamson
THIS is how you know you’re not really ready for primetime.
Today, we're bringing you our most timeless advice from our last conversation with Alan Williamson, Author of Think Like a CTO. We discuss why most first-time CTOs struggle to communicate with non-technical executives, how to think about budgeting and engineering costs like a true technology leader, and why the ability to articulate a cl
Why Everybody Has Something to Hide with Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva
It’s not just the bad guys who need to hide anymore.
Today, we're talking to Guy Kawasaki, legendary Apple evangelist and Chief Evangelist at Canva. We discuss why everybody has something to hide in the digital age, how metadata reveals far more than most people realize, and why Signal is the most practical step you can take to protect your privacy and security right now.
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Why You Can’t Go Off Vibes in Software Development with Stephen Poletto, Field CTO at Span
AI tools are more powerful than ever, but you still can’t operate like THIS.
Today, we're talking to Stephen Poletto, Field CTO at Span. We discuss why engineering teams are making decisions based on hype instead of data, how AI is reshaping software development through emerging practices like harness engineering, and why measuring actual productivity versus perceived productivity is more critica
Tech Titans: A Masterclass in Change Management with Ashley Goodall
Things are changing faster than ever, but don’t let it affect your team.
Today, we're talking to Ashley Goodall, leadership expert and bestselling author. We discuss why the management obsession with change is harming the people it's meant to help, how constant reorganization leads to learned helplessness and quiet quitting, and why the real goal should never be just change.
All of this right he
Why Regenerative Tech Needs to be the Future with Tom Chi, Google X Founder & author of Climate Capital
What if green technology was actually just more profitable?
Today, we're talking to Tom Chi, Google X Co-Founder and Founding Partner at At One Ventures, about his new bestselling book, Climate Capital. We discuss why the physical world is a more predictable investment than software, how his firm identifies the 30 industries responsible for over 90% of planetary damage, and why making clean techn
From Inventing a Microprocessor to Full-Time Tech Comedian with Don McMillan
From chip design at Bell Laboratories to…the world's #1 Venn diagram comedian??
Today, we're talking to Don McMillan, comedian and former chip designer at Bell Laboratories. We discuss how burning out in Silicon Valley led him to pursue stand-up comedy full time, why having an engineering mindset made him a better comedian, and how a random radio caller unknowingly changed the entire trajectory o
Tech Titans: Why Accidental Managers are the Best Leaders with Rajeev Rajan, CTO at Atlassian
The best managers are the ones who never wanted the job.
Today, we're talking to Rajeev Rajan, CTO at Atlassian. We discuss why developer joy outperforms productivity as an engineering goal, how the best managers are the ones who never wanted the job, and why every leadership playbook you've built stops working the moment your team grows.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Po
A Step By Step Process to Accelerate Your Career Goals with Rob Kalwarowsky
The biggest lie we were ever sold: hard work alone gets you the promotion.
Today, we're talking to Rob Kalwarowsky, bestselling author and leadership coach. We discuss why writing down your goal increases the probability of achieving it to 43%, how the people above you can't promote you for a job you've never told them you want, and why working hard and letting the results speak for themselves is
Why Your Document Workflows Are a Hidden Compliance Crisis with Anand Narasimhan, CTO at S-Docs
Before you open another Google Docs, you need to hear this episode.
Today, we're talking to Anand Narasimhan, CTO at S Docs. We discuss why organizations pay $94,000 in compliance penalties due to documentation errors, how 57% of employees bypass official tools when under deadline pressure, and why automation must come before autonomous AI in enterprise workflows.
All of this right here, righ
How To Understand & Optimize Agentic AI Workforces with Promise Theory with Tony Davis & Dr. Mark Burgess
This theory explains how AI agents can make promises and build trust… with other agents.
Today, we're talking to Doctor Mark Burgess, the originator of Promise Theory, and Tony Davis, Senior Director of Agentic Strategy at A&I Solutions. We discuss why command-and-control fails with autonomous AI agents, how agents respond to peer rejection instead of human disapproval, and why Promise Theory is
The Top Scaling Lessons from Zapier's AI Transformation with Wade Foster, Co-Founder & CEO of Zapier
Why did he set off the code-red alarm at his company?
Today, we're talking to Wade Foster, co-founder and CEO of Zapier and host of the Agents of Scale podcast. We discuss how Zapier scaled to $5 billion with only one funding round, why 100% of new hires must be AI fluent, and how top companies are using hackathons to transform their organizations in the age of AI.
All of this right here, right
How Jensen Huang Built the World's Most Valuable Company with Stephen Witt, Author of "The Thinking Machine"
The man behind NVIDIA is unlike any other leader today.
Today, we're talking to Stephen Witt, author of The Thinking Machine. We discuss how he lied his way into six interviews with Jensen Huang, why NVIDIA operates like a company that's thirty days from bankruptcy despite being worth trillions, and how Jensen's decade-long bet on the $0 market created the backbone of the AI revolution.
All of t
How AI Will Collapse, Blur, and Rebuild Tech Teams with Kevin Adams, CIO at Edward Jones
He’s seeing AI unfold at one of the oldest financial firms in the world.
Today, we're talking to Kevin Adams, CIO at Edward Jones. We discuss how AI is disrupting traditional organizational structures, why humans need to move up the stack while AI handles execution, and how to implement AI at the right speed in highly regulated industries.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Pod
Why You’ll Never Plan Another Vacation with Vipul Hingne, CTO at Booking.com
How is a travel giant like Booking.com leveraging AI?
Today, we're talking to Vipul Hingne, interim CTO at Booking.com. We discuss how AI is transforming the entire travel experience beyond just planning trips, why Booking.com launched their AI trip planner in just 14 weeks with OpenAI, and how two-thirds of their organization is already using GenAI to solve real customer problems.
All of this r
How to Build Defense for AI Cyber Attack Waves with Ariful Huq, Co-Founder at Exaforce
AI is flooding the cybersecurity space. So, how do we fight back?
Today, we're talking to Ariful Huq, co-founder at Exaforce. We discuss how to build AI defense systems against AI-powered attack waves, why 98% of security alerts are false positives, and how to turn a team of three analysts into a team of ten using AI agents.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!
To lear
Will AI be the End of SaaS? with Rob Woollen & Marwan Mattar of Sigma
If it’s growing exponentially, what will happen to the SaaS model?
Today, we're talking to Rob Woollen, Co-founder at Sigma Computing, and Marwan Mattar, VP of AI at Sigma. We discuss whether AI will kill the SaaS industry, why the demo-to-production gap is AI's biggest challenge, and how the cost of building custom applications is approaching zero.
All of this right here, right now, on the Mode
CES and WEF 2026: What’s the Global State of Tech? with Jim Harris
He went to the biggest tech and economic gatherings in the world.
Today, we're talking to Jim Harris, AI Strategist and Keynote Speaker. We discuss how companies are achieving 80%+ efficiency gains with AI-first thinking, why most employees still fear AI and what to do about it, and how humanoid robots and AI are revolutionizing everything from healthcare to housework.
All of this right here, ri
How AI Will Dissolve Our Brains Just Like Google Maps with Jacob Ward, Author of "The Loop"
If you don’t use it, you lose it. Does the same apply to AI and our brains?
Today, we're talking to Jacob Ward, journalist, AI ethics and safety advisor, and author of The Loop. We discuss why AI will dissolve our brains just like Google Maps dissolved our sense of direction, how our unconscious decision-making makes us vulnerable to AI manipulation, and why kids saying "clankers" might be our be
Why We Need the Rich for Democracy & Tech Progress with John McGinnis, Professor at Northwestern University
The culture is turning on billionaires, but who do you think is funding our technological progress?
Today, we're talking to John McGinnis, Professor at Northwestern University and author of "Why Democracy Needs the Rich." We discuss why wealthy individuals are essential to technological progress and democracy, how professional influencers create incentive structures against the rich, and why Amer
The 9 Skills Every Tech Leader Needs in the Age of AI with Andrea Iorio, Author of "Between You and AI"
How should you respond to the fastest shift in tech we've ever seen? Make more mistakes.
Today, we're talking to Andrea Iorio, author of Between You and AI and former Chief Digital Officer at L'Oréal. We discuss why asking better questions matters more than having all the answers, how reverse mentoring can transform organizational learning, and why becoming antifragile through smart mistakes is t
The Cost Crisis Facing CTOs and How to Solve It with Albert Strasheim, CTO at Rippling
THIS is how you keep your infrastructure costs from spiraling out of control.
Today, we're talking to Albert Strasheim, CTO at Rippling. We discuss the cost crisis facing CTOs in the age of AI, how he reduced infrastructure costs by 30% while growing traffic by 25%, and why holding back feedback is actually the most selfish thing a leader can do.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern
How Agentic SDLC Turned a 5-month Project Into 5 Days with Brian Elliott, CEO at Blitzy and Tom Jackson, CTO at RSM US LLP
Has AI really become THIS powerful in the enterprise?
Today, we're talking to Brian Elliott, CEO at Blitzy and Tom Jackson, CTO at RSM US LLP. We discuss how AI agents are autonomously completing months of development work in days, why organizational change management is now the biggest bottleneck in software development, and how enterprises are achieving 5x engineering velocity with agentic SDLC
The Modern CTO of 2025 is Rob Duffy, CTO at HealthEdge!
This was the most useful, actionable advice we got on AI in 2025.
Today, we're compiling the best AI content we got from our Modern CTO of 2025: Rob Duffy, CTO at HealthEdge. We discuss why AI demos aren't translating to production ROI, how to treat AI migration with the same rigor as cloud migration, and why technical leaders must use AI tools themselves to drive organizational transformation.
The Business Strategy of the Biggest Player in Travel Tech with Rob Ransom, SVP at Booking Holdings
Most people know booking.com. Almost nobody knows about the $100B+ travel empire behind it.
Today, we're talking to Rob Ransom, Senior Vice President at Booking Holdings, about the business strategy behind booking.com, KAYAK, OpenTable, and more. We discuss how AI is transforming travel booking like mobile did a decade ago, why the best strategies prioritize simplicity over complexity, and how bo
The MCTO Awards: Who is THE Modern CTO of 2025?
Today, we're doing something different: crowning the Modern CTO of 2025!
In our first-ever year-end awards episode, we discuss the moments that stood out the most this year. From the most controversial moments to the wisest insights, we revisit the guests and clips that defined 2025 and reveal which tech leader earned the title of Modern CTO of the Year.
How Shazam went from a 4-digit Phone Number to $400m with Chris Barton, Founder
Shazam struggled to turn any profit for 6 straight years. But then the App Store changed everything.
Today, we're talking to Chris Barton, Founder of Shazam. We discuss why they built a music recognition app eight years before the App Store launched, how they survived six consecutive years of near bankruptcy, and why eliminating the right friction is the key to massive user adoption.
All of this
Merry Christmas from Modern CTO!
Merry Christmas! Tune in next week to two of our favorite episodes of the year.
How to Nail Business Automation in the Agentic Age with Micha Kiener, CTO at Flowable
How did they reduce customer onboarding from 5 days to 7 minutes?
Today, we're talking to Misha Keener, CTO at Flowable. We discuss why orchestration is more important than automation, how context engineering beats prompt engineering in agentic AI, and why enterprise readiness will separate winners from losers in 2025.
All of this right here, right now, on the Modern CTO Podcast!
To learn more
Building Peacock at Scale with António Vieira, Director of Global Apps Engineering at Sky
Peacock has become a streaming giant. How did they scale it to millions of users?
Today, we're talking to António Vieira, Director of Global Apps Engineering at Sky. We discuss how Peacock handles 30% of internet traffic during major NFL games, why live streaming is exponentially harder than video on demand, and how AI is being used to create personalized content experiences with synthetic voices
MIT Sloan’s Guide to Navigating a New Age of AI, with Sam Ransbotham, Host of the Me, Myself and AI Podcast
All tech is witchcraft…until it isn’t.
Today, we're talking to Sam Ransbotham, AI editor at MIT Sloan Management Review and host of the Me, Myself, and AI podcast. We discuss why 76% of executives now view AI as a coworker rather than a tool, how healthcare privacy laws from 1996 can't handle modern AI capabilities, and why cheaper coding will create more programming jobs instead of eliminating t
How Morpheus is Transforming the Hybrid Cloud Model with Brad Parks, HPE
They’ve created a “Google Translate” for the cloud, and it’s changing everything.
Today, we're talking to Brad Parks, CloudOps and Private Cloud Leader at HPE. We discuss how Morpheus is bringing cloud operating models to on-premises infrastructure, why hybrid cloud is an inevitability rather than a strategy for most enterprises, and how HPE is helping IT teams eliminate vendor lock-in while main
How the New York Times is Harnessing Tech in the News Industry with Jason Sobel, CTO
How is the biggest newspaper in the United States using GenAI?
Today, we're talking to Jason Sobel, CTO at The New York Times. We discuss how technology is transforming journalism for the digital age, why 70% of journalism jobs have disappeared in the last 25 years, and how The New York Times uses AI to enhance reporting without replacing human journalists.
All of this right here, right now, on
Transforming IT at Hewlett Packard Enterprise through Agentic AI with Brian Gruttadauria, CTO of Hybrid Cloud
Gartner placed them in the highest corner of their Magic Quadrant. Why is HPE leading their industry?
Today, we're talking to Brian Gruttadauria, CTO of Hybrid Cloud at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. We discuss how agentic AI is transforming hybrid cloud infrastructure, why human-in-the-loop will remain critical for enterprise AI adoption, and how HPE went from 20% to 92% GitHub Copilot adoption in
How AI Agents Are Redefining Customer Experience with Adrian McDermott, CTO at Zendesk
When will customer service be run entirely by bots?
Today, we're talking to Adrian McDermott, CTO at Zendesk, about how AI agents are transforming customer experience. We discuss why automation drives escalation instead of elimination, how Zendesk is moving from seat-based to outcome-based pricing with their resolution platform, and why the future of leadership requires being more like a slot mac
Our Best Advice on Communication and Hiring Strategies with Mark Porter, CTO at dbt Labs
This is some of the best advice we’ve ever heard on managing teams.
Today, we're talking to Mark Porter, CTO at dbt Labs. We discuss why knowing your audience is the foundation of effective communication, how to create psychological safety for escalation without surprises, and why hiring remarkable talent requires unconventional tactics like asking for negative references and spending six hours w
The Father of the Cable Modem on Broadband, AI & Hype with Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard
When he went to investors, nobody believed that the internet would be a big deal.
Today, we're talking to Rouzbeh Yassini-Fard, the Father of the Cable Modem. We discuss how he invented broadband when no one believed home internet would succeed, why letting your product do the talking beats PowerPoint presentations, and how to distinguish between technology hype and delivery reality in the age of
How to Complete an AI Transformation in 18 Months with Rebecca Carr, CEO at SmartRecruiters
THIS is how you can actually leverage AI to transform your business in a realistic timeframe.
Today, we're talking to Rebecca Carr, CEO at SmartRecruiters, about how she led a complete AI transformation of her company in eighteen months without asking the board for permission. We discuss why 58% of job applications are now completed by AI agents, how she threw out her entire product roadmap to bu
Leadership Lessons from Business and Church with Jay Owen, CEO at Business Builders
It’s lonely at the top. But being lonely is actually a choice.
Today, we're talking to Jay Owen, CEO at Business Builders. We discuss how leading in ministry has changed his approach to business leadership, why loneliness at the top is actually a choice, and how AI tools like vibe coding are enabling agencies to build $50,000 solutions in just one week for a few hundred dollars.
Thank you to Dig
Web3 Was a Failure…Will Gaming Save it? with Chris Hewish, President at Xsolla
Web3 crashed and burned when it first rolled out. But now, it’s picking up steam in gaming.
Today, we're talking to Chris Hewish, President at Xsolla. We discuss why the first wave of Web3 gaming collapsed into pyramid schemes, how blockchain technology is being reimagined to enhance gameplay instead of replace it, and why creator economies and decentralized ownership could finally solve the cold
From 2 Guys in a Garage to 700+ Employees with Scott Henderson, CTO & Co-founder at Celigo
He walked away from a cushy job to build products in his garage. Here’s how he made it work.
Today, we're talking to Scott Henderson, CTO and Co-founder at Celigo. We discuss why AI needs minimal autonomy instead of maximum freedom, how the future of SaaS is chat-to-validate rather than click-to-execute, and why the most expensive AI mistake is adopting it too slowly rather than spending too much
The AI Coding Arms Race is Transforming Software with Henrik Plate & Amod Gupta of Endor Labs
Everyone is rushing to master AI, but what does that mean for software security?
Today, we're talking to Henrik Plate and Amod Gupta from Endor Labs about their State of Dependency Management report. We discuss how AI coding assistants are introducing new security vulnerabilities, why 90% of security issues exist in code you're not even using, and how malware is now hijacking local AI agents to s
How The Telegraph is Redefining the News with AI with Dylan Jacques, CPTO
Is journalism being threatened or enhanced by modern technology?
Today, we're talking to Dylan Jacques, Chief Product and Technology Officer at The Telegraph. We discuss how AI is transforming news consumption patterns, why maintaining journalistic standards is critical in the age of LLMs, and how publishers can adapt by shipping features faster while preserving the human element of journalism.
Will AI Ever Create Its Own Meaning? with Bryan McCann, CTO of You.com
AI is more powerful than ever, but companies are way overhyping this one feature.
Today, we're talking to Bryan McCann, CTO and co-founder at You.com. We discuss why CTOs need to start asking deeper questions about meaning, how AI is forcing us to rethink consciousness and intelligence, and why treating AI with respect might actually help you become a better person.
All of this right here, right
The AI SRE Hype and How to Get it Right with Yotam Yemini, CEO of Causely
AI is more powerful than ever, but companies are way overhyping this one feature.
Today, we're talking to Yotam Yemini, CEO of Causely. We discuss why AI SREs are getting so much hype right now, how companies can make the benefits of AI in operations tangible, and why understanding the limitations of language models is crucial for effective implementation in SRE work.
All of this right here, rig
Rewiring Lenovo with Art Hu, SVP & CTO
Lenovo has been a global leader in computing for decades. Where are they heading next?
Today, we're talking to Art Hu, SVP and CTO at Lenovo. We discuss Lenovo's transformation into a services-led company, the future of personal computing and AI twins, and how CTOs can prepare their organizations for the AI revolution.
Thank you to Digital Ocean for sponsoring this episode. For simple cloud and
How Yahoo is Taming the Modern Digital Wilderness with Lee Zen, CTO
Yahoo was there in the earliest days of the internet, but what are they up to now?
Today, we're talking to Lee Zen, CTO at Yahoo. We discuss Yahoo's continued relevance in the digital age, how they're leveraging AI and cloud technology to navigate the expanding digital wilderness, and why authenticity and transparency are crucial in tech leadership.
Thanks to Fin for sponsoring this episode. To
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