Podcast: Simplifying Holidays and Leisure One Project at a Time with Christian Rudolph
Podcast – Episode 68:
Simplifying Holidays and Leisure One Project at a Time
The tech behind making holidays more accessible and more funworld
A techie who started out as a system administrator, and slowly worked his way up the ladder, ending up as the Director of DevOps at TUI Travel Group, the world’s number one holiday business group – Christian Rudolph. We sat down with him in an episode, and he just let us pick his brain as we tried to see what’s really ‘techy’ that’s going on behind the scenes in a big corporation like TUI, as well as learn about his experience as a tech leader.
“Always challenge the status quo inside your teams, otherwise you risk not just efficiency and productivity inside the teams, but also stagnation on a company level.“
From his humble beginnings, all the way to leading teams in a big company, Christian has wisdom that we’re sure many of you would like to hear – from his advice on how to put together high performing teams, all the way to how he manages them, there’s not much else to say than: this is an episode you must hear.
Key takeaways from this podcast are:
- How leading teams can actually help you maintain your passion
- Why maintaining team spirit is more important than ensuring efficiency
- How trust shapes the teams and ensures longevity efficiency
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
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Podcast: All roads lead to data with Ian Gordon
Podcast – Episode 67:
All roads lead to data
The journey of a young techie and his efforts to modernize vital public infrastructure that connect us all – roadsworld
Most tech leaders can be found plying their trade in the private sector, but there are those with big dreams and the willingness to make the world a better place by rolling up their sleeves, and getting down in the mud. Ian Gordon, Head of Data Architecture at Highways England is just that. This starry-eyed young techie with big dreams and goals understood what it means to provide value for customers and users, and just set about doing that by working with a network bigger than the internet – the road network.
“Big projects are all about knowing how to take advantage of different domains, but also getting them to work more effectively together – in there lies the true magic of technology.“
We talked with Ian about his journey through tech world, how he envisages roads in the 21st century, and how to find pockets of imperfection in which one can make a telling contribution. His curiosity, modesty, and willingness to tackle problems that most people shy away from is something that every aspiring tech leader should learn from.
Key takeaways from the podcast:
- How large amounts of data can actually hinder progress if they lack quality
- Why looking at the bigger picture is a “quick fix” when looking for areas in which you need to improve
- How do the public and private sector differ in terms of functionality and keeping up with the times
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
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Podcast: Making Management Easy – Hornbill Style with Gerry Sweeney
Podcast – Episode 66:
Making Management Easy – Hornbill Style
Using technology to improve efficiency and deliver success world
What started out as a quest to develop a tool for management, tracking progress, and streamlining work processes, turned into a business which is helping other businesses deliver high quality products and improving workflow! The man behind this business? Gerry Sweeney, the Founder & CEO at Hornbill – a techie with a natural affinity for technology who loves automation and solving problems, and a tech leader with a vast experience in various IT fields.
“Focusing on problem solving while working on projects can be a slippery slope, as there is the risk of not tapping into creativity that can help introduce new, revolutionary ideas and concepts. A balance between the two is needed.“
In this episode, we talk with Gerry about his journey as a tech leader, how it started, how it’s going, as well as his thoughts on how teams can become more efficient, and why the concept of uniqueness in the tech world is so much more than just providing the next big thing.
Key takeaways from the podcast are:
- How creativity is not always about something new, but an improvement on something existing
- Why focusing on providing value for your customers almost always delivers success
- How to learn from past mistakes by revisiting them every now and then
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
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Podcast: The Unnoticeable Yet Important Bits of the Virtual World with Adam Leach
Podcast – Episode 65:
The Unnoticeable Yet Important Bits of the Virtual World
Connecting businesses with the world, one domain at a time
When we think of tech leaders, we usually think of people who knew where they wanted to be in the future, always with a clear picture of the destination, or position, that they were going after. And sometimes it’s like that, but it’s far from a straight line to the top – just ask Adam Leach, Chief Information Officer at Nominet. A techie who let the current drive him around the industry, but who knew how to take advantage of that and get to where he is now – a tech leader.
“As a leader, understanding problems is much more important than solving them. Doing it yourself is all fine, but guiding teams to solve them is what leadership is all about. “
In this episode, we talked with him about his seemingly simple journey through the world of tech, his efforts in making the virtual space more accessible to users, and his effective hands-off approach when leading his teams!
Key takeaways from the podcast:
- How to lead teams efficiently to allow for maximum focus on the important stuff
- Why it’s important to think creatively and remain ahead of the curve
- How awareness of problems in general makes it easier to look at them from various perspectives
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
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Podcast: Scientist in a Data science world with Fabricio F. Costa
Podcast – Episode 64:
Scientist in a Data science world
Using mega data in the micro world
We here at IT Labs love people who are bees. What we mean by that is people with varied careers bring opportunities for cross-pollination. Cross-pollination of ideas and new ways of doing things. Like bee’s these individuals are the backbone of innovation and industry leaps. They play an important part in the industry landscape, buzzing around doing their thing. Simultaneously, creating bridges for all kinds of concepts to travel and blend with the organization at the other end of that bridge.
One of these bees is Fabricio F. Costa, Senior Product Developer & Strategy Executive at Accenture. His varied experience and passions create an interesting tech leadership mix.
“Putting yourself in someone’s shoes is not just about understanding his point of view, it’s also about understanding his possibilities and capability to carry out something. And this insight is invaluable – not just of the person, but of the management obstacles you might have to overcome on a wider scope.“
In our episode with him, we learned about his journey from academia to tech – starting out as a molecular biologist, then moving on to IT, and using his knowledge in creating technology that saves lives, and also the struggles a tech leader faces on a daily basis – involving people, projects, and the desire to deliver something that makes a change in the world.
Key takeaways from the podcast are:
- The importance and balancing of communication. Managing how that is exposed. Not too much, and not too little.
- The emergence of data and its impact on the micro to the mega. The emerging tools will speed up the emergence of new insights
- Never forget the importance of seeing businesses as a collection of human beings. The lens through which any collective human endeavor starts.
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
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Podcast: Democratising the data science space with David Kell
Podcast – Episode 63:
Democratising the data science space
The importance of simplifying data analysis and how it can help businesses grow
Some of the most dynamic and battle-scarred tech leaders are those who have lived through a start-up journey — and in this episode, our guest David Kell shares his own wild ride, leaving university to start a successful series of start-ups. We also talk about Gyana’s innovative platform — a no-code, data science tool that is democratizing the art of using data that many companies have pooled up.
“The most important thing a leader needs to do at the beginning is find focus. For his team, for himself, the market, for the whole business. Otherwise, you can easily get sidetracked and end up with a lot of project and technical debt.“
From his switch from academia to entrepreneurship, through his learning curve, all the way to how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be applied to data science. All in all, a conversation that will surely give you a new perspective on data science, its uses, and how it can help you shape into a better tech leader.
Key takeaways from the podcast are:
- Seeing a gap in the market and solving a big challenge for many companies
- Looking at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for data
- How the tech leadership (and business leadership) wisdom many leaders yearn for is already articulated
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
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Podcast: Making real estate great again with Marios Tsatsos
Podcast – Episode 62:
Making real estate great again
The intersection of machine learning and real estate – Bringing data science to land investment decisions
It’s always interesting to hear and meet people who have traveled from one field and arrived at a very different one. Well, here is another great example of this. Marios Tsatsos, CTO of Honest AI, once was a scientist in the Quantum mechanics arena and had a doctorate in the field. He now transfers his algoristic and scientific mindset to a new field solving real business challenges.
“The key to success in both management and business is to always be on your toes – don’t fall prey to patterns of behavior, but always have the goal in mind. Like a flag in a way, change your direction, but never your position, as that’s what creates stability and a firm ground to build and grow for both you and your teams.“
That’s right, Marios has gone from Quantum mechanics scientist to data scientist. Bringing the schools of thought and mindset from one to the other. And from we have seen and heard, the results are a resounding success.
The 30% reduction in time to a decision for an Invesment decision is an impressive one. That’s a game changer shift in most arenas.
Key takeaways from the podcast are:
- Bringing the tools of science to business: Quantum scientist that Data scientist
- How AI is applied to real estate asset management speeds up decision making with a 30% saving in time
- Making commercial real estate investing great again
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
Reach out to us.
Podcast: Geek to de-geeked and back again with Erik Dasque
Podcast – Episode 61:
Geek to de-geeked and back again
The story of a compassionate leader and the success that follows him
Erik Dasque joins us for another episode of CTO Confessions, where he shares his intriguing journey of becoming a geek, de-geeking, and geeking up again. He shares his thoughts on the absolute importance of actively designing teams on an ongoing basis. Also, retaining and developing one’s skills in the technical space can hugely serve one’s tech leadership.
“You can bulldoze your way to the top, or you can try a gentler approach. Both are fine, but the difference is in what you’ll have as options when you reach the peak. The quickest way to the top is not always the one that will keep you there. Work in a way that suits your qualities.“
From how he started his journey, what it means to be a leader in the tech industry, all the way to how feeling inadequate in management position is totally normal, and how to handle and distribute responsibility and pressure.
Key takeaways from the podcast are:
- How to hire for success
- The importance of diversity in organizations
- The power of being a compassionate leader
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
Reach out to us.
Podcast: Fighting for Fair with Mike Villalobos
Podcast – Episode 60:
Fighting for Fair
How making all the right chess moves in business can ensure satisfaction and efficiency
Aside from proficiency in his or her field, a tech leader must also know how to treat people fairly to get the best out of them, but also empower them. As Mike Villalobos, Director of Engineering at Fair.com, shared with us in this episode, a leader must be able to see the furthest, but never forget the valuable input of those around him.
“A high-performance team is not just about everyone delivering day-in day-out, they also need to feel they belong there, to see themselves doing it in that company for years to come – that’s the magic of leadership.“
In this episode, you’ll hear about his baby steps in the tech world, how his go-to attitude helped him grow, and how chess helped him become a better manager, and have a clearer perspective on business
Key takeaways from this episode:
- Transparency and open communication create a good working environment and motivates people
- How being proficient in a skill doesn’t automatically make you a leader
- Why your team might have a better solution to a problem – trust them and listen to them
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.
Transform your technology organization with IT Labs teams.
Reach out to us.
Podcast: Maintaining balance among teams with Cedric Fabianski
Podcast – Episode 59:
Maintaining balance among teams
How to measure tech teams and give the appropriate control
Any techie will tell you that APIs revolutionized the way we go about developing software, but with all the regulations bestowed upon the IT world, it’s only the best ones that meet the light of day and make a change in our everyday lives. Meet Cedric Fabianski, Co-founder and CTO at Bearer, a techie with a burning passion for entrepreneurship and leading teams – by striking the right balance.
“Being CTO is about losing ownership, losing control. It’s about giving responsibility to your team and saying, you are the best people in the room, you’re the smartest, because this is what I want for my team.“
In our episode with Cedric, we listened carefully as he shared his experience in IT – from his beginning in the world of IT, through creating and leading teams, all the way to navigating his way through customer and client feedback.
Our key takeaways from this podcast:
- Why working remotely can help increase transparency and help improve teams
- How leaders can find their way through something unknown by asking the right questions
- How losing control is part of leadership, and is actually desirable
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
We all live busy lives, and sometimes a long podcast is too much of a time-footprint for our busy schedules. So, to help you get to the bit you’re more interested in, use our table of contents below. Quick links to help you get straight to the point.