An episode which can be described simply as ‘enlightening’, TC Gill engages in a captivating conversation with Andrei Lopatenko, the VP of Engineering at Zillow, as they explore the critical elements of cultivating a culture of innovation and continuous learning in the realm of tech leadership. Andre shares his journey from an individual contributor to a tech leader, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and embracing challenges. Drawing from his experiences at Google, he highlights the significance of transparent communication, fearlessness, and open-mindedness in promoting innovation. Andre discusses how he brings these learnings to Zillow, aligning team missions with the company’s strategy.
“Never stop self-development. It’s not only important for your job function but also for your life, relationships, and fulfillment of your mission.”
–Andrei Lopatenko–
- Fearlessness and Openness Culture – Foster a culture that embraces fearlessness and openness, encouraging transparency, open communication, and learning from failures for enhanced innovation and team performance.
- Continuous Alignment with Company Mission – Regularly align team missions, visions, and strategies with the overall company mission to focus on high-impact initiatives and drive effective contributions to the organization’s growth.
- Embrace Continuous Self-Development – Commit to continuous self-development as a tech leader or CTO to stay updated with industry trends, improve skills, and inspire teams for sustained success.
TLDR: Straight to the point
(Quick Links)
Introducing the guest Tamás Petrovics
The journey to becoming a tech leader
What is the problem that XUND is solving?
How Tamás roles as a leader
As a leader, what keeps Tamás up at night?
How to create the best performing teams
Engineering challenges
Book recommendations by Tamás
Tamás’ wish to the tech genie
Tamás’ key takeaways for aspiring tech leaders
TC’s key takeaways from the podcast
