Over the last decade, Leszek has developed several successful businesses, among them a software development agency that supports Fortune 500 companies. With the challenges a growing business brings, he observed that stepping out of a tech role into a leadership one brings the need for a different approach. As a host of the Better Tech Leadership podcast, Leszek is focused on bridging the gap between tech and people skills.
Working for many years with software engineering and architecture I forged skills that allowed me to cross the different layers in the organisation to communicate, align and inspire people to build the right thing. While focusing on customer success, I also strive to create better engineering experiences.I'm working with the amazing people behind the Zalando Partner Program, most specifically the Partner Growth and Optimisation pillar, where I lead a team responsible for providing insights for companies to understand how they are performing and seize growth opportunities while using our platform.
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In this episode, Matt interviews Kelly Vaughn about her unique journey from studying psychology, social work, and public health to becoming a prominent engineer and technology leader. Kelly’s path to becoming the Director of Engineering was unconventional, beginning with freelance work during grad school that led to significant projects with Shopify. The discussion covers various topics including burnout from managing multiple ventures, the importance of problem-solving skills over coding abilities in hiring senior engineers, and Kelly’s efforts to rebrand herself from a Shopify entrepreneur to an engineering leader.
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In an interview with Leszek Knoll, Philipp Deutscher discusses his professional evolution from developer to CTO and now a coach and advisor. Philipp reflects on his varied industry experiences and increasing leadership responsibilities, culminating in founding his own consultancy to support CEOs and mentor engineers aiming to become CTOs. He emphasizes the scarcity of mentors in the field and aims to help ambitious engineers achieve their career aspirations.
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In this episode, Valentin Gönczy recounts his career transition from law to tech startups. Currently, as Chief Product Officer at Cloover, Valentin is dedicated to connecting people with renewable energy, leveraging his legal expertise to navigate complex regulations. The discussion extends to broader themes of effective communication, company culture, remote collaboration, and customer-centric approaches.
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In this episode, Matt and Khaled Souf discuss the tech industry, focusing on continuous learning and strategic development. Khaled, leveraging his 15 years of consultancy experience, shares insights into scaling products during high-traffic periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday by analyzing traffic patterns and customer behaviors. He highlights the critical role of a CTO in aligning technical solutions with business objectives and guiding teams through problem-solving for effective learning.
