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 Bruce Pannaman about his work in the fintech industry, particularly at 9fin. Bruce discusses the challenges of translating complex financial concepts for wider audiences, the importance of flexible management in engineering teams, and how 9fin’s shift to cross-functional teams enhances collaboration and customer value. Bruce also shares his insights on balancing speed and quality in product development and shares resources supporting tech leadership and professional growth.
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In this episode, Matt interviews Chris Lowe, the Vice President Of Application Engineering at Amerisure Insurance, who shares his insights on fostering a robust engineering culture and aligning technology solutions with business challenges. Chris emphasizes the importance of incremental changes, distinguishes between innovation and invention, and discusses his work with blockchain for medical records, despite initial skepticism in the industry. He highlights the need for informed decision-making, effective leadership through positive behavior modeling, and fostering open communication within organizations, while also addressing challenges in adapting to AI advancements and changing customer expectations in the commercial insurance sector.
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In this episode, Matt interviews Jason Wilcox about the challenges and strategies for hiring and managing teams in the era of AI and emerging technologies, focusing on cost-cutting, vendor collaboration, and evolving leadership roles in product development. They discuss effective remote leadership practices, critiquing the “build fast and break things” philosophy for larger organizations, and stress understanding end-user needs to minimize unnecessary iterations. Jason highlights the significance of soft skills and ongoing training for leaders, as well as the opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI, including hiring mismatches in AI and machine learning, and the anticipated adoption curve of AI tools in development.
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In this episode, Yariv Adan discusses his career in technology, emphasizing privacy concerns and his contributions to global products like Google Assistant. He explores the challenges and advancements in conversational AI, advocating for systems that understand user preferences and seamlessly integrate with existing applications, while remaining optimistic about overcoming foundational challenges. Yariv also highlights the importance of investing in early-stage AI startups, focusing on team capability and innovation, and critiques current data modeling practices and security issues in healthcare infrastructure.
