The Technology Leadership Podcast

About Vinoj:
Vinoj M. Zacharia is a Senior Engineering Manager at FloQast, an accounting workflow automation created by accountants for accountants to work smarter, and not harder.

Vinoj is a developer-turned-engineering-leader who builds data-driven, empowered, accountable, collaborative teams from the ground up. He is passionate about scaling people, processes, and tech and working with products to make customers happy. He’s worked with many successful and non-successful startups in their early stages, and has a wealth of experience learning and working with them.
Synopsis:
In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Vinoj Zacharia discusses hiring and retaining employees, explaining how they do it at FloQast. We learn about the changes in hiring that have happened due to the pandemic and how to adapt ourselves to remote hiring and working methods, which would probably also continue in the future. He also explains the shift from EC2 Instances to Lambda, the concept of lead time and how it can help companies grow even further today.
Key Takeaways:

• How Standardization of language (programming) can help engineering teams
• Bring your tech lead PM, engineers in early because having them part of the process of building is essential.
• Many companies have switched to remote hiring methods today and these will continue to be the future for most of them.
• Remote companies attract the most candidates today.
• We need to optimise ourselves around any challenges in software that we haven’t yet already.
• Focus on those pain points, so that it becomes easier for engineers on product teams to focus on their product and customers.
• When you find people that match the type of work that you're doing, and the style of organization you are in, you've already set yourself for success.
• One essential skill for engineers is their ability to drive others to clarity.
• Failure is only part of the process - learn to accept it, as it’s a natural happening, especially in your early stages as an engineer.

Episode Outline:
[01:04] - Vinoj explains his childhood and his fondness for computers
[06:42] - Vinoj explains what FloQast does
[11:13] - How FloQast has scaled, and the themes and patterns of what makes engineering teams move forward.
[15:57] - Vinoj shares how people and team management are done at FloQast
[20:36] - How the hiring process has changed after the pandemic
[24:22] - Vinoj talks about Remote Hiring from the perspective of a company
[28:49] - How do you retain employees for multiple years?
[34:04] - Vinoj explains what leadership means to him
[35:50] - How to scale engineers and cultivate the next leaders
[41:53] - Vinoj shares the shift FloQast has taken from EC2 Instances to Lambda, the concept of lead time and how it can help companies.
[46:03] - Is there something that you would do differently if you were to start over?
[48:16] - What would be the biggest challenges in technology and startups right now?

About Khalil:

Khalil Dimachkie is the CTO at Youtility, a startup that helps consumers save on their home finances without leaving their mobile banking or digital finance apps. Khalil has been in the tech sector for over 17 years now, with expertise in all phases of the software development and Agile delivery.

He is an experienced tech leader and CTO who’s held positions where managing expectations and relationships have been equally important as delivering a robust product. He’s worked with global brands such as BP, VISA, TfL, and Debenhams on technical strategy and go-to market planning.
Synopsis:
In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Khalil Dimachkie talks about the huge role of CTOs in the growth of any organisation. He explains the hiring strategies companies could adopt for junior, mid-level, and senior engineers and why they need to be extensive and optimized for your organisation's requirements. We also look into the importance of virtualisation, inviting healthier team collaboration, the lesser-known facts about hiring expert testing engineers, and the benefits of recruiting through a contingency recruiter. Understand why a CTO's growth strategy is critical for any organisation that wants to scale from a small startup into a global brand.
Key Takeaways:

• Inputs from general user experience of your product are paramount to understanding your design strategies
• It is important to communicate what exactly your team needs to do and what they need to aim for
• Offering a framework for development eases the process of engineering a product
• As a CTO, you need to value the business case first
• Optimise your hiring strategies to align with your business goals
• Open communication and collaboration becomes easy when you have an encouraging team
• Empower your new team members to communicate and engage better
• While working with fresh minds helps invite new ideas, it’s also easier to work with experienced professionals
• When it comes to hiring for a senior position, it helps if you evaluate on their ability to engage with a team and agile skills
• Hiring a good testing engineer is extremely challenging in today’s times
• The benefits of using a contingency recruiter for your hiring process
• The link between data and machine learning and why the two are here to stay

Episode Outline:
[00:38] - Meet Khalil
[05:13] - Khalil explains the vision and thoughts behind Youtility and the reasons for its success
[09:35] - Khalil expands on the technical details of Youtility product building and how it became an enterprise-scale product
[14:36] - How did Youtility scale its business?
[19:38] - What are the benefits of utilizing a virtualized platform?
[23:06] - Why is it important for tech organisations to introduce para-virtualisation?
[25:10] - Khalil’s key learnings as CTO
[36:12] - Khalil’s thoughts on hiring good engineers
[38:49] - The importance of communication among engineers
[41:46] - Cultivating a cooperative work environment where no one is afraid to speak up their ideas
[42:26] - How do you build a collaborative and nurturing environment?
[49:23] - Leveraging professional relationships
[51:13] - Khalil shares how Youtility built their junior and mid-level teams
[52:20] - Khalil talks about Youtility’s interview process for a software engineer
[55:42] - How do you improve your team collaboration?
[57:37] - Why is it the hardest to hire testing engineers?
[01:06:51] - Khalil’s thoughts on hiring through a contingency recruiter
[01:13:53] - What would be the biggest challenges to CTOs in the next couple of years?

About Alexey:

Alexey Tschudnowsky is the Head of the Software Development department at gematik GmbH. He is a PhD holder with extensive experience working as a Research Associate and has managed many students during the period.

Alexey works on national healthcare solutions and is responsible for the technical excellence of more than 30 software engineers. He is an expert in technical leadership, agile development processes and software architectures.
Synopsis:

In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Alexey discusses hiring strategies and the techniques to retain employee motivation in your company. He shares the competence model practised at gematik while also outlining the ways to discover and grow into roles that suit your interests the best. Alexey details the different security and development practices at their company and shares the importance of staying up-to-date with recent technological and methodological advancements in the industry.

Key Takeaways:

• How to check if your startup idea would take off - check if your idea solves a problem, check if you have the team and resources to build the idea, and figure out if the market really needs your idea.
• Learn more about Neural Jam - an e-learning community that educates people on new technology and business skills.
• Interdepartmental knowledge and cross-functional skills can help you significantly in growing your career.
• Communication is an essential skill to have if you aim to grow in more significant roles in your company.
• Career growth becomes even more straightforward if your individual goals align with your company’s vision.
• It is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of every member of your team.
• You need to give your employees the space to think and act freely for optimal performance.
• As a leader, you need to focus on your entire company - including every department - micromanagement could hamper your overall growth.

Episode Outline:

[00:39] - Meet Alexey
[02:27] - Alexey introduces their team of 22 members at gematik and what growth plans are discussed with them before they join the company
and startups to partner with or invest in
[03:06] - Career growth at gematik - how the hierarchy of roles look like
[04:44] - What kind of engineers does gematik look for in their hiring process?
[08:10] - How do you then ascertain a candidate’s mindset through the interview process?[09:52] - What are the first skills that senior engineers need to build to get to the next level in their career?
[11:37] - How do conferences work in a company?
[13:02] - Alexey’s conference recommendations for you
[15:17] - How to keep your engineers motivated on long-term projects year-on-year within your company?
[23:47] - What are the differences between someone suited to architecture as compared to an engineering manager?
[26:56] - Some lessons learned along Alexey’s professional journey
[29:57] - What will be the biggest challenge for engineering leaders and software engineering in 2021 and beyond?
[32:02] - What expertise are they building in their employees at gematik?

About Ali:
Ali Haidar is a senior threat intelligence analyst at UBS, a Swiss multinational investment bank and financial services company founded and based in Switzerland. He started his career in security services in 2003 and has been in the industry for over 18 years.

Starting in the small country of Lebanon, Ali was a security consultant for a prime minister. He went on to do private consultancy for companies. Over the years, Ali offered his services to many known organisations and gradually expanded his work to take international clients. Prior to joining UBS, Ali also did his Master's in Computer Security and Forensics.
Synopsis:
In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Ali Haidar discusses the need to strengthen information security practices in companies and the most significant challenges faced along the way. By digging deeper into the different security attacks we’ve seen in the past, Ali explains how to overcome the known and unknown roadblocks to securing information transfer and how to stay in line with the latest technology always. He also touches on the eight disciplines of information security, how they differ in the implementation for big and small companies, and ways to help small businesses create enhanced security controls by investing smartly.
Key Takeaways:

• The greatest challenge in information security is staying up to date with emerging technologies.
• The benefits in the security aspect for a small business is - it can start to set information security practices from the ground up. The downside of it is the monetary expense incurred. Companies could minimise this with well-thought-out investment choices.
• The eight disciplines of information security
• It’s essential to hire people with a good understanding of security controls to avoid mismanagement.
• The most significant investment you need to make for your company’s information security benefit is hiring the right people.
• For any small-to-mid-sized company wanting to implement information security, keep in mind to hire security consultants and have your architectural and business workflow documents ready.
• The connection between 5G and cyberattacks - Since 5G gives a greater bandwidth to devices, it can cause bigger DDoS attacks.
• Learn the math behind encryption and decryption

Episode Outline:
[02:48] - The biggest challenge Ali has ever faced in his career[04:40] - Ali shares the most significant achievements from his career so far - keeping people safe, securing a job at one of the best organisations in the world
[06:32] - Some general security measures every company can take - email encryption tips and sharing confidential information
[12:13] - Security tips for a small-to-mid-sized company
[16:30] - How to optimise authentication, authorisation, and accountability practices in your company
[19:52] - Learn about the eight disciplines of security
[27:12] - Planning and investing in the case of startups
[29:11] - What can be the costs associated with setting up security for a small company?
[32:34] - Common misunderstandings that small business owners face occasionally
[37:44] - What are the repercussions of not handling cybersecurity properly in the initial stages of setting up your company?
[41:55] - What steps can you take to get security issues quickly sorted out in a company?
[44:34] - Why do you need to meet a security specialist for your company?
[45:43] - What are the different attacks happening in the tech space today?
[50:13] - About different ransomware families, their ways to attack, and how to keep away from them
[53:58] - What are remote access attacks?
[57:21] - What do you mean by quantum computing?
[01:02:59] - The security aspects behind self-driving vehicles

About Mirza:

Mirza Beširović is a group PM at Dixa, a B2B SaaS customer service platform. As a poetry translator turned tech professional, Mirza's career journey has been non-linear and unique. He began his journey a decade ago translating poetry, but eventually found his way to Germany and a part-time student gig at a tech company. This opportunity later led to a team leadership position and a full-time focus on the tech industry. Though his initial focus was on data management and working with machine learning teams, his career path also included roles in business development and consulting. Eventually, he discovered his passion for product strategy and moved into product management, rising to a group product manager role at Dixa, where he currently leads teams in the development of automated customer service software and messaging products.
Synopsis:

In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, Mirza Berisovic discusses growth in product management and leadership roles. He elaborates on the two tracks in product management: an individual contributor track and a management track. While the individual contributor track is focused on becoming an expert in the craft of product management, the management track is more focused on people management, strategy, and mentoring. Mirza emphasizes the importance of self-realization and actively seeking to upskill oneself in order to grow in product management and leadership roles. He suggests finding a mentor, being part of a community, and educating oneself as key ways to improve. He also stresses the importance of constantly learning and growing in not only product management, but in life in general. According to Mirza, due to the current economic climate, companies may be hiring less, and it may be more beneficial to develop within one's current company, and seek mentorship to advance in one's career.
Key Takeaways:

• There is no standard path into product management, and many people find themselves in the role through accident or by showing their transferable skills.
• It is important to understand that there are two tracks in product management: an individual contributor track and a management track.
• Moving into a leadership role in product management requires different skills and focus than working as a PM.
• Find a mentor, be part of a community, and educate yourself to improve in a product manager role.
• Strategy and metrics, specifically financial metrics such as annual recurring revenue and net retention rate are key areas that senior PMs should focus on developing and becoming more familiar with.
• It's important to understand how a business develops strategy and how it trickles down to departmental strategy and how it affects product and department at large.
• One way to move into a leadership role is to develop within one's existing company by being proactive and explicit about one's career goals with their manager and creating a growth plan.
• Seek mentorship from networks such as ADP list, the mentoring club, mentor mesh, and My mentor path as they can be very valuable in helping people evolve into leadership roles.
• Be proactive and intentional in communicating and working cohesively with other teams such as sales and marketing.

Episode Outline:

[00:24] Meet Mirza
[01:42] How Mirza got started in tech
[06:36] Understanding leadership and management.
[11:08] Advice for people moving into leadership.
[13:37] The importance of upskilling yourself.
[18:23] Advice for senior PMs (Product Managers).
[22:14] Breadth of experience vs. depth of experience.
[24:47] Advice on how to hire for a leadership role.
[29:52] The importance of speaking to your manager.
[34:15] Advice for people who want to become product managers.