Tech Waka Podcast

Looking for an executive role in New Zealand is nothing like looking for a senior one. The market is smaller, the rules are unwritten, and most of what decides outcomes happens in rooms you're not in. In this solo episode, Jakub shares three big ideas that reframed how he thought about the exec search, the small things that quietly make or break processes, and what to remember when it doesn&#3...

After three years, Joekub is back, and this time they brought a startup, an AI agent that writes project updates in five minutes, and some very uncomfortable questions about your career trajectory. Jakub and Joe (collectively: Joekub) reunite on Tech Waka for a wide-ranging conversation about what's actually happening at the coalface of AI-powered delivery. Joe left agile coaching to join an A...

JD Trask has been building global tech companies from Wellington since 2007, first Mindscape, then Raygun, now Autohive. When ChatGPT arrived, he didn't wait to see what happened. He shut down his company for a week, made every employee pass an engineering hiring test using AI, and started rebuilding his entire organisation around agents. In this episode, JD shares what he actually saw during...

Lauren Peate and her team at Multitudes spent 15 months researching how AI is actually impacting engineering teams, following 500+ developers, surveying hundreds of leaders, and conducting in-depth interviews. What they found challenges the hype: engineers merged 27% more PRs after AI rollouts, but also did 20% more out-of-hours work. The biggest predictor of success wasn't the tool , but it w...

Daniel Walters is a consultant, CTO coach, and former CTO of Seek Asia - one of Southeast Asia's largest job platforms. He is the founder of Great CTO, where he works with technology executives across New Zealand and beyond. He is also the co-creator of an AI-assisted engineering course, now running its eighth cohort. In this episode, we cover: What drew Daniel from the operator role into coac...

Why are your teams busy, but the business isn't growing the way it should? Sarah Clearwater, founder of Reframer and customer experience strategist, explains how siloed KPIs create invisible dysfunction — marketing optimises for volume, sales for conversion, product for features, and engineering for delivery — while nobody is optimising for the customer journey as a whole. In this episode, we expl...

Sometimes it feels like senior leadership in New Zealand tech isn’t recognised at the level it should be , especially when big roles come up, and decision-makers look offshore for “proven experience”. In this episode, Jakub is joined by Paul Meyrick and Stuart Collins from Wires Uncrossed to unpack what’s really going on. Drawing on leadership experience across Silverstripe, MetService, BNZ, and X...

This episode is a little different. Instead of a guest, I’m taking a moment to reflect on Tech Waka’s second year — and how it grew from a podcast into a community for New Zealand tech leaders. This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed .

Transformations don’t fail because of slide decks – they fail in the messy middle, where people are stressed, alignment drifts, and hard problems finally make their way to the top. In this episode, Jakub sits down with Allan Sampson, Executive General Manager – New Zealand at Gentrack, who has spent more than two decades leading large-scale software and business transformations in the energy and u...

What makes a retro actually useful—and why do so many senior devs stall out? Craig Bensemann brings sharp insights and real-world fixes. Too many teams are “doing agile” without improving. And too many senior devs are stuck, unsure what’s next. Craig Bensemann—senior developer, mentor, and author of Retros Don’t Suck —joins Jakob to unpack both. With two decades in tech, Craig has led teams, mento...

1 in 4 New Zealanders live with a disability. Maia Miller says it’s time our tech reflected that, and she shows how leaders can start today. In this episode of the Tech Waka Podcast, we sit down with Maia Miller, founder of Aleph Accessibility , to unpack the why, how, and impact of building accessible tech. Maia shares her own journey from frontend dev to Aleph Accessibility founder, and breaks d...

From no tech background to leading a cybersecurity startup — Ankita Dhakar is reshaping how NZ does pentesting. What happens when you have no tech background, no network, and still decide to start a cybersecurity company? Ankita Dhakar did exactly that — and today she’s the founder and CEO of Capture The Bug , helping listed companies rethink penetration testing. In this episode of Tech Waka, Anki...

Andrea Magnorsky joins Jakub to pull back the curtain on BEACON — a tech leadership off-site in Auckland on Mon 13 October 2025 . Morning: six 20-minute talks + panels across people, product, and architecture. Afternoon: an unconference to tackle your real problems with peers. Theme: Sustainable Evolution — practical change without the theatre. Small room (~30 leaders), no sponsors, curated connec...

A mid-year pit stop for Tech Waka. In this short solo episode, Jakub wraps the first ten episodes and what the community built together—mentoring, meetups, and a new conference on the horizon. A big thank-you to our first sponsor, Wires Uncrossed , who are uplifting engineering maturity across New Zealand, Australia, and beyond.

In this deeply honest episode of the Tech Waka Podcast, Diego Nievas , CTO at Atturra, opens up about mental health in the tech industry — from personal struggles with depression to the pressures of leadership in a world of constant change. We explore: Why mental wellbeing is still a taboo topic in tech The concept of psychological sustainability and why it matters Personal stories of burnout, anx...

episodeWhat happens when you give experienced mentors and ambitious tech professionals a space to connect, reflect, and grow together? In this episode, we hear from Barbara and James, two participants in the first Tech Waka Mentorship cohort. From overcoming self-doubt and navigating job transitions to finding clarity on their leadership paths, their stories highlight the true impact of mentorship...

In this episode of Tech Waka, host Jakub Jurkiewicz sits down with Ruth McDavitt , CEO of Summer of Tech — the platform that’s been helping thousands of students transition into paid tech internships across New Zealand since 2006. Ruth shares the story behind Summer of Tech’s founding, the evolution of the program beyond just code and Wellington, and why internships are still essential for both st...

Shadow AI is already in your organization — but can you see it? In this special Tech Waka episode, we share a live recording from a recent Tech Waka Leadership Collective meetup featuring Ben Mosie r , a strategy teaming consultant who helps leaders align around complex challenges. Ben takes us deep into the world of Shadow AI — the unsanctioned, often invisible use of generative AI tools like Cha...

In this episode of Tech Waka, we sit down with Joshua Arnold, a seasoned product and technology leader who’s worked across the UK, Europe, and New Zealand. Joshua dives deep into the concept of Cost of Delay and how it can transform the way we prioritize work — not just for efficiency, but for impact. We explore: • The CD3 method: Cost of Delay divided by Duration • Why most teams overestimate eff...

What do high-performing engineering teams really need to thrive? In this episode, I talk with Myles Henaghan , Managing Director at Wires Uncrossed and former GM of Engineering at Xero. Myles shares the backstory and structure of the Hierarchy of Engineering Needs — an open-source framework inspired by Maslow’s pyramid and grounded in real-world delivery challenges. We unpack how this model helps...

In this episode of the Tech Waka Podcast, host Jakub sits down with Clarissa Côrtes Pires , Decision Science Capability Lead at Mercury NZ, to explore the intersection of science, creativity, and strategy. With a PhD in innovation management and a career spanning academia, startups, and large enterprises, Clarissa shares her journey into decision science, her experience leading a team of brilliant...

In this episode of Tech Waka , we talk with Saif Ali, Engineering Manager at Gentrack, about his fascinating transition from developer to people leader across cultures and continents. Saif shares honest reflections on the challenges of early leadership, the power of mentorship, and why listening is a superpower in tech management. He also offers practical advice for aspiring engineering managers a...

In this episode, Brad Terpstra shares his fascinating journey from managing IT for American Magic during the America's Cup in Auckland to leading tech initiatives at Halter, an ag-tech startup transforming agriculture. Brad discusses the reality behind the cutting-edge technology of America's Cup racing, emphasizing the importance of precision, strategic decision-making, and continuous imp...

Leadership in tech is tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. In this episode, we introduce the Tech Waka Mentoring Program —a 5-month journey connecting aspiring tech leaders with world-class mentors. Learn why mentorship is a game-changer, what you’ll gain from the program, and how to apply. 🎧 Spots are limited—tune in now and take the next step in your leadership journey! 👉 https://www.tech...

Join Jakub as he celebrates 20 episodes of the Tech Waka podcast, reflecting on milestones, guest insights, and plans for 2025.