Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike is joined by Garrick Tate, an AI futurist and serial entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence, human IQ, and emotional intelligence. Rather than framing AI as a threat, Garrick offers a grounded perspective on how technology has historically amplified human capability—and why this moment is no differ...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike is joined by Steve Kelly, a longtime technology executive and founder of Argentil, to explore a problem most organizations underestimate: software deployment. Steve shares lessons from his career at Motorola, Cisco, and as a founder of early managed service and deployment-focused companies. He explains why many organizations unknowing...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Jesse Liu, founder of Digital Parenting Coaching, to discuss one of the most urgent challenges facing modern families: raising children safely and responsibly in a digital world. Jesse shares how her background in cybersecurity—and the sudden shift to online learning during the pandemic—revealed serious gaps in how pare...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike speaks with Raj Goodman Anand, founder of Goodman Lantern, to explore how content creation can drive long-term business growth—when it’s done with intention and strategy. Raj shares how his background in engineering and AI led him into marketing, where he helped scale technology companies by using storytelling, thought leadership, and...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Ram Prasad, CEO of Dellens, to unpack how fractional CPO and CTO services help SaaS companies scale without overextending themselves. Ram works primarily with enterprise SaaS companies ranging from $1M to $20M in revenue that need senior product and technology leadership but are not ready—or willing—to hire a full-time...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike welcomes Eugene Schaffronsky, Head of Strategy at ThinkTum, for a deep dive into how technology is transforming the insurance industry—from customer experience to underwriting speed and profitability. Eugene explains why traditional insurance processes no longer align with how people consume products today. Customers expect digital ac...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike speaks with Jeremy Lassman, founder and CEO of The Passion Company and former SpaceX technologist, about an unconventional—but increasingly relevant—idea: passion as the fuel that powers human and organizational performance. Jeremy shares how his time at SpaceX, including working directly with Elon Musk during the company’s earliest l...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike welcomes Bob Cotton, a seasoned technology executive and advisor with decades of experience leading global SaaS, cloud, and digital transformation initiatives. Bob has worked across cultures, industries, and boardrooms, helping organizations deliver mission-critical systems while developing leaders who can sustain performance under pr...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Mark Hirschberg, CTO of Vodx, MIT educator, and author of The Career Toolkit, to explore why communication is one of the most underestimated skills in technology leadership. Mark explains why technical leaders often struggle to get buy-in—not because their ideas are wrong, but because they’re communicated in the wrong l...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Dave Fradin, a former Apple executive, HP-trained product manager, and founder of Spice Catalyst, to unpack why so many products fail—and how leaders can dramatically improve their odds of success. David shares insights from decades of experience launching and managing products at scale, including his work bringing the...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike welcomes Scott Ponywas, a seasoned executive and entrepreneur with deep experience in travel, daily deals, and growth strategy. Scott is the founder of Exec, a premium membership platform offering executives access to over 400 travel, business, and lifestyle benefits. Scott shares how Exec was built during the uncertainty of COVID, le...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Ken Coyne, Head of Growth and Technology at Ops Talent, to break down what technology leaders need to know about outsourcing—and why it succeeds for some companies and fails for others. Ken shares how Ops Talent delivers multilingual customer support and technology development services from Poland, one of Europe’s leadi...

In this solo episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike speaks directly to CTOs and technology leaders about one of the most overlooked parts of the role: educating non-technical executives. Most executive teams control budgets and priorities—but they often lack the technical context needed to properly evaluate technology requests. Mike shares real stories from his career to show how...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Dave Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Screenbox, to explore what it really takes to build successful digital products—and why most technology projects fail before they even start. Dave has bootstrapped twelve startups across multiple industries and brings a business-first mindset to digital development. He explains why c...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with Ash Kakish, founder of Smartology Tech, to explore how business leaders can stay informed about technology—without needing an engineering degree. Smartology Tech publishes a weekly newsletter that condenses a full week of technology news and trends into a five-minute read designed for sales, marketing, and business prof...

In this solo episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike breaks down how to run weekly staff meetings that actually work—without wasting time or frustrating your team. Many technology leaders hold meetings out of habit, but poorly structured meetings often drain productivity and create confusion. Mike explains why regular staff meetings are essential for keeping teams informed, aligned...

In this episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike sits down with William Adams, former Technical Advisor to Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, to explore technology evolution, leadership challenges, and engineering culture at one of the world’s largest tech companies. William shares behind-the-scenes insight into Microsoft’s early XML rollout and why XML struggled with adoption despite its t...

In the very first episode of Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge, Mike welcomes Noah Healey, a game theorist working on better economic and consensus systems, to explore how strategy, data, and decision-making shape real-world outcomes. Noah breaks down game theory in practical terms, starting with the Stable Marriage Algorithm—best known for matching medical residents with hospitals—and explai...

We are thrilled to announce the launch of "Gaining the Technology Leadership Edge" podcast on February 1, 2023! This podcast is designed for CTOs and tech executives who want to find and keep their “tech army”, communicate better with leadership at their company, and achieve work-life balance. Join us as we provide strategies and tactics on how to become an effective leader in the ever-changing te...