The Software Leaders Uncensored Podcast

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin speaks with Kaj Pedersen, a seasoned tech entrepreneur and CTO of AstrumU. They discuss Kaj's journey through various roles in startups, the importance of data quality in AI, and the dynamics of leading an engineering team. Kaj shares insights on the challenges CTOs face in 2025, the significance of staying connected within prof...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin interviews Chris Bee, a fractional CTO with extensive experience in both product and engineering roles. Chris shares insights from his career journey, including his time at major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Uber, and discusses the value he brings to early-stage startups through advisory roles. The conversation delves...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin sits down with Bazyl Horsey, the Chief Technology Officer of Arvist, a fast-growing AI startup revolutionizing smart warehousing. Bazyl shares his raw journey from struggling student to startup CTO, offering no-BS insights into tech leadership, team building, and why bootstrapped pragmatism often beats bloated VC thinking.

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin speaks with Russ Felker, CTO of Trinity Logistics. They discuss Russ's journey through various industries, the role of technology in logistics, and the unique approach of Trinity Logistics in matching shippers with carriers. The conversation delves into the importance of networking for career transitions, current projects involv...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin engages with Ken Stott, a seasoned tech executive and field CTO at Hasura. They discuss Ken's extensive career journey from Deloitte to Wall Street and his current role at Hasura, focusing on the importance of custom software and AI in modern enterprises. The conversation delves into the challenges of AI implementation, the evolving...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin speaks with John Mann, CTO of Obsess, about his extensive career in software engineering and leadership. They discuss the unique offerings of Obsess in creating immersive 3D experiences for high-end brands, the challenges of leading engineering teams, and the evolving role of the CTO in today's tech landscape. John shares insigh...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin speaks with Doug Schaefer, CTO of American Sound, about his journey to becoming a CTO at a young age, the challenges of leading engineering teams, and the innovations in cloud-based video conferencing. They discuss the balance between legacy systems and modern solutions, the dynamics of remote and hybrid work environments, and the i...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin interviews Rich Wagner, CIO of SketaSolve, who shares his journey from a small-town farm boy to a tech executive. Rich discusses the importance of SCADA in the oil and gas industry, the innovative projects he's leading at SketaSolve, and the challenges faced by tech leaders today. He emphasizes the value of continuous learning, netw...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, Amir Kundalik, CTO of LoanNEX, reveals how he built a lightning-fast mortgage tech platform, leads a global high-velocity dev team, and balances cutting-edge architecture with real-world delivery. From cowboy coding to AI risks—this is tech leadership without the fluff.

In this eye-opening episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin sits down with Srikanth Victory, a 28-year tech veteran, global CTO, professor, and data-driven visionary currently leading Agility Insights. Discover how Srikanth blends cutting-edge AI with human-centric leadership to transform global software delivery, governance, and innovation.

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin sits down with Joe Emison — co-founder and CTO of Branch Insurance, a company that has raised over $230 million. Joe shares his journey from aspiring lawyer to tech entrepreneur, how he's founded six startups (four acquired), and why serverless architecture is the secret weapon behind Branch's engineering success.

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin talks with Scott Bendle, CIO of Rigaku Americas Corporation, about his unconventional rise from operations to leading global IT for a high-tech company. With 23 years at Rigaku, Scott offers a grounded, no-nonsense perspective on ERP implementation, shadow IT, cybersecurity across cultures, and the real-world application of AI like...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin talks with John Crighton, a two-time CTO and Army veteran, about leading innovation in healthcare tech. Now CTO at Carantas Solutions, John dives deep into building a serverless, microservices-based hospice EMR, responsibly integrating AI to boost clinician efficiency, and maintaining HIPAA compliance. From leveraging tools like Git...

In this enlightening episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin engages with Lena Skliarova-Mordvinova, a seasoned AI Architect and the visionary Co-Founder & CTO of The Good Face Project. With over two decades in AI, Lena delves into how machine learning is transforming product development, regulatory compliance, and ingredient transparency in the personal care industry.

Join us on Software Leaders Uncensored as we sit down with Nick Hnatiw, a 4-time CTO, cybersecurity expert, and current Chief Technology Officer at SideChannel. With deep roots in government cyber ops and commercial startups, Nick unpacks what it takes to build secure systems, lead remote engineering teams, and scale responsibly in a noisy tech landscape.

What does an AI CTO at a $22B company actually do? In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, Steve Taplin sits down with Chad Smykay, AI CTO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, to explore the future of AI in enterprise—from private AI agents to vibe coding and the importance of structured data. Chad shares hard-earned insights from decades in tech, real-world AI use cases (including beehives and...

In this episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin interviews Jason Gilmore — a seasoned technologist, author of 10 software books, and CTO at Xenon Partners. Jason shares his incredible journey from coding on a Commodore 64 to leading SaaS product transformations through private equity

Dom Scandinaro, CTO of Cameo, joins the show to talk about rising through the ranks from senior engineer to CTO, building AI-enhanced products, leading hybrid teams, and maintaining technical chops in a fast-moving industry. This is a candid and practical look at modern engineering leadership and the future of tech.

Mark Losey, CTO of FlockX and Chief Science Officer at Fetch. AI, joins us to talk about building AI agents, leading engineering teams, and navigating the wild world of software development. From writing code to building culture, Mark shares real stories, raw lessons, and hard-won wisdom from over 30 years in tech.

In this powerhouse episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin sits down with Conor Sibley, the returning CTO of Higher Logic, to unpack why he left—and then rejoined—the company he helped scale. Conor dives deep into what it takes to run a 75+ person engineering team, his approach to enterprise-wide AI transformation, and how his angel investing background shaped his strategic minds...

In this candid episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin talks with Matthew Mixan, CTO of Decision Logic, about scaling SaaS in the high-stakes world of restaurants. Matthew opens up about his journey from writing code in the '90s to leading a 20-person engineering team today. He discusses why communication beats raw coding talent, how Decision Logic empowers restaurants with i...

In this raw and insightful episode of Software Leaders Uncensored, host Steve Taplin sits down with Jason Tesser, a five-time founder and now CTO/ VP of Engineering at Revvable, to discuss the highs and lows of engineering leadership. Jason shares lessons from his 25-year tech journey, including why data engineering is often the Achilles’ heel of scaling software, how he rebuilt Revvable’s dev tea...