45: Rob Kalwarowsky’s FIRE Framework Will Break You Open (in the Best Way)
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!What if the part of you causing burnout is the same one that got you where you are?In this episode, Adam sits down with Rob Kalwarowsky—executive coach, TEDx speaker, and author of Capitalizing on Chaos—to explore how high performers can stop white-knuckling their leadership journey and start transforming from within. Rob has helped tech execs and founders all over the world how to fast-track deep change through his FIRE method, a unique four-step framework that rewires how we lead, scale, and relate to chaos itself.If you’ve ever looked “successful” on the outside while feeling stuck, burned out, or quietly miserable on the inside, this conversation will hit home. You’ll hear Rob’s deeply personal journey from MIT engineer to global coach, how internal family systems reshaped his leadership philosophy, and why chaos might be the exact catalyst you need. Expect mindset rewiring, counterintuitive truth bombs, and tools to break through the next ceiling in your growth.This one’s not just about business. It’s about the human behind the title.You’ll Learn:How Rob’s FIRE method rewires leadership by turning inner chaos into strategic clarityWhy imposter syndrome signals deeper misalignment, not personal failureWhat Internal Family Systems reveals about the voices that shape executive behaviorHow high achievers unknowingly sabotage themselves by clinging to “productive” masksWhy logical self-talk fails—and what actually works to shift emotional patternsWhat guilt and overachievement often hide in leadership dynamicsHow emotional check-ins create trust and coherence in your inner teamWhy leaning into chaos can unlock innovation, not just survivalHow to evolve your leadership identity without losing your edgeTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction[06:13] The cost of a “perfect” life[08:42] The role of coaching and therapy in real growth[11:41] What Internal Family Systems therapy reveals[13:21] Why mindset hacks don’t solve deep issues[15:11] Even destructive inner voices have a purpose[16:27] Rob’s 6-minute self-leadership exercise[16:53] Step 1 of the FIRE method: find your reason[17:32] Step 2: ignite the masks and uncover inner blocks[21:56] Step 3: rapidly transform your identity[25:04] Step 4: expand and evolve your leadership[26:17] Why fear shuts down innovation[28:00] How to lead teams through disruption[30:10] Chaos opens new possibilities for growth[31:33] Summary of the FIRE method[32:57] The importance of guided transformation[35:55] Why leadership growth is deeply personalResources Mentioned:How to Handle a Bad Boss | TEDx TalkSaboteur Assessment | WebsiteInternal Family Systems by Dr. Richard Schwartz | WebsiteMovie: Inside OutIf you want the first 2 chapters of Capitalizing on Chaos for FREE, sign up for Robs newsletter!Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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44: My Full Podcast Setup for The CTO Playbook
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!Ever wondered what it really takes to produce a high-quality tech podcast from scratch—while wrangling kids, late nights, and a studio in your basement?In this rare behind-the-scenes solo episode of The CTO Playbook, Adam pulls back the curtain on the exact gear, workflows, and production team that bring each episode to life. You’ll get a candid tour of his setup—from boom mics and soundproofing hacks to lighting rigs, software automation, and the husband-and-wife editing duo who shape the final sound. Whether you're a tech leader curious about content creation, or just a gear nerd wondering how to level up your own audio-video presence, this episode delivers a crisp, tactical walkthrough of what goes into building a professional podcast from the ground up.You’ll Learn:How low-tech soundproofing methods can dramatically boost audio qualityWhy lighting—not camera quality—is the secret weapon for pro-looking videoWhat Adam’s minimalist mic and soundboard setup reveals about smart gear investmentHow in-ear monitors solve a hidden distraction problem in podcastingHow to repurpose MIDI buttons and OBS for seamless video scene controlWhat behind-the-scenes editing reveals about capturing a guest’s true voiceHow a modular, portable gear setup enables studio-quality content on the roadWhy recording late at night might be your best move for consistency and clarityHow to transform a standing desk into a high-performance media stationWhat working with a small production team unlocks in creativity and output qualityTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction[00:25] Purpose of this behind-the-scenes episode[01:27] Who produces the podcast[02:19] Why episodes are recorded at night[03:00] Microphone and audio gear overview[04:00] How the audio is routed and optimized[05:05] Acoustic treatment in the room[06:00] Webcam, monitor, and lighting overview[07:15] Lighting gear and why it's travel-friendly[08:25] Background lighting setup[09:25] Software used to control lighting[10:22] OBS setup and live scene switching[11:45] Using Riverside and production handoff[13:08] Desk setup and standing comfort[14:10] Music used and its personal connection[15:00] Using the setup for coaching callsWant to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here.Resources Mentioned:Shure SM7B Microphone | WebsiteElgato Low Profile Wave Mic Arm | WebsiteSennheiser IE 200 In-Ear Monitors | WebsiteRØDECaster Duo | WebsiteAmaran 100X S | WebsiteAputure Light Dome Mini III | WebsiteKeep It by Justin J. Moore and Mortiz Houwen | Spotify or AppleFind more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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43: Lessons in Performance-First Architecture with Veteran CTO, Victor Nicollet
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!Victor Nicollet is an expert in mechanical sympathy for software, focusing on how software design can better align with the hardware it runs on for smarter, faster systems.In this episode, you're going to learn what mechanical sympathy is and why understanding your hardware can massively improve software performance, how to predict when software should be optimized instead of waiting for users to feel pain, why abstraction layers can hurt performance and how to navigate escape hatches when needed, the importance of building broad but shallow systems to keep software fast and manageable, and when it makes sense to build your own tools instead of buying or using existing ones.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[02:00] What mechanical sympathy means for software[07:00] Building a custom language for supply chain optimization[09:00] Real-time analysis and scaling big data[11:00] When to optimize before pain shows up[13:00] Diagnosing hidden performance issues[15:00] How hardware understanding drives smarter software[17:00] Fighting abstraction layers to regain speed[20:00] Data size matters more than you think[23:00] Using smaller memory layouts for faster performance[26:00] Lossy compression vs real-time performance needs[29:00] Structuring broad but shallow systems[31:00] Using optimized black boxes the right way[34:00] Where glue code bottlenecks appear[37:00] Build vs buy decisions based on real needs[39:00] Why Lokad had to create its own data format[41:00] Storing petabytes for supply chain forecasting[44:00] Summarizing the 7-step optimization strategyResources Mentioned:Lokad | WebsiteIf you want to learn more from Victor, follow him on LinkedIn.Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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42: 9 Principles for Leading in a World of Citizen Developers
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!In this episode, you'll learn how the rise of citizen builders is reshaping software creation, why leadership now demands alignment over control, how to measure real impact across teams, and what it takes to scale safely in a world of AI-assisted development.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[02:00] Overview of the 4-part structure in this episode[02:54] Principle one: everyone can build — but can they build right?[04:53] Principle two: redefining junior vs senior in a cross-functional world[05:38] What growth actually looks like beyond technical skill[06:20] Principle three: abstraction saves time, understanding prevents disaster[07:08] AI tools vs foundational knowledge[07:47] Why elite builders accelerate others[08:39] Principle four: direction beats control[09:23] Teaching others how to make decisions[09:57] Broadcasting context until it feels repetitive[10:18] Principle five: organizational design is system design[11:03] Avoiding the productivity dip during scaling[11:36] Conway’s Law and communication-driven design[12:34] Principle six: measure velocity, not busyness[14:00] The power of aligned data visibility[14:44] Dashboards that trigger strategic pivots[15:20] Principle seven: developer experience is now your product[16:00] Builders outside engineering — even the CEO[16:36] The danger of unchecked shadow IT[17:10] What guardrails are you offering citizen builders[18:01] Principle eight: outcomes are the new OKRs[18:49] Why measuring customer activation changed everything[19:26] Shifting priorities when you focus on real outcomes[20:00] Principle nine: solve across the organization[20:43] Rethinking engineering as a business-wide competency[21:08] Empowering non-engineers to solve with softwareFind more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
Join The CTO Playbook Slack Community to connect with other CTOs!Zacharias Beckman is a technology leader and creator of the Customer Obsessed Delivery Playbook.In this episode, you're going to learn what the Customer Obsessed Delivery Playbook is and why having a checklist is critical for complex software projects, how event storming and steel threads can help prevent costly surprises in software delivery, how Zac used lessons from government projects, cruise lines, and iPhone launches to shape a better approach to technical delivery, why a visual “subway map” model can make software development easier to navigate, and how to keep customer needs front and center throughout an entire project.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[01:57] Why software projects need a checklist approach[03:04] Mistakes early in Zac’s career that led to building a playbook[05:08] The role of structure and guardrails in complex delivery[06:04] Creativity versus consistency in engineering playbooks[07:45] Giving teams flexibility to experiment[09:55] Evolution of the playbook from large companies to startups[11:03] How startups and big companies use the playbook differently[12:58] How the playbook can uncover process gaps in existing teams[16:30] Inspiration behind using a subway map for software delivery[18:01] Problems Zac saw in government projects that sparked change[19:12] Miscommunication between customers and tech teams[20:55] How R&D uncertainty compares to building cars or bridges[22:05] How to structure checkpoints and quality gates in delivery[23:04] Why event storming is a crucial early exercise[24:09] Zac’s first experience with event storming on cruise ships[25:40] Why cruise ships are a major software engineering challenge[26:40] How event storming reveals hidden complexity[27:35] Importance of having business and tech teams in event storming[28:01] What a steel thread is and why it matters[29:12] Differences between a steel thread and an MVP[30:02] Building end-to-end scaffolding before scaling[31:05] Real-world example of a steel thread fixing a telco iPhone launch[32:33] How Lightbend proved their solution in six weeks[33:30] Why building the full system first is a mistake[34:02] What a target state architecture is[35:10] Why you need an incremental path to a target state[36:05] Risks of pulling future features into early development[36:58] Why customer needs often change during projects[37:40] How to avoid failed big bang product launches[38:00] How to keep the customer visible throughout delivery[39:05] How event storms connect to engineering artifacts[40:20] Avoiding translation errors from customer to code[41:00] Testing outputs based on original customer events[42:45] The importance of empirically measuring project outcomes[43:50] Why teams must create their own processes[44:30] How to tie product features to measurable business outcomesThe best way to connect with Zac is by subscribing to his Substack and reading his Blog.Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
Join Adam Horner, a CTO with over 30 years in the tech industry, on The CTO Playbook — the podcast dedicated to helping CTOs excel. Perfect for CTOs and tech leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, each episode offers clear insights, innovative strategies, and practical advice from top leaders in tech.
With Adam’s extensive experience mentoring engineers and tech leaders, and over a decade as a CTO, you’ll gain the tools and knowledge to build and refine your own CTO playbook. Whether you're tackling complex projects, fostering innovation, leading teams, or shaping your company's tech strategy, this podcast is your go-to resource.
Adam’s journey from engineer to strategic CTO was challenging. He learned through the school of hard knocks, making avoidable mistakes and facing countless challenges. Often out of his comfort zone and wishing for more guidance, he created this podcast to provide the support and advice he once lacked.
Tune in for engaging interviews, leadership tips, and the latest in technology strategy. Each episode is designed to help you lead with confidence and level up as a CTO.
Listen now to start your journey with The CTO Playbook and build your own playbook to excel in your role.
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