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The CTO Playbook

Adam Horner

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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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 42 min
  • English

Episodes 22

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  • #110
    September 14 · 42 min

    110: AI Compressed the Work That Built Your Judgment

    Twenty years at one company should have made my guest predictable, and that is exactly the trap he built a method to escape.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, po...

  • #109
    September 7 · 57 min

    109: Your Agents Are Held to a Lower Standard Than Your Engineers

    Most CTOs think adopting AI means picking the right tools, but Sumeet argues the real work is closing the accountability gap between agents and engineers.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the ...

  • #108
    August 31 · 49 min

    108: Your Most Valuable Executive Relationship Is the CFO

    Ask a CTO which executive relationship matters most, and they'll name the CEO, but my guest today would send you to the CFO instead.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coac...

  • #106
    July 27 · 22 min

    106: Trust, temper, override: managing the AI you don't control

    One CTO spent two weeks tearing frontier models out and ended up back where they started. Another spent a few days building a tested escape route for what actually mattered.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership plat...

  • #105
    July 20 · 45 min

    105: The CTO's real job when agents write the code (belief reversal)

    A founder went from zero to $10 million ARR in six months with six engineers and fifty agents, and the gap between idea and shipped feature was nine hours.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the...

  • #104
    July 13 · 22 min

    104: Why the Best CTOs Filter the Firehose Instead of Blocking It

    Shielding your team from context isn't protection, it's a subtle underestimation of the people you hired for their judgment.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, po...

  • #103
    July 6 · 49 min

    103: What CTOs Miss Before an M&A Deal Hits

    Most CTOs chase value creation. Jaco Vermeulen says the real job is preserving it first. Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community to help you le...

  • #101
    June 22 · 36 min

    101: Why Most Leadership Assessments Are Measuring the Wrong Thing

    What if the biggest constraint on your organisation isn't your tech, your funding, or your market, but whether your leaders can think at the level the problem requires?Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform ...

  • #100
    June 15 · 22 min

    100: Why AI Is Quietly Draining Your Senior Engineer Pipeline

    The reps that used to turn juniors into seniors are disappearing, and most engineering leaders won't notice until the senior shortage hits in three years.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the ...

  • #99
    June 8 · 58 min

    99: Why Transformations Die Just Before They Succeed

    The most dangerous moment in a transformation isn't the start, it's the stretch right before behaviours actually start sticking.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching...

  • #98
    June 1 · 47 min

    98: The Office of the CTO at RevenueCat, with Miguel Carranza

    When do you stop being the CTO with all the answers and start being the one who asks better questions?Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, podcast, and community t...

  • #96
    May 18 · 41 min

    96: Why the Best CTOs Don't Have a Playbook — Ric Hill, Ghyston

    Most CTOs are promoted for technical judgment, then get stuck trying to lead people with the same playbook that got them there.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com — the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching,...

  • #93
    April 28 · 24 min

    93: From SDLC to ADLC: How Engineering Teams are Actually Adopting AI

    A CTO hired a star engineer to push AI adoption forward, and within months, the team had lost its momentum, the new hire, and any sense of where they actually were.Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com — the leadership platform buil...

Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes