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The CTO Playbook

The CTO Playbook

By: Adam Horner
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 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.Copyright 2024-2025 Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • 44: My Full Podcast Setup for The CTO Playbook

    44: My Full Podcast Setup for The CTO Playbook
    May 19 2025
    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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    16 mins
  • 43: Lessons in Performance-First Architecture with Veteran CTO, Victor Nicollet

    43: Lessons in Performance-First Architecture with Veteran CTO, Victor Nicollet
    May 12 2025

    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 strategy


    Resources Mentioned:


    Lokad | Website


    If 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.
    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • 42: 9 Principles for Leading in a World of Citizen Developers

    42: 9 Principles for Leading in a World of Citizen Developers
    May 5 2025

    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 software


    Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.
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    24 mins

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