In this episode of It Comes Back to People, Netysha Santos of Avion Consulting sits down with Fabrice Bernhard, Cofounder of Theodo, a multi-country tech consultancy, to discuss building high-performance tech teams. Fabrice shares why the most critical challenges in scaling teams are human, not technical, and how lean principles can transform organizations. He explains the importance of trust, empathy, psychological safety, and collaboration, and how these factors drive innovation and efficiency. Fabrice also discusses his book, The Lean Tech Manifesto, which applies Toyota’s lean production principles to modern software teams.

Expect to Learn:

• Why human factors often outweigh technical skill in high-performing tech teams
• How lean principles guide problem-solving and decision-making
• The importance of psychological safety and team trust for innovation
• Tools and methods to identify skill gaps and coach teams effectively
• How AI can support human-centric problem solving

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:

• [00:00] - Introduction to Fabrice Bernard & Thedo consultancy
• [02:36] - Fabrice’s background and professional progression
• [04:13] - Transition from technical expertise to leadership focus
• [06:29] - Defining the working environment: skills, technology, and management support
• [09:43] - Skills assessment and continuous learning within teams
• [12:21] - Lean thinking and systematic problem solving
• [15:04] - Writing The Lean Tech Manifesto and learning from the process
• [17:41] - Early team structures, scaling challenges, and bureaucracy vs autonomy
• [24:19] - Benefits of lean principles on team performance and culture
• [30:21] - AI and human-centric automation in lean teams
• [38:07] - Final thoughts and wrap-up

Follow the Guest, Fabrice Bernhard:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricebernhard/
• Company’s Website: https://www.theodo.com/
• Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theodo/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/netysha-santos-laborbe/

More for Avion Consulting:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/avionconsulting/
• Website: http://www.avionconsulting.com/