Peter Coyle, CTO and co-founder of AudioStack, shares insights on building an AI-driven audio production company before the AI hype. He discusses the importance of understanding customer needs, the impact of AI on workflows, and the significance of team dynamics in a distributed environment. Coyle also emphasizes the value of open source contributions and offers advice for startup founders navigating the competitive landscape of AI technology.

00:00 Building AI Before the Hype

03:41 Surviving the GPT wave

05:57 Defensibility without mega-rounds

07:30 What AudioStack actually does

08:11 One-to-many: turning unscalable into scalable

12:06 Thin wrappers vs thick platforms

14:58 Model churn & provider neutrality

19:34 Ship faster: the metric that matters

24:17 Open Source Communities vs. Business Customers

26:40 Scaling across locations

30:25 Government advice

36:05 CTO and Startup Lessons

Peadar Coyle is CTO and co-founder of AudioStack.

Together with the Head of Engineering, he is dedicated to making AudioStack’s audio production infrastructure flexible, reliable, secure and scalable to meet the diverse ambitions of agencies, brands, publishers and AdTech.

He is an authority on software engineering, data science and AI, and has been invited on multiple occasions as a contributor to steering groups on AI innovation by industry groups and the UK Government.

He has long been an involved member of the Open Source community, and his core role in developing PyMC3, a Bayesian Computing Library, has supported the development of numerous scaleups around the world.

With an AI-native, technical founder’s perspective, he is passionately involved in conversations about the culture of engineering and has published a series of interviews of the teams behind data science innovations at some of the world’s best-known tech disruptors (Amazon, Spotify, Etsy).

• Audiostack Website: http://www.audiostack.ai/
• Peader's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peadarcoyle/
• and on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Aflorithmic
• 
  

In this conversation, Tony Kyriakidis, founder of Nevron, shares his journey from Cyprus to the Netherlands, detailing his experiences in software development and the establishment of Mission Control, a platform for incident management. He discusses the importance of learning the local language for business success, navigating government contracts, and transitioning from an agency model to a product-focused company. The conversation also explores the role of AI in incident management, proactive project management strategies, and the freedom and challenges of entrepreneurship.

00:00 Introduction

02:19 Learning Dutch & Fitting in

10:16 Landing the First Government Client

15:27 Transitioning from Agency to Product

19:45 What Mission Control actually does

24:36 Leadership & Operations at Scale

33:36 AI in Incident Management

38:51 Risk Planning & Entrepreneurial Mindset

42:16 Freedom and Entrepreneurship

Tony is the founder of Nevron B.V., a software company specialized in mission-critical systems for governments, law enforcement, organisations, and major events. Since starting his entrepreneurial journey with Smashing Parties in 2014 and Venuepark in 2016, he has built a track record of delivering high-impact solutions. Under his leadership, Nevron’s software has been used during the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix, by the Dutch National Police, Rijkswaterstaat, and at leading festivals in the Netherlands. With a clear mission to become the world’s leading incident and operations management software company within the next 30 years, Tony continues to drive Nevron forward.

• Website: https://nevron.io
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-kyriakidis
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/iam.tony

Nola Simon is a strategic futurist, and we discuss the evolving landscape of remote work, the importance of trust and connection in the workplace, and the integration of AI with her. Nola shares her insights on building engaged remote teams, the significance of asynchronous work, and the necessity of measuring trust within organizations. She emphasizes the need for strategic foresight in navigating rapid changes in technology and society, and discusses the role of narrative intelligence in leadership. The conversation concludes with practical advice for CTOs on fostering a culture of trust and engagement in distributed teams.

00:00 Intro to Remote Work & Flexibility

05:34 Creating Connection in Remote Teams

10:55 Async workflows, documentation, and AI

13:31 Earning trust for knowledge sharing

15:16 Measuring trust via outcomes & psychological safety

29:04 Strategic foresight: scenarios and adaptability in AI turbulence

44:35 Playbook for first-time distributed CTOs

Nola Simon is a strategic futurist and a steady voice for leaders navigating the messy, human moments at work. Her keynotes are part mirror, part map—reflective, insightful, and grounded in the lived experience of leading when the future isn’t clear.

What sets Nola apart? She blends sharp systems thinking with a warm sense of humour and a love of pop culture. Whether it’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to a classic sitcom, a playful callback to a viral meme, or a story about the unexpected lessons of a Zoom mishap, Nola uses levity to spark connection and make big ideas stick. Her sessions are as likely to include a laugh-out-loud anecdote as a breakthrough leadership insight.

As host of Hope & Possibilities: A Love Letter to the Future of Work, Nola brings lived experience, quiet power, and a knack for making people smile to every stage. She adapts to the moment—remote, hybrid, or in person—always with clarity, presence, and deep respect for the space she’s in.

Nola invites audiences to question assumptions, explore new perspectives, and leave with a renewed sense of agency, possibility, and optimism about the future of work.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolasimon

• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@nolasimonsayings

• Website: https://www.nolasimon.com

In this episode of the CTO Compass podcast, Mark interviews Kelsey Daingerfield, founder of Pocket COO, who specializes in bridging the gap between technical teams and executive leadership. Kelsey shares her journey from higher education to entrepreneurship, discussing the importance of the visionary vs. integrator dynamic, the role of a fractional COO, and how to identify operational red flags. She emphasizes the significance of effective delegation, change management, and communication within teams, as well as the need to change the perception of IT departments. Kelsey also highlights the potential of AI in optimizing operations and shares a success story of transforming a business to achieve greater efficiency and work-life balance.

00:00 Introduction & Background

02:13 Visionary vs. Integrator (Rocket Fuel)

05:00 Transition into Entrepreneurship

08:24 Client Work Examples

11:28 Recognizing Operational Red Flags

18:39 Delegation & Leadership Challenges

25:33 Change Management & Communication

31:15 AI in Operations

37:42 Common Leadership Pitfalls

40:14 Success Story

43:23 Final Advice & Wrap-up

Kelsey Daingerfield is the founder of The Pocket COO, where she partners with growth-stage founders to help them scale without burnout. With a background in operations, marketing, and project management—plus early career experience working alongside engineers—Kelsey is a master of translating vision into execution and bridging the gap between technical teams and executive leadership.

Today, she serves as a strategic COO and advisor for founders who are scaling fast but feel stuck in the weeds. Her specialty is turning chaos into clarity by building the operational infrastructure businesses need to run smoothly and sustainably. Whether it’s team delegation, systems setup, or change management, Kelsey brings both structure and soul to her clients’ companies—so they can grow without grinding themselves into the ground.

• Website: https://www.kelseydaingerfield.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseydaingerfield/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseydaingerfield/

Mentioned in this episode:

🚨 Why Tech Strategies Fail in the Age of AI - and How to Fix Yours in 90 Days (Free Workshop: 16 October)

Is your team drowning in scattered priorities? Spending time on the wrong projects? In endless meetings? And you're under pressure to move on AI faster than your team is capable of? In Tairi, we built the Lighthouse Strategy System to lock in one clear, company-wide technology direction in just 90 days. No scope creep. No slide ware. No politics. Just clarity and execution. On October 16th I'm hosting a free live training where I'll teach you how to create your own tech strategy and roadmap - free of charge. Grab your free set now.

Lighthouse Strategy Workshop (16 October)

In this episode Ahmed Bashir, head of engineering at DevRev shares his journey from Apple to DevRev, discussing the excitement of reimagining work through AI and the importance of writing in the age of technology. He explains how DevRev integrates AI from day one, the significance of knowledge graphs and vector databases, and shares customer success stories. Ahmed also delves into managing a global engineering team, his leadership philosophy, and the impact of AI tools on software development. The conversation concludes with insights on the future of AI and its influence on the younger generation.

Chapters

00:00 Going from Apple to DevRev

08:13 Built-In AI: How DevRev Differs from Other Platforms

15:44 Writing as a Superpower in the Age of AI

22:10 Knowledge Graphs vs. Vector Databases

25:22 Using AI to enhance Work Observability

35:43 Leading Remote Engineering Teams at Scale

41:57 How an AI company uses AI tools in Software Development

46:48 The Future of AI

About Ahmed

Ahmed Bashir is Head of Engineering at DevRev, where he leads global engineering and promotes a culture of clarity, writing, and outcome-driven work. Previously, he was Director of Engineering at Apple, building large-scale cloud infrastructure. He began his career at IBM Research, working on DB2 optimization. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from UT Dallas, pursued a Ph.D. at UIUC, and attended Stanford. His immigrant background and early work experiences shaped his values of humility, curiosity, and inclusive leadership.

Where to find Ahmed

• DevRev: https://devrev.ai/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedmbashir/

In this episode, Zulfiya Forsythe, CEO and founder of the Omadli Group, shares her journey from accounting to the tech industry. She talks about the importance of automation and AI in optimizing business processes. She discusses her experiences in building her company during the COVID pandemic, the innovations in AI agents for businesses, and the misconceptions surrounding AI in the corporate world. Zulfiya also highlights the skills needed for tech leaders in the evolving landscape of AI and shares valuable lessons learned in her entrepreneurial journey.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

08:36 The Role of AI in Data Management

10:26 Launching a Business during COVID

18:05 Client Impact Stories

22:35 AI in Construction and Plumbing

31:30 Financial Impact of AI

38:51 Skills for Tech Leaders in the AI Era

44:07 Lessons Learned

About Zulfiya

It all started with a simple question: “There has to be a better way, right?”

Zulfiya began her career in accounting, spending countless hours buried in spreadsheets. The inefficiencies were frustrating, and she knew there had to be a smarter way. That curiosity led her to discover automation and data analytics, starting with Visual Basic and SQL. The first time she watched millions of data rows transform in seconds, she was hooked.

That passion pushed her to transition into the world of data, where she deep-dived into data analytics and automation. Fast forward to today, she is the CEO and Founder of Omadli Group, where they help businesses streamline operations, uncover valuable insights, and use AI to buy back their time. Additionally, she offers AI coaching to help individuals and organizations unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence in their work. Her mission is simple: turn complexity into simplicity and empower businesses to focus on what truly matters.

Where to Find Zulfiya

• Website: https://omadligroup.com/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zulfiyaforsythe
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zulfiyaforsythe/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulfiya-forsythe-akbarova-cpa-0214b98

Mentioned in this episode:

🚨 Why Tech Strategies Fail in the Age of AI - and How to Fix Yours in 90 Days (Free Workshop: 16 October)

Is your team drowning in scattered priorities? Spending time on the wrong projects? In endless meetings? And you're under pressure to move on AI faster than your team is capable of? In Tairi, we built the Lighthouse Strategy System to lock in one clear, company-wide technology direction in just 90 days. No scope creep. No slide ware. No politics. Just clarity and execution. On October 16th I'm hosting a free live training where I'll teach you how to create your own tech strategy and roadmap - free of charge. Grab your free set now.

Lighthouse Strategy Workshop (16 October)

In this episode, Mattia Peiretti shares his journey from a young tinkerer to the CTO of PocketCFO, a startup focused on making finance effortless for entrepreneurs. He discusses the importance of curiosity, the role of AI in finance, and the dynamics of building a successful team. Matt emphasizes the need for daring and innovation in the tech landscape, offering valuable insights for aspiring CTOs and entrepreneurs.

00:46 Intro & Early Tech Obsession

05:04 From School Projects to Running an Agency

12:10 Scaling Up at Pararius

16:17 Inside the Antler Experience

22:58 Finding a Co-Founder & PocketCFO’s Start

29:32 Why SMEs Matter & The Future of Finance

41:00 Building Fast, Smart Tech without Regrets

50:42 Lessons & Advice for Aspiring CTOs

Mattia is a techie at heart. Since the age of 3 years old he was fascinated with technology and the impact that could be achieved by it. From taking toys apart and playing with Arduino at 10, to building a game engine in C++ at 12, to starting a Web dev and Marketing agency at 18.

His passion for building also expanded from tech to business. Building innovative products that solve real world problems. Having worked with lots of SMEs and having seen their problems up close, now on a mission to make finance for SMEs intuitive and proactive, leveraging AI and cutting egde technologies.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattiapeiretti/
• Website: https://mattiapeiretti.com/
• PocketCFO: https://pocketcfo.io/

Mentioned in this episode:

🚨 Why Tech Strategies Fail in the Age of AI - and How to Fix Yours in 90 Days (Free Workshop: 16 October)

Is your team drowning in scattered priorities? Spending time on the wrong projects? In endless meetings? And you're under pressure to move on AI faster than your team is capable of? In Tairi, we built the Lighthouse Strategy System to lock in one clear, company-wide technology direction in just 90 days. No scope creep. No slide ware. No politics. Just clarity and execution. On October 16th I'm hosting a free live training where I'll teach you how to create your own tech strategy and roadmap - free of charge. Grab your free set now.

Lighthouse Strategy Workshop (16 October)

In this conversation, Niranjan Sridhar shares his extensive journey in technology and transformation leadership, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, change, and impact. He discusses pivotal moments in his career, the significance of co-creating experiences for the future, and the challenges of leading large-scale transformations. Niranjan also highlights the critical role of change management, the need for trust within teams, and the evolving landscape of AI in business. He offers valuable insights for aspiring leaders, stressing the importance of authenticity and the journey over the destination.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Niranjan

04:50 Pivotal Moments and Decisions in Career

08:58 The Philosophy of Co-Creation and Three Foundry

13:45 Success Factors in Large Transformation Programs

22:42 Transitioning from Program Director to CIO

26:11 Transforming Business Processes: The Lipton Case Study

31:19 Navigating the AI Landscape: Learning and Implementation

39:19 Adapting to Rapid Technological Change: The Future of Business Programs

43:15 Lessons from Setbacks: The Importance of Change Management

47:59 Leadership Insights: Authenticity and Continuous Learning

About Niranjan

Born in India and raised by the World, Niranjan is a strategic, outcome-driven, CIO & transformation leader with >25 years of experience delivering technology enabled value creation across PE-backed enterprises, consumer goods, and global consulting. He is a purpose led, people focused, practical & pragmatic leader grounded in the core values of integrity, respect, excellence. He has lived in 5 continents, 9 countries, delivering enterprise-wide transformations from Brazil to New Zealand, and Norway to South Africa. As the founder of 3Foundry, he is on a mission to co-create experiences for a better tomorrow. 3Foundry focuses on Transformation, Advisory and Innovation.

Where to find Niranjan

• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/niranjan7879

Mentioned in this episode:

🚨 Why Tech Strategies Fail in the Age of AI - and How to Fix Yours in 90 Days (Free Workshop: 16 October)

Is your team drowning in scattered priorities? Spending time on the wrong projects? In endless meetings? And you're under pressure to move on AI faster than your team is capable of? In Tairi, we built the Lighthouse Strategy System to lock in one clear, company-wide technology direction in just 90 days. No scope creep. No slide ware. No politics. Just clarity and execution. On October 16th I'm hosting a free live training where I'll teach you how to create your own tech strategy and roadmap - free of charge. Grab your free set now.

Lighthouse Strategy Workshop (16 October)