CTO2CTO

by Lucas Hendrich

Season 1

The Employee Experience Paradox: Tech's Neglected Topic

Lucas sits down with Ro Mohindroo, former CIO/CDO, now advisor to startup CTOs, to talk about what it takes to scale startups beyond the tech: operational maturity, business alignment, and why digital transformation still fails when it starts with tools instead of intent.

The "Lucky" Question: A Cheat Code for Hiring Top Talent

Lucas sits down with Gajus Kuizinas, Co-founder and CTO at Contra, to talk about the trade-offs behind early architecture decisions, building high-trust engineering cultures, and why developer autonomy is the foundation of velocity.

GPU Scarcity & The Economic Reality of AI Inference

Lucas sits down with Leon Kuperman, CTO at CAST AI, to talk about the future of cloud automation, the changing economics of AI, and why engineering leaders need to rethink productivity, developer happiness, and velocity in the age of LLMs.

The Stigma of AI: Why "Cheating" is the Wrong Word

Lucas and Jason Blackman, CIO at CAR Group, talk about how global platforms are adapting to autonomous vehicles, why AI adoption needs to balance speed with pragmatism, and how the CIO role continues to evolve to encompass technology, product, and risk leadership.

Extreme Ownership in Tech: Turning Roadblocks into Result

In this episode, Lucas Hendrich sits down with Jeff Miller, VPE at LinenMaster, to talk about what it really takes to modernize legacy systems, implement AI effectively, and lead engineering teams in uncertain times.

AI Literacy: The 2025 Prerequisite for Engineering

Lucas sits down with John Higginson, CTO at Curriculum Associates, to talk about how AI is changing the way we build software and teach students, from the rise of speech-based assessment tools to why AI literacy is becoming non-negotiable for engineers.

Speaking the Board’s Language: Connecting Tech to EBITDA

Lucas sits with Vinay Kapoor, Chief Product Officer and Interim CTO at Expana, to discuss the role of the CPTO, the intersection of technology and product leadership, and leveraging AI in business transformation.

Marine Corps Heuristics for High-Performance Tech Teams

Lucas Hendrich sits with Derek Wise, CPTO at Civica, to discuss his career journey, leadership lessons, integrating product teams, managing legacy tech, fostering a fail-safe culture, and leveraging AI to tackle tech debt.

Breaking Silos: The Rise of the Chief Product & Tech Officer

Lucas Hendrich sits down with Jo Wickremasinghe, Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO) at BPP, to discuss her career journey, the evolution of the CPTO role, leadership insights, team building, and the intersection of technology and business.

Beyond the Hype: Building a $7/mo AI Startup

In our premiere episode, Lucas sits down with CJ Montano, CTO and founder of MyHockeyIQ, and board member at Forte Group. With a rich background in software development and his new venture in sports management, CJ brings a wealth of knowledge and unique perspectives on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in software development.

2 of 2