CTO Confessions Brought to you by IT Labs

Your system doesn't need heroes — A guide on building and scaling a team

"If your system needs heroes, you don't have a system."

In this episode of CTO Confessions, TC sits down with engineering leader Swarnim Kumari for a candid conversation on what it actually takes to build and scale high-performing teams. No fluff — just hard-earned lessons and sharp one-liners that'll stick with you long after the episode ends.

They cover why hiring fast isn't the same as hiring right, why 2 a.m. firefighting is a red flag (not a badge of honor), and why AI without purpose is just noise. Whether you're managing your first team or leading an entire engineering org, this one's for you.

What you'll take away:
→ 2 a.m. problem-solving isn't hustle culture — it's a broken system
→ AI needs a clear purpose, or it has no place
→ Don't scale the system before the business is ready
→ Ditch the formal meetings. Build a culture of ongoing communication instead

About Swarnim Kumari: Swarnim is an engineering leader with experience across Senior Engineer, Engineering Manager, and Director of Engineering roles. She specializes in scaling high-performing teams, improving delivery practices, and building reliable, customer-focused systems — always at the intersection of technology, product, and people.

What does it really take to build great hardware in a software-first world?

In this episode of CTO Confessions, we sit down with Nico Cormier, CTO of reMarkable — the company behind the world's leading paper tablet — to explore what modern hardware development actually looks like from the inside.

We get into the risks, the rewards, and the mindset it takes to ship a physical product people love. Nico draws on his experience at Cisco, Nasdaq, and DxO Labs to share what separates hardware teams that succeed from those that don't.

In this episode:

- Why CTOs need to be business builders, not just tech experts
- The brutal reality of hardware risk — and why it's still worth it
- How to listen to user feedback without cherry-picking the good stuff
- Staying mission-driven while staying open to change

"Nothing beats being able to hold a product in your hands." — Nico Cormier

Assuming you know what motivates people is often what disconnects you from them.

In this episode of CTO Confessions, Ravi Soni, VP of Engineering at Curative, shares why strong leadership starts with curiosity — not conclusions — especially in complex, high-stakes environments like healthcare.

Ravi brings a calm, practical perspective shaped by years of scaling SaaS platforms, modernizing legacy systems, and leading teams through real change. From staying close to the technical craft as a leader, to rethinking motivation, to why healthcare still needs urgent digitization, this conversation is a thoughtful reminder that the best leaders ask more than they assume — and listen more than they speak.

Trying to build things perfectly is often what stops them from working at all.

In this episode of CTO Confessions, Stephen Cope, CIO at Astrak, shares why aiming for 80% is usually more than enough — and how letting go of perfection helps teams move faster, learn sooner, and build technology that actually gets used.

Stephen brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective shaped by years of leading real change, from navigating self-doubt to introducing AI in ways that support people instead of overwhelming them. This is a warm, honest conversation about progress, simplicity, and why your people matter far more than any tech stack ever will.

Alexandre Goedert, VP of Engineering at SurePay, sat down with our host TC Gill for our podcast CTO Confessions to discuss what it really means to lead from the core—where people, architecture, and cross-team alignment intersect.

💬 What you’ll hear in this episode:
✅ Why architecture should start within teams—but needs cross-team alignment at scale
✅ How people and soft skills become critical as engineers move into leadership roles
✅ The hidden challenges of cross-team architecture and modern GenAI frustrations
✅ Why leadership can become lonelier the higher you go

💡 “The higher you go up in an organization, the lonelier it can be.” – Alexandre Goedert

Whether you’re leading multiple teams, navigating complex architectures, or growing into senior leadership, this conversation offers thoughtful perspectives on building healthy teams and scalable systems—without losing the human side of tech.