Scaling means trusting others to lead.
In this TEQ Shift Podcast episode, Viktor Calabro reflects on the toughest lesson for founders: learning to step back. From letting go of control to building remote-first companies that balance freedom with structure, his insights offer a roadmap for scaling sustainably.
We cover:
✅ Why founders often become the bottleneck
✅ How to balance freedom and accountability in remote-first teams
✅ The hidden rules that make autonomy work
✅ Building leadership layers to carry responsibility
✅ Why burnout forces a shift in leadership style
👉 Read more: Beyond the Founder’s Grip: Scaling Remote-First Companies with Trust and Structure
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The Illusion of Speed: Real transformation is measured in years, not quarters.
Digital transformation is often sold as something you can deliver in months. But according to Dr. Michael Müller-Wünsch, CIO and Board Member at OTTO Group, true transformation is a marathon, not a sprint.
In this TEQ Shift Podcast episode, Dr. Müller-Wünsch explains why cultural change, business alignment, and patient leadership matter more than fast restructuring or rushing into cloud projects.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:30 Why speed in transformation is an illusion
04:50 The role of culture and mindset in change
09:15 Lessons from OTTO Group’s long-term journey
13:40 Balancing autonomy with alignment
18:00 Why tech alone can’t drive transformation
22:15 Advice for CIOs and leaders
26:00 Final takeaways
👉 Read the blog: https://www.createq.com/en/insights/why-digital-transformation-takes-years-not-quarters
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Batch is history. The future of data is in motion.
In this TEQ Shift Podcast episode, Kai Waehner (Global Field CTO, Confluent) shares why static dashboards and batch reports no longer cut it in the AI era. From fraud detection to real-time customer experiences, streaming data provides the context that powers proactive AI and agile businesses.
We cover:
✅ Why static dashboards create blind spots
✅ The role of streaming in powering agentic AI
✅ Industry examples already using streaming today
✅ How leaders can shift from batch to data in motion
✅ Practical steps to start small and scale smart
👉 Read more: https://www.createq.com/en/insights/why-streaming-data-powers-the-ai-era
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Monoliths once kept enterprises stable. Now they’re holding them back.
In this TEQ Shift Podcast episode, Alexander Martens breaks down why event-driven architectures are essential for agility in the AI era. From avoiding innovation bottlenecks to integrating real-time AI systems, this conversation offers leaders a practical guide to breaking free from legacy constraints.
We discuss:
✅ Why monolithic systems slow down innovation
✅ The benefits of modular, event-driven architectures
✅ Common pitfalls: integration complexity and governance gaps
✅ Five hacks for incremental adoption
✅ Leadership’s role in guiding the transition
👉 Read more: https://www.createq.com/en/insights/practical-guide-to-event-driven-architecture🎧 Listen, watch, and subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music to stay ahead in AI-driven software development.
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Real AI transformation doesn’t start with models. It starts with people.
In this TEQ Shift Podcast episode, Josip Lazarevski shares lessons from leading digital and AI adoption at Johnson Controls and Palo Alto Networks. From legacy chillers to cutting-edge cyber security, he explains why trust, clarity, and leadership are the real drivers of AI success.
We discuss:
✅ Why “AI for humanity” should be the guiding principle
✅ How to modernise legacy industries without losing people
✅ The hidden costs of chasing AI hype
✅ Avoiding burnout in digital transformation projects
✅ Building trust and value from day one
👉 Read more insights: http://www.createq.com/en/insights/preventing-burnout-in-ai-development-teams
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Agentic AI is here—and it’s changing how we think about building, deploying, and scaling intelligent systems. But speed without structure is a trap.
In this episode of the TEQ Shift Podcast, Dr. Stefan Ebener, Head of Customer Engineering for Google Cloud in Germany, shares why architecture—not hype—will determine who wins in the agentic AI era.
Discover how to:
✅ Build AI systems that act, not just respond.
✅ Design architectures that support autonomy, integration, and governance.
✅ Avoid the costliest mistakes in scaling AI.
✅ Move from PoC to production without losing business focus.
✅ Align AI with strategy to deliver lasting value.
“If you skip the foundation, you’re building on sand. Agentic AI is powerful—but it’s not magic.” — Dr. Stefan Ebener
Read more: Why architecture wins in the Agentic AI era
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Most corporate innovation fails long before a pilot launches. Why? Because it’s not tied to a real business problem.
In this episode, Dr. Philipp Gneiting, Head of Open Innovation at Mercedes-Benz, breaks down why so many startup partnerships stall—and how the venture client model changes everything.
✅ Stop mentoring. Start buying.
✅ Define use cases with budgets attached.
✅ Shift from innovation theatre to real value.
We talk about:
– Why PoCs aren’t enough
– The biggest bottleneck inside large companies
– How to build startup partnerships that deliver
Takeaways
– Innovation doesn’t work without internal ownership
– Time-to-value is the only KPI that matters
– Venture clienting is built for impact, not optics
Want more? Read the article from this episode: https://www.createq.com/en/insights/why-most-corporate-innovation-fails-before-it-starts
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You can build the product.
But can you convince someone to run their warehouse on it?
In this episode of the TEQ Shift Podcast, Hendrik Thamer—CEO and co-founder of Cellumation—shares the hard lessons behind scaling a deep tech system into one of the most risk-sensitive industries: intra-logistics.
What began as a university spin-off is now a modular conveyor platform powered by AI, vision, and software-defined flexibility. But what makes the system work isn’t just tech. It’s trust.
Hendrik opens up about leading through long sales cycles, engineering-team focus, and the mindset shift from researcher to founder-CEO.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Build trust when your tech is mission-critical
✅ Shorten long sales cycles by solving human fears
✅ Shift from tech-first to use-case-first conversations
✅ Balance standardisation and flexibility in modular systems
✅ Scale globally while staying credible as a startup
✅ Lead product teams where hardware and software evolve on different clocks
Want more?
Find everything from this episode at https://www.createq.com/en/insights/what-founders-learn-fast-in-deep-tech – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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Most companies rush into cloud, AI, and compliance tooling, without a clear goal. Christian Scholz believes that’s backwards.
In this episode of the TEQ Shift Podcast, the VP of Cloud Business at Arvato Systems—and lead architect behind Google Wallet—shares what 30+ years in the field have taught him: IT should follow business, not the buzz.
Christian explains why tech doesn’t need to move faster—it needs to move with purpose. And how business-aligned strategy, not just modern stacks, is what actually scales.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Avoid “cloud-first” traps that never deliver value
✅ Measure real risk—in budget, not buzzwords
✅ Structure a vision teams can believe in (and rally behind)
✅ Use proof-of-concepts to validate strategy, not chase trends
✅ Lead transformation with transparency, honesty, and people
✅ Focus on direction over noise in a hype-saturated market
Want more?
Find everything from this episode at www.createq.com/en/podcast – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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Most companies treat IT like plumbing, until it breaks. But Markus Sontheimer has spent decades proving that when tech leads the strategy, it drives the business.
In this episode of the TEQ Shift Podcast, Markus shares the playbook behind real digital transformation: the 8-Spoke IT Transformation Wheel. From his time as CIO at Mercedes-Benz, DB Schenker, Deutsche Bank, and most recently Group CIDO at ISS, Markus has led IT in four industries and turned it into a competitive weapon.
We talk about what actually works when modernising legacy landscapes, aligning global teams, and making tech visible where it matters most: the boardroom.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Move from decentralised chaos to a scalable tech strategy
✅ Reframe IT from “cost centre” to growth engine
✅ Build internal capability without over-relying on consultants
✅ Align business and tech through cross-functional ownership
✅ Kill the myth of business vs. IT
✅ Apply the 8 transformation dimensions—from architecture to culture
Want more?
Find everything from this episode at https://www.createq.com/en/insights/from-theory-to-impact-a-practical-data-framework-for-tech-leaders – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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Leaders in regulated, high-stakes industries are under pressure to modernise fast, without compromising on quality, compliance, or ROI. In this episode, Ralf Klädtke, Managing Director at Gestalt Automation, shares how hyperspectral imaging and AI are transforming industrial quality assurance, and what it really takes to implement scalable, ROI-driven innovation.
From navigating complexity in global organisations to building AI systems that deliver tangible results, Ralf brings hard-earned insights from aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing—all grounded in execution, not hype.
You’ll learn how to…
– Spot hidden flaws (literally) using hyperspectral imaging and AI
– Avoid the most expensive mistake in AI: poor data
– Drive transformation without losing team passion or focus
– Build trust in AI systems through calibration and compliance
– Align strategy from the boardroom to the production line
– Focus your innovation efforts where they actually deliver ROI
Want more? Find everything from this episode at www.createq.com/en/podcast – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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Legacy systems don’t crash companies—misaligned people do. In this episode, Marc Gasser talks with Füsun Wehrmann, ex Group CTO at InPost and former tech leader at Microsoft and Wayfair, about how culture, not architecture, is often the bottleneck in transformation.
She reveals how to untangle perceptions, build real change teams, and lead through ambiguity, especially with GenAI flooding the industry with both hype and fear.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Identify root causes behind transformation stalls
✅ Avoid hero traps and create shared ownership
✅ Tackle GenAI resistance with psychological safety
✅ Reframe change as experimentation, not perfection
✅ Communicate differently across stakeholder groups
Whether you’re scaling legacy systems or introducing AI agents to a distributed team, this episode offers a human-first lens on tech change.
Want more?
Find everything from this episode at https://www.createq.com/en/insights/6-hard-truths-about-tech-leaders-driving-transformation – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
🎧 Listen, watch, and subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music to stay ahead in AI-driven software development.
💬 Join the conversation! Drop your questions and comments.
Legacy data chaos can ruin your AI project before it even begins. Boris Bialek, Global Field CTO at MongoDB, reveals how leading businesses achieve real results with AI by first mastering data clean-up, real-time capabilities, and practical strategies to align technology with business goals.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why your AI project must start from business problems, not technology
✅ How to tackle data chaos efficiently
✅ Real-world frameworks (MAAP) that ensure AI delivers business value
✅ The importance of real-time response for AI solutions
✅ Why thinking big and starting small saves millions.
Want more? Find everything from this episode at https://www.createq.com/en/insights/ai-use-case-in-regulated-industries-healtcare-insurance– insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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💬 Join the conversation! Drop your questions and comments.
Remote and hybrid teams are here to stay—but how do you lead them well?
CREATEQ CEO Philipp Ringgenberg shares what it takes to enable distributed teams to thrive. From empathy to rhythm, structure to upskilling—this episode is a leadership guide for a digitally connected world.
Takeaways:
✅ Trust and alignment as non-negotiables✅ The power of autonomy and simplicity
✅ Why empathy isn’t a ‘soft’ skill
✅ Celebrate progress and remove blockers
✅ Structure rhythms that sustain momentum
Discover why people—not tools—build high-performance cultures, wherever they are.
Want more? Find everything from this episode at https://www.createq.com/en/insights/digital-leadership-strategies-for-remote-team-success – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
🎧 Listen, watch, and subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music to stay ahead in AI-driven software development.
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Compliance is no longer a checkbox—it's a code-level commitment.
In high-stakes industries like crypto, fintech, and aviation, a single line of code can trigger a regulatory crisis. As systems scale and speed becomes essential, compliance, auditability, and security must be baked into every sprint.
In this episode, Marc Gasser sits down with Erwin Veldhuis—ex-CTO in the crypto world and now Head of Growth at CREATEQ—to uncover how compliance-driven development keeps companies secure, agile, and scalable.
How are tech leaders building software that can:
✅ Pass audits with immutable logs and real-time traceability.
✅ Scale across multiple EU jurisdictions without rewriting infrastructure.
✅ Operate 24/7 in hostile environments where downtime = disaster.
✅ Stay secure with CI/CD pipelines, four-eye principles, and live vulnerability scanning.
✅ Win regulators’ trust while accelerating product delivery.
Plus, insights from the crypto frontlines, practical tooling tips, and the mindset shift dev teams need to thrive in regulated markets.
Takeaways
Want more? Find everything from this episode on our blog – insights, tools, and real-world takeaways.
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Finding top tech talent can be tough, but it doesn't have to feel impossible. At CREATEQ, we've learned a few things about what actually works, and we're ready to share these insights to help you attract the best.
In this episode of the TEQ Shift podcast, Marc Gasser hosts Ana Dedeic and Sonja Tomic to discuss the challenges and strategies in talent acquisition within the tech industry.
The conversation emphasizes the need for a positive candidate experience and the significance of building relationships in hiring.
Takeaways:
Plus, we summarised the 5 hacks in our new article with the help of our recruiters Ana and Sonja, check it out: https://www.createq.com/en/insights/5-steps-to-attract-top-tech-talent
Want more? Find everything from this episode at www.createq.com/en/podcast – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
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The Legacy code is a ticking time bomb. 80% of IT budgets are spent keeping outdated systems alive, while innovation takes a back seat. In regulated industries, compliance and security add even more weight to the challenge. But AI is changing the game.
In this episode, Marc Gasser asks Dr. Oliver Gausmann to break down how AI-assisted coding and refactoring are revolutionising software development for regulated industries.
How are businesses leveraging custom-trained AI models to:
✅ Transform legacy systems instead of patching them up.
✅ Apply refactoring—from COBOL to Java and monolith to microservices.
✅ Reduce compliance risk with AI-powered code transparency and security.
✅ Boost developer productivity by 50% while keeping top talent engaged.
✅ Future-proof IT infrastructure by integrating AI into dev workflows.
Plus, real-world use cases, a plan for getting started, and why AI isn’t replacing developers — it’s making them unstoppable.
Takeaways
Want more? Find everything from this episode at www.createq.com/en/podcast – insights, links, and expert takeaways.
🎧 Listen, watch, and subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music to stay ahead in AI-driven software development.
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Welcome to the TEQ Shift Podcast. AI is transforming technology businesses, but navigating security, privacy, and accuracy at scale is a minefield. Software used to be built to last-now it's built to evolve as AI takes over maintenance, optimisation, and scaling at a level no human team can match. Technology leaders need to move forward without losing control of the process.
In this first episode, we set the stage for how AI is reshaping business strategy, product management and software development.
Smart strategy. Practical execution. No fluff — just insights for tech leaders navigating the AI shift. How forward-thinking companies are using AI to accelerate growth while reducing risk. Tune in to TEQ Shift.