This is the very last episode of the LEAD Podcast.
Rene and Geert use the House of Change as a lens to reflect on whether to continue or close this chapter, and ultimately, why it's time to say goodbye.
Thank you to all our listeners, guests, and everyone who helped shape this podcast! It's been an incredible journey ❤️
Many companies waste time and resources on infrastructure and internal tools that don’t set them apart. In this episode, Geert and Rene explore core versus context through the lens of engineering culture. They break down why core work—the things that drive competitive advantage—should be the focus, while context, though necessary, should be streamlined or outsourced where possible. Using the pillars of engineering culture, they examine how organizations can align their teams, platforms, and investments to maximize impact. The takeaway: invest in what makes you unique and stop reinventing the wheel.
In this episode, Geert and Rene explore the rapid evolution of GenAI and its impact on developers and the software development life cycle. They discuss how tools like co-pilot are transforming developer productivity and speculate on the future, where AI might not only assist but also replace certain aspects of development. They discuss to the broader implications of AI, touching on product ownership, low-code platforms, and how organizations can use AI to increase efficiency while considering ethical concerns.
The Dutch government is increasingly adopting cloud services, but what are the risks and challenges that come with it? In this episode, we examine the findings of the recent report Het Rijk in de Cloud to understand how ministries are using public cloud, where the biggest risks lie, and what lessons can be learned from the government’s cloud strategy.
We discuss key concerns such as sovereignty, data protection, and vendor lock-in, as well as the fragmented approach to cloud adoption across ministries. Instead of focusing on the usual headlines or speculation, we take a detailed look at the actual research, breaking down the facts, findings, and recommendations from the report itself.
link to the report from the Dutch "Rekenkamer" https://www.rekenkamer.nl/publicaties/rapporten/2025/01/15/het-rijk-in-de-cloud
In this episode, Geert and Rene sit down with Marcel de Vries, global managing director and CTO at Xebia, to explore the future of IT leadership. Marcel shares key insights from his many years of experience, drawing parallels between past technological revolutions—like electricity, cars, and cloud computing—and today’s rapid changes, such as generative AI. They discuss the psychological barriers to change within organizations, emphasizing how fear and fixed mindsets hinder innovation and Marcel highlights the importance of shifting from rigid, policy-driven models to trust-based, enabling models. It is a fast paced episode with a lot of insights on how IT leaders can prepare their organizations for a fast-evolving future.
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the LEAD Podcast, Episode 27 serves as a special intermezzo to mark this milestone. While René and Geert take a well-deserved holiday break, we’re keeping our commitment to releasing an episode every second Thursday—so this shorter episode launches as planned on January 2nd. Join us as we reflect on the incredible guests, insightful topics, and defining moments of the past year, while offering a glimpse into what’s ahead for 2025. Thank you for listening and being part of our journey over the past year!
In this episode, Geert and Rene wrap up a year of the LEAD Podcast. They welcome Rob Heckel from Toyota Connected, who shares insights into transforming Toyota's North American division into a tech-forward organization. Rob discusses the challenges and opportunities of building internal developer platforms and the balance between standardization and innovation. He emphasizes starting small, understanding user needs, and leveraging open-source tools for impactful results. Again an inspiring and insightful conversation to close the year. Happy holidays, and see you next year!
In this episode, Geert and Rene explore the latest State of DevOps report from DORA, diving into key trends shaping the industry. They discuss the impact of AI, the rise of platform engineering, the importance of developer experience, and the role of transformational leadership. Along the way, they share their own insights and perspectives, making this an engaging conversation for anyone passionate about the future of DevOps.
DORA Accelerate state of DevOps Report: https://cloud.google.com/resources/devops/state-of-devops
Puppet State of DevOps Report: https://www.puppet.com/blog/state-devops-report-2024
State of Platform Engineering Report: https://platformengineering.org/state-of-platform-engineering-vol-3
In this episode, Geert and Rene explore the complexities of becoming cloud-native, addressing why companies are drawn to Kubernetes and whether it’s always the right solution. They discuss the origins of Kubernetes, its evolution into a standard for container orchestration, and its role as the “OS for the cloud.” Joined by cloud-native consultant Chris van Sluijsveld from Xebia, they unpack the considerations for adopting cloud-native practices, from containerization to hosting models, and highlight the importance of aligning technology with people and processes.
In this episode of the LEAD Podcast, Geert van der Cruijsen and Rene van Osnabrugge explore how cultural issues like misalignment, siloed work, and lack of trust prevent companies from executing their digital vision. Inspired by Patty McCord’s Powerful, they discuss building a culture of trust and alignment to drive success.
In this episode, Geert and Rene dive into the concept of building a learning organization and why it's crucial for companies to encourage continuous learning among their employees. They discuss how technical debt can impact talent retention and how outdated technology can push engineers to seek more exciting opportunities elsewhere.
Along the way they dive into a few strategies to keep teams engaged, such as pairing experienced and less-experienced engineers, working on psychological safety, and promoting knowledge sharing within the company and how this is more than merely formal training.
Tune in to learn how learning and development go beyond formal training to drive long-term success.
In the episode, Geert and Rene reference 2 key models and concepts.
- 70-20-10 Learning Model: This model suggests that 70% of learning happens on the job, 20% comes from learning from peers, and only 10% is from formal education. It's a well-known framework in corporate learning and development.
- David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model: This is a four-stage learning process that involves doing, reflecting, learning, and experimenting. The hosts discuss how this model applies to real-world engineering environments, particularly in pairing and team dynamics.
In this episode Geert and Rene investigate the art of communication. Why is it so hard to convey the message you want to convey. Even if people want to achieve the same goals, it still is hard to make yourself clear, or to understand the other one. They will dive into a number of issues they encountered in various settings and discuss some strategies how people with a technical background can get better at it.
In this episode, Geert and Rene dive into the dilemma of app modernization, discussing whether companies should rebuild or refactor their applications. They explore the complexity of this decision, highlighting the importance of understanding why businesses even consider it.
Legacy systems often become difficult to maintain, especially with evolving technology and customer demands, and the discussion touches on factors like technical debt, the framing effect, and the challenges of outdated tech stacks. But it is not only a technical decision....
In this episode, Geert and Rene are joined by Casper Jensen, Engineering Director of Enterprise Architecture at Pandora, to explore the pursuit of a single, unified tech solution in large organisations. They dive into the fallacy of the uniform tech stack and why chasing "one generic system" often leads to setbacks. Casper shares his experiences on how embracing diversity in technologies, teams, and approaches can drive success. Together, they discuss how this diversity fosters resilience, innovation, and adaptability, making it a powerful strategy for thriving in today’s complex IT landscape.
In this episode of the LEAD Podcast, Geert van der Cruijsen and Rene van Osnabrugge dive into the concept of high-performing teams. They challenge the common perception that technical skills alone define a high-performing team, questioning the idea of the "10x developer" and comparing it to the dynamics of sports teams. Geert and Rene discuss the importance of having a balanced mix of team members, emphasizing the need for both technical skills and essential soft skills such as communication and teamwork. They explore the "Six Types of Working Genius" model by Patrick Lencioni, highlighting the different roles and skills necessary for a team to succeed
Tune in if you are interested in the challenges of building High Performing Teams and let us know what you think!
In this episode we're taking a Quantum Leap in the future. What will the impact of Quantum Computing be for our IT industry and society?
Is it something so complex it's hard to grasp for most or can we try to comprehend it without knowing all the technical details like we have now with generative AI trend?
Hanna explains the basic concepts of Quantum computing, what use cases it is valuable in and how you can get ready to use it today and in the future!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trainerengel/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantumcircleeu/?originalSubdomain=be
In this episode, Geert and Rene talk about the role of architects in software development, challenging traditional views and advocating for a more dynamic and inclusive approach.
They discuss the concept of "architecture without architects," emphasizing collective team ownership and hands-on experience for making informed architectural decisions. The conversation highlights the shift towards agile practices and continuous architectural decision-making within autonomous teams, facilitated by tools like Architecture Decision Records (ADRs). They also explore the organizational implications, suggesting a move towards flatter structures to promote inclusive architectural discussions.
In this episode, Geert and Rene delve into the crucial role of user experience (UX) in software development together with their guest Dean Schuster from TrueMatter.
Dean highlights the importance of UX and the need to make digital products not just functional but enjoyable. He explains that UX involves understanding user needs and iterating designs to ensure they resonate with users.
In this episode we explore how UX fits into agile development and some challenges with convincing stakeholders to invest in UX
For further learning, he recommends resources like "The Design of Everyday Things" and the TrueMatter blog on https://www.truematter.com/ideas
In this episode of the LEAD Podcast, Geert van der Cruijsen and Rene van Osnabrugge talk about the complex topic of measuring productivity in an engineering culture. They discuss the often heard needs among managers to quantify developer productivity. They discuss the limitations of traditional Agile metrics like team velocity, which can be misleading when used outside their intended context.
Geert and Rene emphasize the importance of understanding the 'why' behind the need for metrics, comparing traditional waterfall approaches with modern Agile practices. They discuss the value of DORA metrics, which focus on broader value-producing measures like release frequency and change failure rates, and the necessity of combining these with business-focused objectives and key results (OKRs). The conversation also touches on the SPACE framework, which includes metrics on satisfaction, performance, collaboration, and efficiency, offering a more holistic view of team productivity.
Tune in for a good discussion on metrics!
In this episode of the LEAD Podcast, recorded live from Techorama, hosts Geert van der Cruijsen and Rene van Osnabrugge talk about building strong engineering cultures with guest Jennifer Wadella, VP of Front-End Engineering at Bitovi. Jennifer talks about the importance of establishing a positive engineering culture and how it directly impacts productivity and business outcomes.
She breaks down the components of engineering culture into values, beliefs, norms, language, and rituals, and discusses practical steps for defining and nurturing these elements within a team. The conversation touches on the challenges of aligning technical skills with cultural fit, the significance of hiring for culture addition rather than just culture fit, and the vital role of project management in supporting autonomy and visibility.
