From Hardware Hacker to CTO: Building Teams That Scale • Meri Williams & Charles Humble

GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech

This interview was recorded for GOTO Unscripted.
https://gotopia.tech

Read the full transcription of this interview here:
https://gotopia.tech/articles/388

Meri Williams - CTO at Pleo & Advisor at Skiller Whale & Kindred Capital
Charles Humble - Freelance Techie, Podcaster, Editor, Author & Consultant
RESOURCES
Meri
https://x.com/Geek_Manager
https://github.com/geekmanager
http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk

Charles
https://bsky.app/profile/charleshumble.bsky.social
https://mastodon.social/@charleshumble
https://conissaunce.com

Links
https://blog.container-solutions.com/managing-remote-teams-in-scaling-organisations
DESCRIPTION
Join us in a conversation with Meri Williams, an experienced CTO who has led technology teams from 30 to 300 people across organizations.
In this candid discussion, Meri shares their journey from reluctant manager to seasoned leader, revealing hard-won insights about scaling teams, avoiding the "Google trap" of copying big tech practices inappropriately, and why investing in onboarding can make or break your organization.
With refreshing honesty about management mistakes and the ongoing importance of diversity in building products that serve everyone, this conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone navigating the world of tech leadership.
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Meri Williams • The Principles of Project Management • https://amzn.to/4lj5B1G
Tom DeMarco & Tim Lister • Peopleware • https://amzn.to/3KJmFOq
Marcus Buckingham & Gallup Organization • First, Break All the Rules • https://amzn.to/40xpppI
Daniel H. Pink • Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us • https://amzn.to/3UHx535
Kathy Sierra • Badass • https://amzn.to/4b9fb2V
James Stanier • Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager • https://amzn.to/3vHrx1E

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Chapter

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. From hardware hacker to reluctant manager (00:02:03)

3. Learning management skills (00:05:54)

4. The evolution of management in tech (00:09:06)

5. Scaling Challenges & the “Big Tech Trap” (00:14:24)

6. Learning from companies at your stage (00:21:22)

7. Learning from mistakes (00:30:27)

8. Diversity, inclusion & building better products (00:36:55)

9. Outro (00:56:00)