The Better Build

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Jun 2025

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About the show

Welcome to The Better Build, a podcast that explores the world of software engineering leadership, and the people who are shaping it. This podcast is presented by Mission, an award-winning network and platform for fully managed teams of senior-level software engineers to find opportunities and continue to level-up. For more information, check out mission.dev

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21 recent

June 11, 20251 hr 0 min

Keeping Humans in the Loop - with Nuri Cankaya (Intel)

In this episode of The Better Build, host Steven Markow sits down with Nuri Cankaya, VP of Commercial and AI Marketing at Intel, for an in-depth and nuanced conversation on the latest in AI.Nuri draws from decades of experience in engineering and AI, from early machine learning experiments in the ’90s to today’s cutting-edge LLMs and agentic workflows. The two explore the practical and philosophical questions facing tech leaders today:Will AI eliminate jobs or transform them? (02:32)What exactly is AGI, and how close are we to it? (06:19)How do we avoid fatigue in a world flooded with AI-generated content? (26:56)Why the future may depend on human-AI collaboration, not replacement. (32:14)Whether you're an engineer, a product leader, or just AI-curious, this episode offers an optimistic yet grounded take on what’s coming, and how to prepare for it.

May 7, 202534 min

The Craft of Leadership - with Wade Bruce (CTO, Fetch)

In this episode of The Better Build, Mission’s Steven Markow sits down with Wade Bruce, CTO of Fetch, America’s top rewards app with over 10 million users, to talk leadership, resilience, and how growing as a person can help you evolve as an engineer.Wade shares candid stories from his career journey, including the bold career move he made while expecting his first child. We explore the strengths of smaller tech communities, how his time in the National Guard shaped his leadership approach, and why he believes in developing leaders at every level of an organization, not just at the top.Key moments:Wade’s National Guard experience (06:08)Inside Fetch’s IC leadership program (08:15)Wade’s leadership philosophy (13:50)How AI factors into Fetch’s app (19:05)Why “easy” matters in product design (25:46)The importance of focusing on the present (29:25)

March 6, 202543 min

The Engineer as Entrepreneur with Steve Lindsey (LVT)

In this episode, host Steven Markow sits down with Steve Lindsey, founding partner and CTO of LiveView Technologies (LVT), to explore how his early hands-on experience—from fiber optics to engineering—shaped his mindset and led him to develop scalable security solutions at LVT.Key moments:🔹 The importance of hands-on technical experience (01:40)🔹 How scarcity fuels resourcefulness and drives innovation (17:01)🔹 Ask questions, be open to learning (26:58)🔹 The engineer as entrepreneur (28:14)🔹 On resilience (32:04)Steve also reflects on the intersection of engineering and creativity, his passion for public speaking, and what’s next for LVT in 2025.

November 27, 202441 min

Pick Up Your Broom and Sweep - with Fernando Paz (CAMP, Dell, Motorola)

In this episode of The Better Build, host Stéphane Rossi, CEO of Mission, sits down with Fernando Paz, Senior Director of Software Engineering at CAMP Systems International and a seasoned engineering leader with decades of experience at companies like Motorola, Dell, and Cox Automotive.Fernando shares his inspiring career journey, from a pivotal first job at a movie theater to delivering a TED Talk on leadership, "How Popcorn Unlocked the Secret for Crazy Success." He dives into lessons learned from building global teams, leading large-scale transformations, and fostering an ownership mindset in engineering.Discover how Fernando views change management as a cultural cornerstone, his three principles of leadership, and why he believes mindshare matters more than timeshare. He also explores the evolving role of AI in software engineering and its potential to reshape the field.Key moments:"hardware gets your attention, but it's the software that makes you fall in love" (0:54)"It's about the learning, not the title" (5:16)Miracle in Malaysia (6:23)it's easy to see differences; focus on what you have in common (9:03)3 leadership principles (10:13)the popcorn story (11:20)mindshare over timeshare (19:54)on change management (23:13)reasons people oppose change (25:20)

September 5, 202439 min

Learning the Rules to Break Them like an Artist with Eugene Khvostov (Apptio)

Join Mission CEO Stephane Rossi in an engaging conversation with Eugene Khvostov, the Chief Product Officer of Apptio, as they delve into the intricacies of product leadership and strategy in the realm of software engineering. Eugene shares his extensive experience from leading roles at MasterCard and AWS to steering Apptio's product vision, post its $4.6 billion acquisition by IBM. Tune in to discover insights on managing large product teams, making order from chaos, the impact of AI on product roadmaps, and strategies for effective risk management. Key moments:People don't buy products, they buy the people behind the products (08:31)Useful frameworks for organizing teams and keeping them productive (13:48)On market power (23:56)A story about not being afraid of failure (26:19)On the importance of anti-patterns (30:30)

June 11, 202439 min

Scaling Mountains and Metrics with Iana Vitkova (Wiser Solutions)

Host Gabriel Sundaram of Mission sits with guest Iana Vitkova, Senior Director of Engineering at Wiser Solutions, to discuss her journey from software engineer to leader, highlighting her passion for team development and high performance strategies. They discuss Wiser's innovative approach to leveraging data and analytics for retail optimization, the logistics of managing a global workforce, and the challenges of coordinating teams across different time zones. Iana also emphasizes the importance of early collaboration between engineering, product management, and design to align business objectives with user needs, offering valuable insights for anyone navigating software engineering leadership.Key topics:The value of being a product manager (11:27)The benefits of low cost experimentation (23:39)Why it's important for engineers to understand the business context (25:11)Where Iana believes AI will land (28:53)The leadership enhancing benefits of joining Toastmasters (31:14)"it's an industry that really forces you to continue to grow and to learn" (36:17)

May 13, 202443 min

The Socratic Method of Managing with Loren Verheyden (SailPoint)

Mission CEO Stephane Rossi sits with Loren Verheyden, Engineering Manager at SailPoint, to get into her effective managing strategies and professional journey. From building a supercomputer during her college years to navigating the challenges of remote team management, Lauren shares her unique experiences and insights. We discuss her transition from software developer to manager, the importance of effective communication, and the lessons she learned while leading diverse teams. Lauren also provides valuable tips on active listening, handling rejection, and the balance between mentoring and coaching. Key topics:The transition from engineer to manager (9:30)Experience with Write / Speak / Code (14:13)Essential managerial skills to develop (18:49)How to speak to your audience (22:43)The Socratic method of managing (35:18)

May 1, 202452 min

SPECIAL EPISODE - Virtual Panel: Deploying AI - Challenges & Best Practices in Enterprise

This special episode was taken from a recent virtual panel held by Mission with special guests Naomi Goldapple (SVP of Data & Intelligence at Alayacare | Digital Strategist | Entrepreneur) and Fred Chanay (AI & Data Science most recently at UKG | Product Executive | Tech Ventures), hosted by Mission Co-Founder Gabriel Sundaram.To join us for events like these, follow us on LinkedIn and connect with us at mission.dev

April 17, 202454 min

A Result is Only as Good as the System which Begets It with Yevgen Reztsov (Bison, Walmart, Intuit)

Mission Co-founder Gabriel Sundaram sits down with Yevgen Reztsov (currently working on a stealth mode startup, formerly Walmart Global Tech, Intuit, Bison Technologies) for one of our most technical deep dives into AI yet! Listen to this episode whether you're an expert on the subject or just want to become one, as Yevgen is excellent at making even dense subject matter accessible without dumbing it down.Here are some other key topics from their wide-ranging conversation:What's missing for teams trying to do machine learning (09:22)A story on how customers can misuse AI if you don't deploy it carefully (26:12)A window into the San Diego community and tech scene (28:27)A warning on highly unpopular remote management decisions and how to avoid them (34:17)Why "one size fits all" policies can be destructive (34:42)How to avoid purely transactional meetings (37:36)"I feel like the outcome you observe is an inevitable result of the system that begets it." (48:26)

March 28, 202444 min

When You’re a Founder, You’re Trying to Break Something - with Raymond Luk (Hockeystick, Flow)

Mission CTO & Co-Founder Fred Brunel sits with Raymond Luk (Hockeystick, Flow) for an insightful conversation into founding, investing, AI, and the importance of making time to be around people in our increasingly remote world.Key TakeawaysThe unintended consequences of remote work (11:18)Spending time with founders (26:02)The "no pain, no gain" mindset (38:25)The challenges of finding "A" Players (41:36)

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