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The CTO Playbook

Adam Horner
Leadership
Technology Leadership
Product Management
CTO Leadership
Artificial Intelligence
Coaching
Mergers and Acquisitions
Organizational Change
CTO
Technology
Fintech
Cybersecurity
Technical Debt
Software Engineering
Performance Management
Change Management
Gut Instinct
Leadership Coaching
Leadership Development
Machine Learning

Join Adam Horner, a CTO with over 30 years in the tech industry, on The CTO Playbook — the podcast dedicated to helping CTOs excel. Perfect for CTOs and tech leaders navigating the complexities of their roles, each episode offers clear insights, innovative strategies, and practical advice from top leaders in tech. With Adam’s extensive experience mentoring engineers and tech leaders, and over a de... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes111Founded2 years ago
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TechnologyBusinessManagement

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Artwork for The CTO Playbook

Latest Episodes

Quantum computing may not be breaking your security today, but the decisions you make now could determine how exposed your organization is when it does. Conor Deegan explains why CTOs need to start preparing before Q Day arrives.

Build your own CTO ... more

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Twenty years at one company should have made my guest predictable, and that is exactly the trap he built a method to escape.

Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coaching, po... more

YouTube

Most CTOs think adopting AI means picking the right tools, but Sumeet argues the real work is closing the accountability gap between agents and engineers.

Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the ... more

YouTube

Ask a CTO which executive relationship matters most, and they'll name the CEO, but my guest today would send you to the CFO instead.

Build your own CTO Playbook at www.theCTOplaybook.com - the leadership platform built for the full CTO journey. Coac... more

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Recent Guests

Krystian Kolondra
EVP running the browser portfolio at Opera
Opera
Episode: 110: AI Compressed the Work That Built Your Judgment
Sumeet Vaidya
Co-founder and CEO of Crafting
Crafting
Episode: 109: Your Agents Are Held to a Lower Standard Than Your Engineers
Anoop Tripathi
CTO at Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs
Episode: 108: Your Most Valuable Executive Relationship Is the CFO
Nat Natarajan
Chief Operating Officer of GP Globalization Partners; AI and product leader
GP Globalization Partners
Episode: 105: The CTO's real job when agents write the code (belief reversal)
Duri Chitayat
CTO at CINC Systems
CINC Systems
Episode: 102: AI Transformation Starts With What You Don't Know You're Assuming — with Duri Chitayat
Logan Yonavjak
Co-founder of Readiness Engine
Readiness Engine
Episode: 101: Why Most Leadership Assessments Are Measuring the Wrong Thing
Anders Wengelin
CTO and partner of The Friktion
Friktion
Episode: 99: Why Transformations Die Just Before They Succeed
Miguel Carranza
Co-founder and CTO of RevenueCat
RevenueCat
Episode: 98: The Office of the CTO at RevenueCat, with Miguel Carranza
Michelle McDaid
Founder of The Leading Place, advisor on leadership and diversity in tech
The Leading Place
Episode: 97: Stop Hiring More of the Same — Michelle McDaid, The Leading Place

Host

Adam Horner
Host of The CTO Playbook

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • Perfect Format

    Love this show. It always ends by boiling down the advice into a playbook you can apply right now. Very useful.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LoMiRaFo
    United Statesa year ago
  • A must-listen for any current or aspiring Tech Leader

    The CTO Playbook has quickly become essential listening for me. As I prepare to step into a new tech leadership role, Adam’s podcast has not only helped sharpen my thinking but also steady my nerves. His clear, experienced voice brings confidence and practical guidance to every episode.

    What sets this podcast apart is how actionable it is; every episode leaves you with something tangible to apply. The mix of real-world examples, leadership insights, and interviews with seasoned tech leaders make... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    iOlly
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Modern Leadership Insights for CTOs

    The CTO Playbook is a goldmine for tech leaders navigating today’s fast-evolving landscape. The episode on “9 Principles for Leading in a World of Citizen Developers” was especially inspiring, balancing the rise of AI and no-code tools with the need for real architectural thinking and scalable systems. As someone who coaches and builds within high-growth SaaS environments, I really appreciated the practical lens on leadership shifts like alignment over control and velocity over busyness. The pod... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    YourCTO
    United Statesa year ago
  • Great content for cto's and engineering leaders

    Episodes are well structured, have good people and the interview is very supportive of learning.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    RomaSud
    United Statesa year ago
  • Fantastic show!

    Adam is a great podcaster with enlightening content!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ritavan SLASOG
    Germany2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality guests and thoughtful leadership insights.
Great for CTOs and aspiring tech leaders—clear and grounded in real-world experience.
Actionable, practical playbooks you can apply now.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#234
India/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

110: AI Compressed the Work That Built Your Judgment
Q: How has your role as a leader evolved as Opera grew, and how do you keep your team curious over many years?
Krystian discusses leadership transitions, managing larger teams, and cultivating curiosity through shape awareness, psychological safety, and practical experiments.
110: AI Compressed the Work That Built Your Judgment
Q: So just tell us a little bit about who it is you work for and the interesting statistic, the sheer number of people your work influences.
Krystian explains his long tenure at Opera, the scale of Opera's browser portfolio, and how the business model relies on affiliate links and search partnerships to generate revenue.
105: The CTO's real job when agents write the code (belief reversal)
Q: What are the biggest changes you've seen with AI and how should CTOs approach them beyond just the engineering side?
The biggest changes are organizational: CTOs need to step out of pure engineering and apply AI across the whole business—finance, HR, legal, operations. Leadership must push for change, while teams are guided by a clear North Star focused on customer impact and business outcomes, not just technical milestones.
105: The CTO's real job when agents write the code (belief reversal)
Q: Nat, welcome to The CTO Playbook. Could you give us a bit of an idea on the work you do at the moment and how you got there?
I'm the Chief Operating Officer of GP Globalization Partners, leading product engineering, IT security, and the sales/marketing teams. My journey spans founding Travelocity, PayPal, TurboTax, and Ancestry, where I helped scale AI and data initiatives, ultimately driving us toward an agentic, AI-first company across 50 countries.
102: AI Transformation Starts With What You Don't Know You're Assuming — with Duri Chitayat
Q: What is the six-part playbook and how does it help CTOs manage AI transformation?
The six parts start with questioning inherited assumptions, then designing from user intent rather than interfaces, strengthening the foundation, separating AI interpretation from system truth, building trust with gradual autonomy, and finally measuring transformation with falsifiable metrics and clear outcomes.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The CTO Playbook

What is The CTO Playbook about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on practical CTO leadership, engineering management, and technology strategy. Through interviews and host-led insights, it covers AI-driven transformation, organizational change, product and engineering velocity, governance, and building scalable teams in high-growth environments. Episodes emphasize actionable playbooks, human-centered leadership, and ways to align technology with business outcomes, often featuring CTOs, founders, and leadership coaches who share real-world stories, frameworks, and lessons from scaling engineering organizations. A recurring strength is translating complex tech trends into repeatable practices—helpful for listeners looking to level up their own CTO playbooks and navigate the challenges of m... more

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How many episodes of The CTO Playbook are there?

The CTO Playbook launched 2 years ago and published 111 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The CTO Playbook?

Recent guests on The CTO Playbook include:

1. Krystian Kolondra
2. Sumeet Vaidya
3. Anoop Tripathi
4. Nat Natarajan
5. Duri Chitayat
6. Logan Yonavjak
7. Anders Wengelin
8. Miguel Carranza

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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