61: Why I Coach CTOs: Lessons from Avalanches, Startups, and Rebuilding Teams

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What if the only difference between freezing in chaos and staying calm is how much practice you’ve done before the storm hits?



In this episode, I trace the moments that shaped why I coach. From digging strangers out of an avalanche in Switzerland to carrying the weight of a teammate down Mont Blanc on one ski, survival and leadership kept pointing to the same truth: preparation creates calm. I talk about teaching kung fu to kids and bankers, seeing culture hold Palantir together at breakneck speed, and stumbling through my own startup without a coach. Later, I describe rebuilding both technology and trust at Realforce when fear was running high. All of it comes back to this: even the strongest leaders need someone in their corner, and that’s why I built The CTO Playbook.

You’ll Learn:

• The reason practice beats panic when pressure hits
• The link between small wins and the breakthrough confidence they create
• The damage of trying to figure everything out alone without guidance
• What it feels like to rebuild trust and safety in a fearful team
• Why culture becomes the glue when growth outpaces structure
• The moment persistence matters more than raw talent in leadership and coaching
• How scaling without culture can tip a company into chaos

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:00] Avalanche rescue and the calm that comes from practice

[08:59] Skiing Mont Blanc and carrying the load so the team could get home

[10:48] Kung fu teaching and the breakthrough power of persistence

[13:00] Coaching adults and the hidden gaps even senior leaders face

[13:52] Lessons from Palantir and why culture holds during chaos

[14:55] Startup founder struggles and the cost of going it alone

[15:46] Rebuilding trust and technology at Realforce

[18:00] Why I coach and how Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle frames it

[21:00] The five CTO archetypes every tech leader falls into

[26:00] Basecamp, Elevate, and Ascent explained as the CTO Playbook journey

Resources Mentioned:

Start with Why by Simon Sinek | Book

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company here.