From Fairydust to Impact: The Future of the CTO Role - Cut The Onion Episode 6

In this episode, we’re peeling back the layers with Rebecca Parsons — Board Member, Author, Speaker, and Former CTO Emerita of Thoughtworks!

As a long-term tech devotee, Rebecca has left her mark across academia, government research, nonprofits, startups, manufacturing, and massive enterprises. She’s a passionate advocate for programming languages, AI, and evolutionary computation — all while keeping her feet firmly planted in the ever-evolving tech community.

💡 In her own words:
"I’m a geek through and through. I can’t imagine not being in the technology community. That’s just who I am."

What’s inside this conversation:

• 👀 The myth of “magic fairy dust” technology and solutions
• 🔍 Balancing fairness and profit in data collection (and the risks of using proxies for race, gender, and religion)
• 🌍 Performative DEI, personal values, and advice to future selves
• 🔑 The future of the CTO role: will we see more combined CTO/product roles?
• 🤖 Continuous Delivery and DORA Metrics: transforming deployment practices
• 💡 The value of saying “I don’t know” in a constantly changing world

…and so much more! 🌟