CTO Insights Podcast From 0 to 9-Figures ARR: Julien Lavigne du Cadet on Scaling Tech Without Losing Focus
May 15, 2025
Julien Lavigne du Cadet, former CTO of Zoe and a scaling expert, shares insights on guiding tech teams to nine-figure ARR. He discusses the balance between structure and lean processes during growth phases. Key topics include the importance of aligning goals to motivate teams and innovative solutions to enhance customer experience. Julien emphasizes the necessity of a standardized hiring process and explores effective decision-making strategies, providing a roadmap for startups navigating the complexities of scaling.
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Balance Lean Processes Early
- Startups should balance structure without overdoing processes to maintain speed.
- Focus on clear goals and fast iteration, rather than heavy frameworks initially.
Scale Teams Only When Needed
- Introduce layers and new roles only when necessary to manage team growth.
- Build platform teams and growth frameworks just when pain for coordination emerges, not before.
Zoe's Monolithic Start
- Julien joined Zoe with a single monolithic backend but saw an unnecessary push to microservices early on.
- He delayed such changes until product priorities justified complex architecture upgrades.