alphalist.CTO Podcast - For CTOs and Technical Leaders

#97 - From Maker to Multiplier feat. Pat Kua // CTO Coach and Founder of the Tech Lead Academy

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Mar 14, 2024

Learn from former N26 CTO Pat Kua on unlearning as you move from maker to multiplier, the importance of leadership skills for ICs, and the CRY communication principle. Explore the challenges of the German hiring process, the Trident Model, and the mindset shift needed for effective leadership. Discover the debate on technical knowledge for leaders, flying high and diving deep, and measuring effectiveness in the maker to multiplier journey.

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ANECDOTE

From Accounting to IT

Pat Kua, despite a family of accountants, chose IT over accounting, driven by a fascination with creating through programming.
He developed a Greasemonkey script to bypass frustrating aspects of a web-based time and expense system.

ANECDOTE

The Art of Teaching

Pat Kua's teaching experience began organically through consulting at ThoughtWorks, where knowledge transfer was crucial.
He trained Brazilian tech teams transitioning into leadership due to a shortage of experienced leaders in Brazil's young tech industry.

INSIGHT

The Need for Tech Leadership Training

Many organizations struggle to provide tech-specific leadership training, relying on generic programs unsuited for engineers' needs.
A CTO often lacks the time to coach individuals, creating a gap filled by specialized trainers like Pat Kua.

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Leadership Unlearnings, Metrics, Mindshifts and Communication

Let’s become better Multipliers ✖️ in this CTO Podcast featuring Pat Kua, former CTO of N26 who by popular request now helps CTOs Level Up themselves and their teams. As a sought-after expert in helping ICs transition to leadership roles, Pat shares leadership gems with CTOs. Listen to find out:

Why you should fly high 🕊️and dive deep 🤿
Why even ICs need leadership skills 🧑‍💻
Maker⚒️ to Multiplier🌬️: What you need to unlearn when you move into management.
How to communicate: CRY Principle, Translate into Foreign Tongue 💬.. And TCP vs UDP Communication
What the long German Hiring Cycles mean for CTOs Listen here

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro to alphalist (02:00) Welcome Pat (03:37) From Accounting to IT: Pat Kua's Nerd Journey (07:14) The Art of Teaching and Mentoring in Tech (12:30) From CTO to Chief Scientist (15:55) Allow devs to try out management (17:28) IC Career Path: EU vs. US (19:37) Trident Model: Leadership skills aren’t just for managers (23:00) ‘Maker vs Multiplier’: IC to Leader (25:14) Do CTOs need to be technical ninjas? (31:35) Flying High and Diving Deep: Is it healthy? (34:02) Staying Sharp in Tech (35:02) Hierarchy of Knowledge (36:39) Maker to Multiplier: How to measure effectiveness? (40:11) What do you need to unlearn when you move from Maker to Multiplier? (42:16) Communication Styles: UDP and TCP (48:29) What long hiring cycles in Germany mean for CTOs.

About Pat Kua #

Patrick Kua is a seasoned technology leader with 20+ years of experience having done a wide variety of roles including being a developer, tech lead, consultant, CTO and more. His current mission is accelerating the growth of technical leaders through coaching, mentoring and training.

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