The Confident Commit

Cate Huston, Engineering Director at DuckDuckGo and author of "The Engineering Leader," discusses career ownership and sustainable leadership. She challenges the idea that promotions define success, urging professionals to be "directly responsible individuals" for their growth. The conversation highlights the importance of self-awareness in career choices, the significance of constructive debates in fostering collaboration, and the need for clear communication to promote productivity. Huston’s insights offer valuable strategies for thriving in engineering roles.

Engineering leadership has never been more challenging, or more critical. In this episode, Rob sits down with Pat Kua, seasoned technology leader, author of three books including Building Evolutionary Architectures, and creator of the popular Level Up newsletter for technical leaders.Pat reveals how today's engineering leaders are navigating unprecedented industry turbulence: from AI disruption and talent shifts to economic uncertainty and constant organizational change. Drawing from his 20+ years coaching CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and emerging tech leads, he shares practical strategies for making decisions without perfect information and building resilient, adaptable teams.Key insights include:Why embracing uncertainty is a defining leadership skill, not a weaknessHow to apply agile principles beyond code—from team structures to strategic decisionsThe critical importance of creating "forcing functions" that drive continuous learningWhy exposure to high-performing teams transforms your entire worldviewPractical approaches for leading through AI adoption and industry shiftsFrom small startups to global enterprises, Pat's guidance helps leaders focus on what they can control while building systems that thrive in constant change. Whether you're a first-time manager or seasoned executive, discover how to turn uncertainty into competitive advantage.Have someone in mind you'd like to hear on the show? Let us know on X at @CircleCI!

Engineering leadership isn't just about technical execution—it's about unlocking the creative potential that drives individual and team success. CircleCI CTO Rob Zuber sits down with Corey Latislaw, Head of Engineering at Trainline and executive coaching expert, to explore how creativity transforms both careers and team dynamics.Corey challenges the myth that creativity is just for artists, revealing how engineering workflows are fundamentally creative processes. Her "Ideas, Not Art" framework shows how visual communication, coaching techniques, and strategic problem-solving help engineers and leaders thrive. From sketch notes to systems thinking, discover practical approaches for building stronger teams and accelerating personal growth in engineering.Have someone in mind you’d like to hear on the show? Let us know on X at @CircleCI!

Rob Zuber sits down with Tara Hernandez, VP of Developer Productivity at MongoDB and former Netscape engineer who helped create early continuous integration systems, to explore strategic frameworks for build vs. buy decisions in modern software delivery.Hernandez shares insights from scaling MongoDB's proprietary CI system—processing 10 engineer years of compute daily—and reveals how organizations can evaluate when custom infrastructure drives competitive advantage versus when strategic partnerships accelerate growth. Her perspective on navigating the evolving landscape of CI/CD tooling offers actionable guidance for engineering leaders balancing innovation with operational efficiency.Have someone in mind you'd like to hear on the show? Reach out to us on X at @CircleCI!

In this conversation, Brian Guthrie, the Director of Engineering at Justworks and a former ThoughtWorks consultant, emphasizes the importance of optimizing lead time for software delivery. He challenges traditional CI/CD practices, revealing how asynchronous pull requests can hinder speed to market. Brian shares insights from his 'Move Faster Manifesto' and discusses the advantages of trunk-based development. He advocates for a collaborative project management style that prioritizes learning and flexibility, while celebrating the human connection in engineering.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Ger McMahon, Head of ALM Tools and Platforms at Fidelity Investments, to explore the unique challenges of delivering software rapidly in a large enterprise. They dive into strategies for fostering innovation and effectively sharing ideas across diverse teams within the organization.Ger highlights the delicate balance between building internal tools and creating customer-facing applications, emphasizing the critical role of keeping the customer at the center of decision-making. He also shares insights into why Fidelity prioritizes being a "technology company that delivers financial services," and how that mindset shapes their approach to software development.Whether you’re part of a large organization or navigating the complexities of enterprise software delivery, this episode offers valuable perspectives and actionable ideas.Have a guest suggestion? Connect with us on X at @CircleCI!

In this episode of The Confident Commit, Rob sits down with Christine Yen, CEO of Honeycomb, to delve into the evolving role of observability in modern software development. They discuss how observability goes beyond traditional metrics and monitoring, and allows developers to be better prepared for the unknown and embrace the complexities of distributed systems. Christine shares insights on how observability not only boosts developer confidence but also enhances productivity by reducing toil and enabling teams to focus on delivering value for customers.The conversation shifts to the value of Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and why discussions around them often focus heavily on measurement tools and technical implementations. Christine offers valuable advice on steering these conversations towards healthier, more customer-centric perspectives. By reframing the conversation, developers and teams can focus on delivering real value, aligning technical goals with customer needs and driving meaningful outcomes.Have a guest you’d like to hear on the podcast? Reach out to us on X at @CircleCI!

Laura Tacho, CTO at DX and advocate for enhancing developer experience, discusses the critical link between developer satisfaction and business success. She explores how trust in developers to identify their challenges leads to innovation. The conversation highlights that inefficient processes can waste about 20% of developers' time, emphasizing the need for effective measurement and communication. Laura also introduces the concept of 'green build feeling'—the joy of quick wins in engineering, showcasing the motivation behind seamless software development.

In this episode of The Confident Commit, Rob is joined by Birgitta Böckeler, Global Lead for AI-assisted software delivery at Thoughtworks, to dive deep into the dynamic world of GenAI and its impact on software development. They explore the shifting landscape of GenAI usage and adoption over the last 18 months, tackling critical questions like how to leverage fast-moving advancements without building solutions that become obsolete in weeks.Birgitta shares her insights on when it might be better to build something yourself to avoid the instability of rapid technological change. They also discuss what aspects of AI she currently considers stable and which are still in flux. Birgitta issues a crucial warning: don’t overestimate AI by using it as a band-aid to cover up deeper issues in your software pipeline.Whether you're a seasoned developer or just curious about the future of software delivery, this episode offers valuable perspectives on navigating the complexities of AI in today’s fast-paced tech environment.Have someone in mind you’d like to hear on the show? Reach out to us on X at @CircleCI!

In this episode of The Confident Commit, Rob is joined by Heidi Helfand, author of Dynamic Reteaming. Together, they explore the components of exceptional teams and strategies for building them to deliver better software faster.They delve into the definition of performance and the importance of aligning on what "high-performing" means for individual roles and the team as a whole. They also discuss the distinction between high-performing teams and high-performing individuals.The conversation covers how to structure great teams and the benefits of involving team members in the reteaming decision process.Heidi shares insights on why splitting up high-performing teams to create more high-performing teams often fails, and suggests alternative approaches for achieving better results.Have a guest in mind for the podcast? Reach out to us on X at @CircleCI!