What happens when you mix creative agency chaos with world-class engineering? You get teams that don’t just write code—they own the product.

In this episode, I’m talking with David Mitchell, CTO at VML, one of the biggest creative agencies on the planet. With thousands of engineers and global clients like Wendy’s and United Rentals, David’s teams are building things that most devs only dream of—and doing it without getting buried in bureaucracy.

We break down what it really takes to foster creative engineering inside a massive org, how to keep engineers out of the ticket-taking trap, and how AI is reshaping what engineering leadership actually looks like.

If you lead teams and want to stop micromanaging, or if you're just tired of pretending Agile is still helping... this one’s for you.

[00:15] — What is a "creative engineer" and why don’t we have more of them?

[06:00] — Why software engineering should be creative work

[07:40] — The evolution of engineering: From basement coders to business thinkers

[11:20] — Ownership vs. ticket-taking: How VML trains teams to lead

[13:30] — Journey-Driven Development and the myth of “API-first”

[20:45] — Is AI changing how we build software—or just hyped?

[24:00] — Hackathons, prototyping, and the rise of “vibe engineering”

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Product Driven - Get the Book

Subscribe to the Product Driven Newsletter

What Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025

Subscribe to the Global Talent Sprint

Full Scale – Build your dev team quickly and affordably

If you’re trying to get your team out of the basement and into real product ownership, this episode is your playbook. Stop being a ticket factory. Build teams that think, create, and lead.

Follow the show, rate it, and send this to someone who’s still trying to do “real Scrum.” They need it more than you do.

Engineering Clarity in the Age of AI: How Docs, Context, and Product Thinking Shape Better Software

Seth Rosenbauer is the founder of a tool that uses AI to help engineers create better documentation—and, more importantly, the right thing, faster.

But this conversation isn’t just about tooling.

It’s about how context is the new currency in engineering. Why your team’s ability to understand what to build and why is more critical than ever. And how AI is changing the shape of product communication, technical documentation, and engineering ownership.

Whether you lead a growing dev team or are trying to ship more with less, this one’s for you.

Key Discussion Points

Seth’s journey: From PM to founder to doc tool builder

Why traditional documentation fails engineers

The real cost of unclear requirements

What AI can (and can’t) fix in engineering communication

How better docs lead to better products

The problem with "done"—and how teams miss the last 10%

Building a culture of engineering ownership

Links & Resources

Connect with Seth Rosenbauer on LinkedIn

Joggr

Product Driven - Get the Book

Subscribe to the Product Driven Newsletter

What Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025

Subscribe to the Global Talent Sprint

Full Scale – Build your dev team quickly and affordably

Matt is joined by Karell Ste-Marie, founder of The Serious CTO YouTube channel. Together, they tackle one of the biggest hidden challenges in software companies: the language and cultural barrier between engineers and executives.

Karell and Matt break down why innovation is so rare in large organizations, why engineers and business leaders often talk past each other, and how the CTO role often becomes the critical bridge between the two worlds.

The cultural resistance to change inside enterprises

How introversion and communication style shape engineering culture

Why the best CTOs speak “both languages”

Lessons from mistakes made on the path to leadership

Resources & Links

The Serious CTO on YouTube

– Karell’s channel where he shares insights on engineering leadership

Product Driven - Get the Book

Subscribe to the Product Driven Newsletter

What Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025

Subscribe to the Global Talent Sprint

Full Scale – Build your dev team quickly and affordably