Ariel Ades is an experienced engineering leader with over 25 years in the tech industry. He has played a pivotal role in building and scaling teams in fintech and healthcare, including serving as the first engineer at a startup where he shaped both the technical architecture and company culture. Ariel specializes in nearshore team building, distributed systems, and leadership strategies that blend technical excellence with human-centered thinking.

Expect to Learn

-How to build strong engineering culture from day one

-Why understanding the “why” behind a product drives team performance- The real advantages of nearshore teams beyond cost savings

-How to use failure as a strategic learning tool in startups

- Why hiring for mindset and passion beats hiring for resume

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] – Teaser

[00:01:20] – Introduction

[00:02:57] – Building Culture as the First Engineer

[00:06:02] – Early Hiring Mistakes & Team Growth

[00:07:48] – Learning Through Failure

[00:10:53] – The Problem with “Routine” Post-Mortems

[00:13:57] – The First User Failure Story

[00:18:38] – Nearshore Teams: Myth vs Reality

[00:24:44] – Trust vs Control in Remote Leadership

[00:37:40] – Common Mistakes in Remote Engineering Management

[00:41:46] – AI vs Human Engineers

[01:00:00] – Closing Thoughts & Where to Find Ariel

📱 Follow the Guest Ariel Ades:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-ades/

👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariel.ades/

👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariel.ades/

👉Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tbm-labs/

👉Company Website: https://tbmlabs.com/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Sol’s journey spans startups like Bentley Bookie and Chain Letter, where he focused on making sure documents and data are verifiable in a world where everything can be manipulated. If you’re curious about building efficient teams, scaling trust, and exploring blockchain solutions to verify digital assets, this episode is for you. With years of experience working with small, agile teams, Sol shares his insights on optimizing team dynamics and navigating the challenges of growing a business without losing momentum.

What You’ll Learn:

- Building Efficient Teams: Why keeping engineering teams small can lead to faster innovation and more flexibility.

- Challenges of Scaling: How to know when it’s time to grow your team and the factors to consider when expanding.

- Blockchain for Authenticity: How blockchain can ensure that documents and content haven’t been altered, especially in the age of AI manipulation.

- Trust and Transparency: Why trust is crucial in both teams and products, and how it can be scaled through technology.

- Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital: Sol’s personal philosophy on growing a business without relying on outside investment.

Timestamps:

[00:00] – Teaser

[00:59] – Introduction of Sol Nasisi

[07:24] – The Balance of Scaling the Team

[09:55] – The Decision Not to Raise Venture Capital

[11:53] – The Importance of Dependability in Hiring

[16:04] – Trust and Philosophies in Development

[24:26] – Tackling the Question of Trust in AI-Generated Content

[26:39] – Blockchain’s Role in Establishing Truth

[34:55] – Future Applications & Chain Letter’s Upcoming Developments

[37:01] – Closing Thoughts

📱 Follow the Guest Sol Nasisi:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solnasisi/

👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sol.nasisi/

📱 Follow Guest Companies:

👉 Bentley University LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/bentley-university/

👉 Bentley University Website: https://www.bentley.edu/

👉 Bentley University Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bentleyu/?hl=en

👉 Chainletter Labs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chainletter-labs/

👉 Chainletter Labs Website: https://chainletterlabs.com/

👉 Booksie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/booksie-thenextbigwriter-llc/

👉 Booksie Website: https://www.booksie.com/

👉 Booksie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksiewriting/mentions/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Verticode, a product studio that helps founders launch MVPs quickly while reducing risk and avoiding the typical sunk-cost trap of early product development. He’s worked hands-on with early-stage startups many led by non-technical founders and draws on experience from corporate product environments and startup building in the Bay Area.

Expect to Learn

- Why MVP success starts before a single line of code through validation and clarity

- How Verti Code’s two-week sprint model differs from traditional dev agencies

- Where AI helps founders most and where it can quietly hurt them

- What “good vs. bad” scaling looks like after early traction especially with dev teams

- Why Tom believes founders should prioritize sales over fundraising

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] - Teaser

[00:01:21] - Introduction to Tom Green

[00:02:27] - Tom’s “MVP pain” realization: corporate vs startup MVP reality

[00:04:02] - Tom’s path: Amex → first startup attempt → Berkeley → founder lessons

[00:08:33] - What makes Verti Code different: speed, transparency, productized sprints, AI guardrails

[00:13:01] - Common founder mistake: thinking validation starts after building

[00:19:15] - MVP risk + funding: why pre-seed is tough + “skin in the game”

[00:22:09] - AI shortcuts: what they help with vs what founders must still own

[00:26:58] - After MVP: avoiding vendor lock-in, iterating well, and scaling safely

[00:34:27] - The “silver bullet”: prioritize sales over fundraising

[00:37:42] - What’s next: building a founder community across regions

[00:39:11] - Conclusion

📱 Follow the Guest Tom Green :

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-green-vtcd/

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticodevb/

👉 Company Website: https://www.verticode.co.uk/

👉 Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_verticode_

👉 Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verticode/mentions/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Kea, an AI-powered voice platform helping restaurants automate and improve ordering experiences. Previously, Adam co-founded an early food delivery company that directly competed with what would later become DoorDash, earning him a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. His career spans marketplace startups, acquisitions, and leading distributed teams in a fast-moving AI landscape.

Expect to Learn

1. How early startup experiences shape leadership and hiring philosophy
2. Why hiring “big-name” talent doesn’t always work in early-stage companies
3. How to identify ego vs. true ownership during interviews
4. The shift from in-person to distributed teams and what was gained
5. How Kea maintains speed, culture, and innovation while scaling
6. Why intentional in-person meetups still matter for remote teams

Episode Timestamps

[00:00] Teaser

[01:31] Introduction of Guest

[04:35] The Thiel Fellowship & Silicon Valley exposure

[06:14] The food problem that sparked a startup idea

[08:59] Competing with DoorDash in the early days

[10:13] Early in-person teams & startup lessons

[11:46] Hiring from big tech vs. startup-ready talent

[13:17] Ego, ownership & building the right culture

[14:36] Adam’s go-to interview question (zero to one)

[17:38] Engineering culture & team velocity at Kea

[19:18] Hacker mindset & staying innovative in AI

[20:00] Flat structures & flexibility in early-stage startups

[21:26] Scaling without losing culture

[23:18] Why in-person meetups still matter for remote teams

[29:23] Alignment, trust & long-term team impact

[29:47] Technical interruption & recording wrap-up

📱 Follow our Guest :

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-ahmad

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keaai

👉 Company Website: https://kea.ai/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Asaf is a serial entrepreneur who turned his Ph.D. research into a thriving SaaS platform. He is known for his unique management philosophy, product-led growth mindset, and ability to foster autonomous, mission-driven teams. With over a decade of experience building distributed organizations, Asaf talks about how to make remote work not only function but thrive.

Expect to Learn

- Why remote work demands a fundamental shift from presence to outcome-focused management.

- How to build trust and autonomy into distributed teams from day one.

- The role of structured onboarding and training in long-term employee success.

- Innovative QA strategies like client story-based testing and its impact on usability.

- Why understanding client psychology is essential for engineering success.

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] - Teaser

[00:00:50] - Introduction

[00:01:49] - The Misconceptions of Remote Work

[00:04:46] - Building Trust and Setting Remote Norms

[00:11:03] - Hiring and Retaining Trustworthy Talent

[00:13:06] - Autonomy and Ownership in Long-Term Retention

[00:16:37] - Onboarding and Adapting to a Remote-First Culture

[00:19:26] - Engineering with Client Psychology in Mind

[00:26:16] - Redefining QA with Client Stories

[00:33:10] - Instilling a Product Mindset in Engineers

[00:35:44] - Cultural and Personal Traits of Effective Engineers

[00:39:19] - From PhD Research to Regpack

[00:41:51] - Closing Remarks

📱 Follow our Guest :

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asafdarash/

👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asaf.darash/

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asafdarash/

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regpack/

👉 Company Website: https://www.regpacks.com/

👉Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regpacks/?hl=en

👉Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regpack/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Ry Walker is a technologist, founder, and investor based in Cincinnati. An AI engineering teammate designed to help fix bugs and ship features. Ry’s been building software since childhood, started a web design shop in the early internet era, and later founded Astronomer, giving him a long-range view of how tooling revolutions reshape teams and careers.

Expect to Learn

- Why “vibe-coding” is becoming a practical way to interview engineers in 2026

- What “AI optimism” looks like in practice and how even small resistance slows teams

- How AI shifts the work from writing code to evaluating and steering code

- Why AI-era developers may become more “unicorn-like” generalists (not less skilled)

- Predictions on org charts, new specialties and hiring workflows

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] – Teaser

[00:01:10] – Introduction to Ry Walker

[00:02:46] – Dropping out to move faster

[00:06:35] – Grit, the Midwest “tech desert,” and learning before Google

[00:09:09] – How to interview engineers in 2026

[00:11:35] – AI as the primary teammate

[00:16:48] – Legacy devs, artisan coding, and offshore leveling

[00:23:54] – AI-led interviews, “cyborg” processes, and what matters in teammates

[00:45:17] – Closing Thoughts

📱 Follow our Guest:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rywalker/

👉 X: https://x.com/rywalker

👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryandouglaswalker/

👉 Website: https://rywalker.com/

📱 Follow Guest’s Companies:

👉 Tembo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tembo-inc/

👉 Tembo X: https://x.com/tembo

👉 Tembo Website: https://www.tembo.io/

👉 Fireroad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fireroad/

👉 Fireroad Website: https://www.fireroad.io/

👉 Fireroad X: https://x.com/fireroadbuilds

👉 Cincinnati Ventures LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cincinnati-ventures/

👉 Cincinnati Ventures Website: https://cincinnati.ventures/

👉 AnotherVenture LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anotherventure/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Ruslan Belkin is a seasoned engineering leader with three decades of experience at industry titans like LinkedIn, Twitter, Salesforce, NAUTO, and MetaMind. Known for his systems thinking, technical rigor, and philosophical clarity, Ruslan is a unique voice in tech leadership, advocating for accountability, vision-driven development, and radical simplicity in engineering management.

Expect to Learn

- Why "too much hope in that equation" became a viral and cautionary mantra for engineering planning.

- How AI is shifting the center of gravity from code to specifications and evaluations.

- What singular ownership and stack-ranked priorities look like in high-performance teams.

- The role of stoicism in leadership and decision-making under pressure.

- How to hire for undefined problems and cultivate emotionally resilient, adaptable teams.

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

[00:00:00] – Teaser

[00:00:56] – Meet Ruslan Belkin

[00:02:07] – Engineering Without Illusions

[00:06:24] – AI, Specs, and the Death of Code

[00:10:43] – The Next 24 Months of AI

[00:15:39] – Hiring for Ambiguity

[00:23:52] – Stack-Ranked Priorities: No Peanut Butter Planning

[00:25:31] – The Process Paradox

[00:31:32] – Building Teams Like Legos

[00:34:21] – Stoicism at Work

[00:37:02] – The Equation Blog & Personal Balance

[00:39:10] – Advice to a Younger Self

[00:41:12] – Best Teams & Twitter War Stories

[00:43:10] – Where to Find Ruslan

📱 Follow our Guest Ruslan Belkin:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rbelkin/

👉 X: https://x.com/ruslansv

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inflectionai & https://www.linkedin.com/products/jelled/

👉 Company Website: https://inflection.ai & https://jelled.ai/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

Todd Cantalupo is an experienced engineering leader with over 25 years in the industry, having worked at organizations like Meltwater and Thunderhead. Known for his people-first approach, Todd has developed a leadership philosophy centered around trust, vulnerability, and psychological safety. He now consults under the brand "Lupo Empowerment," helping teams shift from fear-based to focus-driven work environments.

Expect to Learn:

- How Todd uses emotional intelligence and self-awareness as foundational tools for leadership.

- Why many agile transformations fail and how to prevent that.

- A framework for identifying and transforming fear within engineering teams.

- The power of empathetic listening and how it changes team dynamics.

- Why 50/50 role splits (like coding and scrum mastering) often don't work and what to do instead.

Episode Breakdown with Timestamps:

[00:00:00] - Teaser

[00:01:19] - Introduction of Todd Cantalupo

[00:02:18] - Turning the Mirror Inward: The Role of Self-Awareness

[00:04:58] - The Coaching Breakthrough That Changed Everything

[00:10:59] - Fear to Focus: How to Transform Team Mindsets

[00:28:46] - Why 50/50 Role Splits Don't Work

[00:31:15] - Unpacking Beliefs Through One Simple Exercise

[00:36:36] - The One Takeaway: Empathetic Listening

[00:38:25] - Where to Find Todd & Closing Remarks

📱 Follow our Guest :

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-cantalupo

👉 X: https://x.com/tcantalupo?lang=en

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toddcantalupo/

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/karmacheck

👉 Company Website: https://www.karmacheck.com/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

What You'll Learn:

- The importance of leading with empathy and protecting your team

- How leadership styles evolve from authoritarian to collaborative

- Why aligning your team’s values with the company’s core purpose leads to better performance

- The value of hiring people who align with your mission, and how to screen for this in interviews

- Tips for creating a healthy, stress-free work environment that fosters long-term success

Timestamps:

[00:00] – Teaser

[01:24] – Introduction to Brian Birling

[02:22] – Leadership and Mentorship

[09:30] – The Importance of Leading from the Middle

[15:58] – Protecting Your Team

[26:01] – Long-Term Success vs. Short-Term Gains

[21:07] – Intrinsic Motivation and Aligning Team Values

[26:40] – Hiring for Cultural and Psychological Fit

[32:20] – How to Filter for Alignment During Interviews

[33:17] – Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

📱 Follow our guest Brian Berling:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianberling

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianberling/

👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianberling/

👉 Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stickerjunkie

👉Company Website: https://www.stickerjunkie.com/

👉Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/StickerJunkie-100079877670675/

👉Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stickerjunkie/?hl=en

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

What You'll Learn:

- The power of a people-first culture and how it contributes to long-term success

- Strategies for onboarding and building strong employee relationships from day one

- How to create an environment that supports work-life balance without guilt

- The challenges and rewards of fundraising while maintaining company values

- Tips for navigating difficult leadership decisions and managing team dynamics

Timestamps:

[00:00] – Introduction of Margot Schmorak

[03:20] – Building a People-First Culture

[06:57] – Prioritizing Transparency and Work-Life Balance

[11:56] – Onboarding and Employee Satisfaction

[20:07] – Caretaking and Employee Wellbeing

[30:01] – Navigating Investor Expectations

[26:52] – Maintaining Culture During Growth

[30:24] – The Importance of Open Communication

[32:27] – Conclusion

📱 Follow our Guest Margot Schmorak & her Companies:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mschmorak

👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schmorak_/?hl=en

👉Email address: margot@hostfully.com

👉Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vcbackedmoms, https://www.linkedin.com/company/hostfully-inc-/

👉Company Websites: https://www.hostfully.com/ https://www.vcbackedmoms.com/

👉Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hostfully/

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

🔑 Key Topics:

1. The Winston House Phenomenon: How a Venice Beach tech hub, started with friends pooling rent money, accidentally became a cultural and musical center for artists and entrepreneurs.
2. The Cost of Absentee Ownership: Andrea recounts her seven-year retirement from Sticker Junkie, revealing the subsequent issues of a failing team, mismanagement, and embezzlement that forced her to step back in.
3. The New Team Ethos: Her philosophy of treating the team like an Olympic-level sports team with high-level structure, clarity, and investment.
4. Compensation and Transparency: Why the CEO should never make more than seven times the lowest-paid team member, and the importance of full financial transparency with all employees.
5. Hiring Philosophy: The need for a three-month trial period and an absolute intolerance for backchanneling or "shitty attitudes," regardless of an individual's sales performance.

Episode Highlights and Timestamps:

[00:00:00] -  Trailer and Introduction of Andrea Lake

[00:03:04] - The origin story of the Winston House in Venice Beach as a tech hub and community project.

[00:05:50] - Andrea's technique for curating the "right people" for a community using her Sedona Magic event litmus test.

[00:08:06] - Distinguishing between the early, low-team version of Sticker Junkie/Delinquent and the new team structure.

[00:11:40] - Kyle and Franz ask Andrea to detail the hard lessons learned from the non-functioning team during her retirement.

[00:14:55] - Why it is "profoundly important" for the founder to be "in the weeds" with the team.

[00:19:00] - The strategy behind the 500% annual revenue increase and setting a living wage floor of $32/hour.

[00:20:48] - The core rule: Work is not therapy, and letting people go immediately if they create problems.

[00:26:12] - The dangers of owners who lead through intimidation and fear.

[00:31:20] - Building a work environment where people feel happy, respected, and laugh, which leads to them working harder.

[00:35:06] - An example of a $38,000 mistake where the employee was not chewed out, but the process was fixed.

[00:38:27] - Andrea's most controversial belief: The absolute necessity of keeping team players on the team and immediately firing those with a "shitty attitude".

[00:40:13] - The disconnect in most companies where the C-suite hoards wealth and treats the support team like children.

📱 Follow our guest, Andrea Lake:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrealake101/

👉 Website: https://www.stickerjunkie.com/pages/andrea-lake

👉 Website: https://www.stickerjunkie.com/

👉 Website: https://powerchickmafia.com/

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@andrealake101

👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrealake101/?hl=en

📱 Follow the Hosts Kyle Johnson and Franz Aliquo:

👉 Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleclaytonjohnson/

👉 Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-aliquo/

📱 Follow Holonic:

👉 Website: https://www.becomeholonic.com/

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/becomeholonic/

#TeamOptimization #EntrepreneurLife #LeadershipLessons #StickerJunkie #HighPerformingTeams #BusinessGrowth #CompanyCulture #WinstonHouse

From Holonic, this podcast invites top minds and successful leaders to dissect the science of creating Product-Oriented Development (POD) teams. We dive into the proprietary curriculum - informed by cutting-edge team science - that builds self-contained, high-velocity units designed for resilience.

Learn the secrets to achieving unparalleled agility, lowering churn, and integrating cross-functional collaborators who drive business value immediately.

Coming soon to your favourite podcast platform!