The Future of Technical Leadership in 2025

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, I wanted to share some thoughts on where technical leadership is heading.

1. AI-First Organizations

CTOs are increasingly responsible for integrating AI into core business processes. This isn't about adding chatbots—it's about fundamentally rethinking how work gets done.

**Key takeaway**: Start with problems, not solutions. AI should solve real business needs, not be a solution looking for problems.

2. Platform Engineering Takes Center Stage

Developer experience is no longer a nice-to-have. Companies with strong platform teams are shipping 3-4x faster than those without.

3. The Return of Fundamentals

Distributed systems, database design, network protocols—these fundamentals matter more than ever as systems grow in complexity.

What trends are you seeing? Reply to this email and let me know!