In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp speaks with Serena Martino, an executive and leadership coach based in Portugal with 20 years of experience helping professionals navigate the gap between outward success and inner alignment. Serena is the author of The Unwritten Job Description: How to Redesign Work and Life on Your Terms, currently being published chapter by chapter on Leanpub. From Italy to Dublin to Coaching Serena grew up in northern Italy and always felt a pull to move abroad. After studying economics and completing a master’s degree, she applied for a tech role in Ireland almost on a whim — and was starting the job two weeks later. That role turned out to be at Google in Dublin, where she worked from 2005 to 2010 during the company’s hyper-growth years. She describes an office of around 200 people, two semi-empty floors, and an environment full of young, ambitious professionals who pushed each other not out of hostility but out of a shared sense that they were doing something genuinely important. The culture rewarded people who went beyond their targets and drove innovation — a way of working that Serena observes many companies are only now beginning to adopt. After Google, she moved into the travel and hospitality industry, working with major e-commerce players at a time when online booking was transforming the sector almost overnight. She recalls how, just before 2005, travel agencies were still receiving offers by fax and printing physical tickets — and within five years that entire world had changed. She remains passionate about the future of sustainable, experience-driven travel that benefits local communities as well as travellers. The shift to coaching came after Serena met a coach, quickly recognised the value of the practice, and decided during the pandemic to pursue it full time. Six years on, she has coached more than 250 executives one-to-one. Unwritten Rules and the Weight We Carry The book’s first chapter explores what Serena calls the unwritten rules — the inherited scripts that shape how people think about work, success, money, and self-worth. These rules come from parents, schools, early workplaces, and peer groups. They are not inherently wrong, but most people have never examined them. Serena’s invitation is not to discard them wholesale but simply to question them and decide consciously which ones to keep. Carrying rules that no longer fit creates what she calls an invisible weight — the cumulative drain of working inside a system that doesn’t work for you. This shows up as residual stress after hours, dread about certain colleagues or conversations, or a low-level numbness toward work that has long since stopped feeling meaningful. Removing that weight, she argues, is what creates the space to figure out what you actually want. The New Contract and Taking Action The book is structured around practical reflection rather than abstract inspiration. Each chapter addresses something professionals are typically taught to overlook — where their definition of success came from, how they actually spend their energy, what they genuinely stand for. The concept of a “new contract” marks the turning point between understanding what has been holding someone back and beginning to act differently. Crucially, Serena emphasises that the destination is not necessarily a new job or a radically different life — it may simply be the same role approached with greater intention and agency. You can find the book at https://leanpub.com/theunwrittenjobdescription and follow Serena’s work at serenamartino.com. This interview was recorded on May 13, 2026. The full audio for the interview is here: [episode-audio-url]. The Leanpub Podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/Leanpub/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Dr. Danielle Boyce, author of Ten Habits of Great Data Analysts: Practical Tips from My Three Decades in the Field. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience in public health, biomedical informatics, data analytics, and leadership, Danielle shares the habits and mindsets that distinguish truly effective analysts from those who focus only on technical skills. The conversation explores the importance of curiosity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and data storytelling, along with the practical realities of working with stakeholders, making decisions under uncertainty, and helping organizations turn data into action. Danielle discusses lessons learned throughout her career, the motivations behind writing her book, and why strong analytical work is ultimately about people as much as technology. Len and Danielle also talk about the process of writing and publishing a technical book, the value of sharing hard-earned professional knowledge, and how aspiring analysts can build rewarding careers by developing both their technical capabilities and their human skills. The episode offers practical advice for data professionals at every stage of their careers, as well as insights into lifelong learning, leadership, and professional growth in an increasingly data-driven world. This interview was recorded on April 29, 2026. The full audio for the interview is here: [episode-audio-url]. The Leanpub Podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/Leanpub/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Alexey Krivitsky, co-creator of Org Topologies and co-author of 10X ORG – Powered by Org Topologies. They explore how organizations can dramatically improve performance by redesigning team structures, communication patterns, and leadership models in the age of AI. Alexey shares lessons from decades of consulting experience helping companies become more adaptive and resilient through clearer organizational boundaries, improved collaboration, and smarter operating models. The conversation also covers the impact of AI on management, how leaders can avoid common organizational anti-patterns, and why modern companies must rethink traditional hierarchies to stay competitive. The episode blends practical management insights with broader reflections on technology, innovation, and the future of work, offering valuable ideas for founders, executives, engineering leaders, and anyone interested in organizational design and business transformation. This interview was recorded on April 29, 2026. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM330-Alexey-Krivitsky-2026-04-29.mp3. The Leanpub Podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/Leanpub/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Daniel Vaughan, author of Codex CLI: Agentic Engineering from First Principles. Dan shares his background and explains how “agentic AI” is transforming software engineering by enabling developers to collaborate with AI systems that can plan, execute, and iterate on complex tasks. The conversation explores key ideas from the book, including prompting fundamentals, multi-agent orchestration, and integrating AI workflows into modern development pipelines like CI/CD. Dan discusses how tools like Codex CLI are reshaping developer productivity, shifting the role of engineers toward higher-level problem-solving and system design. They also dive into the broader implications for the future of work, including how individuals and organizations can adapt to rapidly evolving AI capabilities. Dan emphasizes practical experimentation, continuous learning, and embracing new workflows to stay relevant in an AI-driven engineering landscape.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Sal Kimmich offers a deep technical look at the evolving security landscape across hardware, software, and open-source ecosystems. They discuss how modern attack surfaces emerge from increasingly interconnected systems, where chip-level vulnerabilities, firmware exploits, and opaque supply-chain dependencies create complex and often invisible risks. Sal explains why digital isolation - both architectural and operational - is becoming essential as organizations confront challenges introduced by distributed development, shadow dependencies, and automated build pipelines This interview was recorded on November 17, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM328-Sal-Kimmich-2025-11-11.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Leanpub co-founder Len Epp interviews software engineer and consultant Matthew Hawthorne, author of Push to Prod or Die Trying. They discuss Matthew’s journey through high-scale systems, life inside big tech, and why production incidents are the greatest teachers in engineering. Matthew explains the realities of outages, human error, systems design, and navigating organizational chaos. The conversation also explores writing candidly about tech culture, balancing transparency with discretion, and helping engineers grow through real-world failure. This interview was recorded on November 13, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews César Antonio López Segura, author of Neural Networks and Adaptive Control: An Online Machine Learning Perspective. They discuss his deep technical background in control theory, his passion for bridging it with modern machine learning, and how adaptive systems can respond intelligently to dynamic environments. César also talks about his experience in independent technical publishing, his approach to making complex AI topics more accessible, and the importance of continuous learning and curiosity in advancing both research and practical applications. This interview was recorded on October 24, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM326-Ce%CC%81sar-Antonio-Lo%CC%81pez-Segura-2025-10-24.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub Podcast episode, host Len Epp interviews Rich Allen, author of User Needs Mapping: Aligning Teams Around What Matters and an independent consultant specialising in socio-technical architecture and team design. With over two decades of experience and a role as a long-serving valued practitioner of the Team Topologies community, Rich brings both hands-on technical depth and organisational insight. Rich argues that many teams fail not because they don’t try hard, but because they lack clarity on whose needs they’re serving and how their work delivers value. He guides listeners through the essentials of the User Needs Mapping technique: starting with “Who are our users?”, then “What do they need?”, mapping the capabilities and dependencies that fulfil those needs, and finally, aligning team boundaries and responsibilities to deliver that value effectively. For listeners involved in transformation, product, engineering or team design work, Rich’s insights offer a tangible framework to reduce cognitive load, increase alignment and re-focus effort to what matters most. This interview was recorded on October 23, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM325-Rich-Allen-2025-10-23.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this episode of the Leanpub Podcast, Len Epp interviews Edward Abramowich, author of Rethinking Capital Project Delivery: Agentic AI–Driven Strategies for the New Era. They discuss why large projects often fail to deliver on time and budget, and how agentic AI - autonomous AI agents that plan, act, and learn - can transform the way complex projects are managed. Edward explains how agentic AI improves adaptability, risk management, and coordination by acting as a “nervous system” for projects. They explore real-world applications in sectors like energy and infrastructure, cultural and organizational shifts needed for adoption, data integration challenges, and practical first steps for companies beginning their AI journey. This conversation highlights how early adopters can gain strategic advantages through reduced execution risk and faster responses to change, while project managers evolve toward more strategic and leadership-focused roles. This interview was recorded on September 18, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/324-Edward-Abramowich-2025-09-18.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.

In this Leanpub Podcast episode, Leanpub co-founder Len Epp interviews Max Guernsey, III, co-author of Ready: Why Most Software Projects Fail and How to Fix It and co-founder of Producore. With nearly 30 years in the software industry, Max shares insights from his diverse career across technologies and domains. He discusses why so many software projects fail - often due to the gap between strategy and execution - and how organizations can address these problems through better alignment and learning. The conversation explores Max’s work in consulting, his perspective on Agile practices, and his emphasis on creating the conditions for teams to succeed. He highlights how focusing on readiness, rather than rushing to execution, can dramatically improve outcomes. Along the way, Max shares practical advice on building healthier organizations, fostering adaptive learning, and making Agile principles work in practice rather than in theory. This episode is full of valuable insights for software developers, managers, and leaders who want to understand why failure is so common in projects and how to build the kind of environments where teams can thrive. This interview was recorded on August 25, 2025. The full audio for the interview is here: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/leanpub_podcasts/FM323-Max-Guernsey-III-2025-08-25.mp3. The Frontmatter podcast is available on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/leanpub, in Apple Podcasts here https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/frontmatter/id517117137, and almost everywhere else people listen to podcasts.