What 20 Years As A CTO Taught Him About AI Compliance: Rob Fawcett

What does a fractional CTO actually do, and how is it different from being a contractor?In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac sits down with Rob Fawcett to discuss AI strategy, AI compliance, technology leadership, product development, software delivery, and what it really takes to create value from technology.Rob shares his journey from project manager and operations leader to CTO, why he chose the fractional CTO model, and why he believes businesses increasingly need experienced technology leadership without necessarily needing a full-time CTO.We also get into the reality of AI adoption.The AI hype may be settling down, but organisations now face a different problem: how do they actually govern, manage and embed AI into their businesses?Rob explains how he turned an AI compliance framework into a SaaS product, why AI needs to be connected to real applications, and why technology should always be designed around the people who use it.And that's where the conversation moves into product and Agile.What's the difference between shipping software and creating value?Why should developers understand the people they're building for?Why do so many organisations spend thousands on values, principles and transformation programmes but struggle to speak to their actual customers?And why does Rob believe you should take the technology to the people rather than make the people adapt to the technology?We also talk about:• Fractional CTO vs contracting• AI strategy and AI governance• AI compliance• Building AI into products• SaaS product development• Product teams and customer empathy• Software delivery and creating value• Leadership lessons from good and bad bosses• Communicating strategy effectively• Digital transformation• User research and product discovery• Technology leadership• Keeping technology simple• Connecting strategy, outcomes and outputs• The difference between shipping and valueRob also shares two brilliant real-world examples: developing blood-tracking software where usability could literally become a matter of life and death, and a cruise company sending its team onto a ship to watch real customers use its app.▶︎Connect With Rob https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfawcett/https://thehumancto.co.ukhttps://www.quantisys.co.uk/https://aicompliance.uk/▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867..▶︎Our Newsletter:https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups⏱️ Chapters00:00 Meet Rob Fawcett03:22 From Contractor to Business Owner04:43 Fractional CTO vs Contractor05:49 What Does a Fractional CTO Actually Do?07:22 How to Become a CTO09:11 AI Strategy & AI Compliance10:35 Building AI Into Real Products12:31 Turning AI Compliance Into SaaS16:07 The AI Hype Is Over16:52 Lessons From Bad Leaders21:32 The Real Problem Behind Poor Communication29:21 Shipping Software vs Creating Value30:34 Why Product Teams Need Customer Empathy31:23 What Makes a Great Software Developer?34:59 The Blood Tracking Software Story36:42 Stop Making Humans Adapt to Technology37:12 What Product Teams Can Learn From Cruise Passengers38:03 Why Companies Overcomplicate Everything44:04 Rob's Quickfire Business Takes44:19 The Most Overused Business Phrase44:35 Take Technology to the People46:40 The One Thing Every Team Should Know47:18 Connecting Strategy, Outcomes, Outputs & Problems48:14 Where to Find RobIf you work in technology, product, Agile, project management, software delivery, digital transformation or technology leadership, this conversation is for you.