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Lead Prompt Podcast

by John Collins

Welcome to leadprompt.sh // executing leadership from the root.This is a weekly podcast unpacking the principles, ideas, and approaches needed to successfully lead large teams in the tech industry. We skip the fluff and get straight to the code: actionable leadership lessons you can deploy to your team immediately.Hosted by John Collins, a seasoned tech leader with decades of experience managing large software engineering teams. Expect episodes that are short, sharp, and grounded in stoic philosophy.Hit subscribe to execute the latest episode every week.#techleadership #softwareengineering #stoicism #management #podcast #tech

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Episodes

  1. Software engineers need to know networking [2026w26]

    I have a confession: I struggle to trust a software engineer who doesn't know how to use curl. In this episode of Lead Prompt, I unpack a troubling trend I'm seeing across the industry: the rapid loss of foundational networking skills. As we stack layers of abstraction from cloud providers to AI,...

  2. Bad ideas are carried forward by idiots [2026w25]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I explore how toxic concepts in software engineering replicate and spread from team to team like biological viruses. Drawing on Richard Dawkins’ original definition of the "meme" from The Selfish Gene and the cautionary humor of Idiocracy, I break down how even…

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  3. A rant about the worst AI book ever written [2026w24]

    The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect is widely praised as a visionary masterpiece of the singularity, but I'm here to tell you it is the absolute worst book about artificial intelligence I have ever subjected myself to. In this episode of leadprompt.sh, I am breaking down exactly why this…

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  4. Everything breaks all of the time [2026w23]

    In this episode of leadprompt.sh, I explore why accepting that "everything breaks all of the time" is actually the foundation of a resilient engineering culture. Instead of chasing the impossible goal of perfect uptime, I break down how you can build systems designed for rapid recovery using...

  5. Devs have pivoted from frameworks to AI models [2026w22]

    Remember when we used to spend our weekends arguing over the "right" routing syntax or which JavaScript framework was going to take over the world? Those days are rapidly ending. In this episode of Lead Prompt, I break down why the developer ecosystem has completely pivoted away from frameworks…

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  6. Why Your Enterprise Hates Software [2026w21]

    Why do large enterprises treat their engineering teams like a massive liability? In this episode, I break down the painful reality of the "build vs. buy" vendor trap, and how generative AI is giving software leaders the ultimate leverage to fight back. Learn how to transform your department from…

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  7. Humans are terrible programmers [2026w20]

    We panic about AI writing bad code, but are human programmers actually any better? In this episode of Lead Prompt, I draw on over twenty years of software engineering experience to expose an uncomfortable truth: humans are objectively terrible at programming. Beyond the weekly headaches of...

  8. The Science Fiction Book Every Systems Architect Should Read [2026w19]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I dive into Ben Smith's bleak science fiction novel Doggerland to explore the psychological toll of extreme technical debt and absentee leadership. Through the story of two isolated men trapped in an infinite loop of repairing a decaying offshore wind farm, we…

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  9. Whiteboards are better than PowerPoint [2026w18]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I break down why whiteboards are infinitely superior to PowerPoint decks for effective leadership and problem-solving. While slide decks typically function as rigid, one-way briefing tools that can allow presenters to hide behind carefully curated scripts,...

  10. Lessons from crawling the web at scale [2026w17]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I dive into the engineering realities of scaling Greppr.org past 41 million indexed documents and 0.5TB of data. Moving past management theory, I break down the engineering optimizations required to survive the chaos of crawling the web at scale. Discover how I...

  11. AI as a Factor of Production [2026w16]

    Is Artificial Intelligence just another tool, or is it fundamentally changing the laws of economics? In this episode of Lead Prompt, host John Collins argues that AI or specifically commoditized super intelligence, has emerged as the new, fifth factor of production. Moving beyond the classical...

  12. AI Cures Organizational Dementia [2026w15]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt // executing leadership from the root, host John Collins breaks down the concept of "organizational dementia", the costly reality of how companies unintentionally lose critical institutional knowledge at scale. Grounded in academic research on knowledge…

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  13. AI is a Sword not a Shield [2026w14]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, host John Collins breaks down the "Iron Age of AI" and the critical divide between teams using AI as a defensive shield versus an offensive sword. Are your engineers using AI to hide behind "check-box" tasks, or are they using it to slice through technical debt and...

  14. AI Switching Costs will be Surprising [2026w13]

    Is switching your AI "daily driver" really as simple as opening a new tab and copying a prompt? In this episode of Lead Prompt, John Collins explores the hidden, surprising costs of migrating between LLMs: costs that go far beyond subscription fees. We dive into the "muscle memory" required to...

  15. Technolibertarianism, The Sovereign Stack and the War for Attention [2026w12]

    Is the state the only entity stealing your sovereignty? In this episode of Lead Prompt, John Collins breaks down the evolution of Technolibertarianism from its 1990s cyberpunk roots to the 2026 reality of the "Attention Tax." While the old guard focused on "Tax is Theft," the modern battleground...

  16. The Escalation is the Process [2026w11]

    In many organizations, the "official" process is a myth, and the only way to actually get things done is through a constant state of emergency. In this episode of Lead Prompt, John Collins breaks down the "Escalation Anti-Pattern", a shadow workflow where resources only move when the building is...

  17. Subvert Bad Processes [2026w10]

    Is your team drowning in processes that protect the status quo but kill innovation? In this episode of Lead Prompt, John Collins takes aim at the silent killer of enterprise velocity: busy work. Bureaucratic hurdles, endless justification forms, and middle-management bottlenecks are more than…

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  18. Execute the Mission not the Process [2026w9]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I strip away the safety blanket of "following the process" to uncover what truly drives high-performing teams: a relentless focus on the mission. I explore the "Activity Trap," where teams mistake being busy for being effective, and introduces the high-stakes...

  19. The Delegation Dilemma - When AI Becomes Your Best Employee [2026w8]

    In this episode of Lead Prompt, I tackle the uncomfortable truth about why delegation breaks down and how Artificial Intelligence is rapidly rewriting the rules of management. I explore an eye-opening story about a Senior Vice President who bypassed his massive engineering team to generate code...

  20. AWS is this Generation's Mainframe [2026w7]

    Has the cloud just made us reliant on a new generation of centralized mainframes? In this episode of Lead Prompt, I break down the centralized architecture of AWS, exploring the severe global impact of single points of failure, vendor lock-in, and why modern software engineers need to rethink…

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  21. The Invisible Web [2026w6]

    In this episode, I take a trip back in time to revisit a blog post I wrote in September 2001 about "The Invisible Web", those vast goldmines of information that standard search engines fail to index. It is fascinating to look back 25 years later at my early predictions regarding the exponential...

  22. Welcome to Lead Prompt [2026w5]

    Welcome to the upgraded operating system. In this episode, I officially announce the evolution from Tech Leader Pro to leadprompt.sh, stripping away the corporate management fluff to get straight to the source code of what makes engineering teams actually work. I break down the philosophy behind...

  23. The Best Code is the Code You Delete (TLP 2026w4)

    In this episode, I dive into why the most radical act in modern engineering isn't adding more features, but having the courage to take them away. I explore the philosophy of reduction: from the logical foundations of Occam’s Razor to the biological realities of Cognitive Load, to show you why...

  24. Vibe Coding is the new RAD (TLP 2026w3)

    In this episode, I dive into the "Vibe Coding" phenomenon and why it’s essentially the modern rebirth of Rapid Application Development (RAD). Drawing parallels between the drag-and-drop era of Visual Basic in the 90s and today’s AI-driven natural language prompts, I explore how the core DNA of...

  25. How to Interview Team Leads with The 20 Question Scorecard (TLP 2026w2)

    Stop gambling on your leadership hires. Use a data-driven system to find the right fit. When hiring a Team Lead or Tech Lead, technical excellence is only half the story. The real challenge lies in assessing their soft skills: communication, judgement, and the ability to build trust. In this...

  26. Stop waiting for the encouragement of others (TLP 2026w1)

    Kick off 2026 by reclaiming your agency. In this first episode of the year, I explore why waiting for external validation is the ultimate silent killer of leadership momentum. I dive into the psychology of the Internal vs. External Locus of Control, explaining why relying on the "attaboy" makes...

  27. 2025 recap and 2026 predictions (TLP 2025w52)

    This episode of The Tech Leader Podcast provides a comprehensive look at the shifting tides of the global tech and political landscape as we transition into 2026. After a remarkably accurate set of predictions for 2025 - confirmed by Google Gemini - the host dives into what the "Year of the...

  28. Channel update (TLP 2025w49)

    A brief channel update for the Tech Leader Pro podcast. Show notes are here: https://techleader.pro/a/719-Channel-update-(TLP-2025w49) Keywords: leadership, tech, leader, team, management, podcast, stoic, stoicism

  29. The benefits of a harsh mentor (TLP 2025w48)

    Modern leadership advice is obsessed with psychological safety and encouragement. But in this episode, I argue that this consensus is making future leaders soft. To achieve true excellence and build necessary resilience, you don’t need a cheerleader; you need a "harsh" mentor. We aren't talking...

  30. The Illusion of Control (TLP 2025w47)

    We often believe we are the ones pulling the levers, but how many of those levers are actually connected to anything? In this episode, I explore the concept of the "Placebo Button" - mechanically sound but functionally disconnected controls designed to pacify us. I move from the physical illusion...

  31. Emotion is the enemy of reason (TLP 2025w46)

    In this episode, I dive into the psychology of high-stakes leadership. When a team is failing to deliver and stress levels are red-lining, a leader’s reaction can either save the project or sink the ship. I share a personal story of a critical delivery where my team was "consumed by stress," and...

  32. Your Bias Is Ruining Your Life (Here Is Why) (TLP 2025w45)

    Are you holding yourself back? In this episode, we explore how ancient survival instincts have morphed into modern "irrational fears." Bias is no longer keeping us safe from predators; it is keeping us from opportunities, business growth, and truth. We discuss why high IQ and introspection are…

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  33. AI supply chain attacks (TLP 2025w44)

    In this episode, I discuss how all software is vulnerable to supply chain attacks, but I argue that AI is uniquely at risk. I explain that a traditional supply chain attack works by compromising the less-secure "links" in a trusted development process, such as third-party vendors or open-source...

  34. Task based management (TLP 2025w43)

    Although I typically advocate against micromanagement, I have recently found it necessary to revert to task-based management to support some young leaders on my team who are struggling with end-of-year pressures. Consequently, I have temporarily shifted from delegating autonomy to assigning...

  35. Returning to long form writing with Vom Tag (TLP 2025w42)

    I'm happy to announce a new side project called Vom Tag, which is my return to long-form blog writing. The name, which is German for "From the Roof" or "High Guard," comes from an aggressive medieval sword fighting stance, and I chose it deliberately to reflect the tone I plan to take. Unlike my...

  36. Discomfort fosters personal growth (TLP 2025w41)

    I want you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable on a regular basis. Let me explain why. I believe you need to regularly do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, because comfort is a "slow death" that leads to laziness. I compare this to building muscle: to get mentally…

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  37. Using Google Gemini to summarize the daily news (TLP 2025w40)

    In this episode I will show you how I use Google Gemini to summarize the news headlines for me each morning, so I don’t have to. I was unhappy with the quality of mainstream news in my country, Ireland, and found social media to be an unreliable source. I had also previously been critical of…

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  38. Understanding Conway's Law (TLP 2025w39)

    In this episode I will explain Conway’s Law, and leadership strategies we can employ to avoid it. Conway's Law is the principle articulated by computer scientist Melvin Conway in 1967, which states that organizations are constrained to produce systems that are copies of their own communication...

  39. Life in the Long Tail (TLP 2025w38)

    Most content online, including this episode, exists in a Long Tail of unpopular content that contains most of the material online. Let me explain. In this episode, I explore the concept of the "Long Tail," a theory explaining how the internet has shifted focus from mainstream products to a vast...

  40. The greatest threat to AI adoption is hallucinations (TLP 2025w37)

    The greatest threat to widespread adoption of AI is human users witnessing AI hallucinations. Let me explain what this is, and how we might prevent it. This episode identifies AI hallucinations as the most significant threat to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence. These are…

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  41. Scrum story point estimates are a failure (TLP 2025w36)

    While noble in intent, story point estimates from Scrum have been a failure in our industry. Let me explain why. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/706-Scrum-story-point-estimates-are-a-failure-(TLP-2025w36) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager…

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  42. A critique of the Amazon Leadership Principles (TLP 2025w35)

    In this episode I will review the list of leadership principles published by Amazon. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/705-A-critique-of-the-Amazon-Leadership-Principles-(TLP-2025w35) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead #techlead #software...

  43. Outputs are downstream of culture (TLP 2025w34)

    In this episode I will aim to convince you that every outcome from you team is downstream of culture. Let me explain. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/704-Outputs-are-downstream-of-culture-(TLP-2025w34) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead...

  44. Knowing when you are in a fight (TLP 2025w33)

    I often see young leaders being attacked without even realising they are in a fight. Let me explain how you can spot this. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/703-Knowing-when-you-are-in-a-fight-(TLP-2025w33) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager…

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  45. VPN usage is exploding (TLP 2025w32)

    As I predicted in a previous episode, VPN usage in the western World is exploding. Let me explain why. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/702-VPN-usage-is-exploding-(TLP-2025w32) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead #techlead #software #vpn...

  46. Never be led by fear (TLP 2025w30)

    As a leader, you must never allow yourself to be led by fear. Let me explain. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/701-Never-be-led-by-fear-(TLP-2025w30) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead #techlead #software #stoic #stoicism #fear #dune...

  47. Cashless societies are deeply impersonal (TLP 2025w27)

    The exchange of physical cash involves physical interactions with fellow people. But with cashless, those interactions reduced dramatically. Let me explain why this is a bad outcome. Notes and subscription links are here:...

  48. AI is the new outsourcing (TLP 2025w25)

    At the beginning of my software engineering career, the threat was being replaced by offshore engineers at outsource firms. Now the new threat for both parties is AI. Let me explain. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/698-AI-is-the-new-outsourcing-(TLP-2025w25)...

  49. The failure of Product Management (TLP 2025w24)

    Throughout my career I have worked with many Product Managers, few of which have impressed me. Let me explain why. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/697-The-failing-of-Product-Management-(TLP-2025w24) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead...

  50. Leaders must not ignore alarms (TLP 2025w23)

    Ignoring a fire alarm does not put out the fire. As leaders, we must never ignore an alarm. Let me explain why. Notes and subscription links are here: https://techleader.pro/a/696-Leaders-must-not-ignore-alarms-(TLP-2025w23) #leadership #tech #leader #team #management #manager #teamlead #techlead...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Welcome to leadprompt.sh // executing leadership from the root.This is a weekly podcast unpacking the principles, ideas, and approaches needed to successfully lead large teams in the tech industry. We skip the fluff and get straight to the code: actionable leadership lessons you can deploy to your team immediately.Hosted by John Collins, a seasoned tech leader with decades of experience managing large software engineering teams. Expect episodes that are short, sharp, and grounded in stoic philosophy.Hit subscribe to execute the latest episode every week.#techleadership #softwareengineering #stoicism #management #podcast #tech

HOSTED BY

John Collins

CATEGORIES

technology

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Lead Prompt Podcast have?

Lead Prompt Podcast currently has 160 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Lead Prompt Podcast about?

Welcome to leadprompt.sh // executing leadership from the root.This is a weekly podcast unpacking the principles, ideas, and approaches needed to successfully lead large teams in the tech industry. We skip the fluff and get straight to the code: actionable leadership lessons you can deploy to your...

How often does Lead Prompt Podcast release new episodes?

Lead Prompt Podcast publishes regularly with 160 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Lead Prompt Podcast?

You can listen to Lead Prompt Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Lead Prompt Podcast?

Lead Prompt Podcast is created and hosted by John Collins.
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