The Forge 🔥 of Unicorns - by Michele Brissoni

Thiago Maior scaled from freelance developer to CEO of a 70-person infrastructure company with zero external funding. He lived the DevOps revolution. Now he's watching AI compress that same transformation into months.DevOps started in 2009. Thiago joined in 2014, five years late, and still built a thriving business. Companies that ignored DevOps for seven years caught up eventually. AI is different. It doesn't just change the technology; it changes the DNA of the organization. Hiring, pricing, project estimation, quality assurance, business models; everything shifts at once. Seven years of delay with AI could be fatal.In this episode, we explore:- Why project estimates are collapsing from 200 hours to 20 and what it means for every company selling engineering time- How organizations are adopting AI bottom-up through developers while leadership has no measurement framework- The layoff trap: companies cutting senior engineers, then discovering nobody can govern what AI produces- Why Thiago's team spent a full year taming AI's unpredictability through multi-agent architecture- The shift from vibe coding to engineering discipline as the last mile of AI transformationIf you're a CTO or technology leader navigating AI adoption, this conversation maps the terrain you're walking right now.🎙️ ABOUT THIAGO MAIERThiago is the CEO of EZ Ops, a US-based infrastructure and software development company he built from the ground up over 10 years. Starting as a freelance developer in Brazil, Thiago scaled to a team of nearly 70 engineers, entirely self-funded. His team now develops AI-powered agents for infrastructure and software delivery, and his experience across both the DevOps and AI revolutions gives him a rare dual perspective on what technology leaders face today.🎙️ ABOUT MICHELE BRISSONIMichele Brissoni brings 45+ years on the tatami (35+ years teaching, 6 black belts), 25+ years of TDD practice, and 25+ years developing the Software Craftsmanship Dojo® methodology. Through The Forge of Unicorns, he has conducted 130+ interviews and analyzed 52 unicorns and 100+ portfolios to understand what separates organizations that thrive with AI from those that stumble. Based in Slovakia, working globally, and co-creator with Alessandro Di Gioia of nwave.ai (🔗 https://nwave.ai), one of the most opinionated agentic-ai coding platforms, guested in the first episode of Dave Farley - AI Briefing as a groundbreaking in the enterprise software factory landscape.---🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES📊 Free AI Readiness Assessment: https://ai-readiness.dev/📛 nWave: https://nwave.ai/🎧 Listen:- Spotify: https://go.brix.consulting/Spotify- Apple Podcasts: https://go.brix.consulting/ApplePodcast---📱 Connect:- Michele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebrissoni/- Thiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiago-maior/- Substack: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/- LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/---⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction00:39 - From freelancer in Brazil to CEO of a 70-person company04:39 - Why self-funded growth builds healthier organizations07:13 - The AI wake-up call: what changed in the last 12 months11:08 - When 200 hours becomes 20: the business model crisis17:28 - Are organizations ready? Bottom-up adoption vs top-down readiness22:08 - The layoff trap: firing the people who govern AI output28:00 - Vibe coding vs engineering discipline: the line between speed and risk34:04 - Taming AI's unpredictability: building Ace with multi-agent architecture39:49 - AI needs humans; but superhumans who know the craft41:44 - Deterministic execution and the future of spec-driven development46:46 - Final thoughts: why this is the most exciting moment in tech#AIReadiness #TechLeadership #CTO #DevOps #AITransformation #SoftwareCraftsmanship#nwave #nwave.ai #softwarefactory #agenticcoding #AIcoding #vibecoding #specdriven Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI Readiness Gap: Why 70-90% AI adoption with 30-50% readiness is costing billions. The Last Mile framework for CTOs to complete AI coding tool investments.The data is clear: companies are pouring millions into GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf. Adoption rates hit 70-90%. But organizational readiness sits at 30-50%. That 40-point gap is where ROI disappears and technical debt compounds at machine speed.GitClear 2024 reveals the damage:- 39.9% drop in refactored code- 17.1% YoY increase in code duplication- Enterprise app lifespan collapsingThe human cost:- 77% developers disengaged- 40% experiencing burnout- Sick leave rising across the industryThis isn't CTO failure. This is the AI readiness gap—a structural challenge at hypergrowth speed that no single leader can solve alone.After 3 years and 130+ interviews with people who built 52 unicorns, I'm making a strategic shift. Pressing pause on the weekly format to focus completely on the last mile: helping organizations close their AI readiness gap.In this episode:- Why AI adoption without readiness creates technical debt at machine speed- The "Last Mile" framework for completing AI investments- The 2026 vision: real companies facing real challenges + elite crafters from the trenches- How the free AI Readiness Assessment reveals your gaps- The win-win-win model: you close the gap, become the case study, the industry learnsThis is not an ending. This is an evolution.---🎙️ ABOUT MICHELE (MIKE) BRISSONIHost of The Forge of Unicorns and founder of the Software Craftsmanship Dojo®. 35+ years on the tatami, 25+ years practicing TDD, 20+ years building behavioral engineering methodologies for elite software teams. F1-inspired precision. Zero tolerance for mediocrity.130+ interviews. 52 unicorns analyzed. One pattern: AI adoption without organizational readiness creates chaos. The mission now: help CTOs complete their AI investments through systematic behavioral engineering.---🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES🎯 FREE AI Readiness Assessment (30 min):👉 https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/🥋 Software Craftsmanship Dojo®:👉 https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/🎧 Listen on your platform:- Spotify: https://go.brix.consulting/Spotify- Apple Podcasts: https://go.brix.consulting/ApplePodcast- Acast: https://shows.acast.com/the-forge-of-unicorns📝 Deep Dive Article and newsletter:- Substack: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/- LinkedIn: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

97% of enterprise developers use AI coding tools. Trust crashed from 40% to 29% in one year. METR found experienced developers 19% slower while believing they were 20% faster. The 39-point perception gap exposes why your AI investment isn't delivering—and the 4-dimension framework that fixes it. 🎙️ EP81 - The AI Readiness Assessment | The Last Mile to 4X Results with AI Coding ToolsYou made the right investment. GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code—the tools work. But without readiness across 4 dimensions, AI amplifies dysfunction instead of excellence. This episode reveals the diagnostic framework and the pathway to turn your investment into exponential results.---In this episode, Michele (Mike) Brissoni exposes the AI-readiness gap costing CTOs millions: the delta between how fast organizations adopt AI and how prepared teams are to supervise it, validate it, and integrate it. He introduces the AI Readiness Assessment framework measuring organizational capacity across four critical dimensions, reveals why spec-driven development unlocks AI for experienced developers, and demonstrates how behavioral engineering—not more tools—closes the last AI-mile.💡 KEY INSIGHTS:- 97% of enterprise developers have used AI coding tools- Trust in AI accuracy dropped from 40% to 29% in just one year- 39-point perception gap: teams 19% slower while believing 20% faster- Experienced developers find traditional AI coding tools distracting without proper workflows- Spec-driven development expands AI's reach from 30% to full development lifecycle- AI readiness gap = delta between adoption speed and organizational capacity- The bottleneck is behavior, not infrastructure- Four dimensions determine AI success: focus, technical practices, product health, customer feedback- Miss one dimension and you stall, miss two and you suffer, miss four and you fail- Companies with strong fundamentals see 4X better AI results than those without- Elite XP teams correct mistakes in one week; canonical enterprises take a quarter- AI becomes an expensive accelerator for your failure without readiness🗣️ KEY QUOTES:"They were 19% slower while believing they were 20% faster.""AI amplifies what you have in the company.""Driving a Ferrari Enzo at 200 mph with 45% brakes—that's your AI adoption gap.""If developers don't have the cognitive capacity to supervise AI, you're dead on arrival.""Spec-driven development turns AI into a real co-pilot.""Miss one dimension and you stall. Miss two and you suffer. Miss four and you fail.""Stop embracing AI blindly. Start being aware."---🎯 READY TO CLOSE THE GAP?Get your FREE AI-Readiness Assessment for your software team.One number showing where you stand across 4 dimensions. Zero cost.👉 https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Michele (Mike) Brissoni explores the challenges and realities of software development in the age of AI. He discusses the historical context of coding productivity, the impact of Agile and DevOps methodologies, and the effects of remote work on developer efficiency. Brissoni emphasizes the importance of fundamentals over tools, highlighting the silent killers of productivity such as multitasking and environmental noise. He uses the automotive industry as a case study to illustrate the consequences of neglecting software fundamentals and calls for a reevaluation of how organizations approach AI adoption and developer training.💡 KEY INSIGHTS:- AI is revolutionizing software development but poses significant challenges- Developers spend minimal time actually coding, often less than 10%- Agile methodology, while promoting collaboration, can hinder productivity- Remote work has both benefits and drawbacks for developer focus- AI tools can exacerbate existing issues in coding practices- Mind wandering and multitasking significantly reduce developer productivity- Automotive industry exemplifies dangers of prioritizing speed over fundamentals- Strong organizational fundamentals lead to 4x better performance with AI- Companies must assess AI readiness and developer fundamentals- A shift from tools to foundational practices is essential for success🗣️ KEY QUOTES:"Coding is NOT the bottleneck. Indeed devs spend 10 to max 39% of their time actually coding!""We have destroyed them even before start coding.""We need AI free days to prevent skill atrophy.""Companies with strong fundamentals achieve almost four times the performance of companies without them when adopting AI."---🎯 READY TO FACE THE TRUTH?Get your FREE AI-Readiness Quick Scan for software teams.Clear data on where your team stands. Zero cost.👉 https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/⚠️ Only 3 spots remaining for Q4 2025---📝 DEEP DIVE ARTICLE:Full written analysis drops Thursday on Substack & LinkedInSubscribe: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/---ABOUT THE FORGE OF UNICORNS:Weekly insights for C-level executives, PE/VC leaders, and board members on building elite software organizations. 80+ episodes analyzing what really works in the AI era—backed by data from 130 people who built 52 unicorns.Host: Michele (Mike) Brissoni Background: F1-inspired behavioral engineering for software teams. 15+ years building the Software Craftsmanship Dojo. Engineer by training (robotics, telecom, software). Zero tolerance for mediocrity.Mission: Elevate software development to F1-level mastery through systematic behavioral engineering.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes 📧 Join the newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your $10M AI investment produces garbage code because you hired mediocre, trained badly, and blamed developers when production burned. Not their fault. Yours. This episode explores how leadership and organizational behavior shape software engineering teams—and why understanding the dynamics between teamwork, coding discipline, and behavioral transformation determines whether your software development succeeds or fails.I reveal the Software Craftsmanship Dojo, the behavioral transformation system that turns broken teams into 1% Elite performers—using the same neuroscience that transforms terrified kids into confident martial artists.🥋 THE 6 PARALLELS:→ Repetition creates instinct (not compliance)→ Fundamentals before frameworks (or 3 AM calls never stop)→ Sparring = pair programming (safe failure builds mastery)→ Belt system = KBI progression (measurable transformation)→ Sensei = cultural rewiring (mirror neurons & role model)→ Respect → Ownership (discipline builds elite mindset)💡 KEY INSIGHTS:- Why Key Behavioral Indicators predict team failure before production burns- The hostile environment paradox: build the 1% without executive buy-in- How grassroots transformation works when leadership won't act- Why AWS certifications and Agile workshops fail (training ≠ transformation)- The neuroscience of identity shift through deliberate practice🎯 WHO THIS IS FOR:- CTOs tired of being told it's a "people problem"- Engineering leaders drowning in production incidents- VPs watching AI investments produce zero ROI- Anyone building software teams in hostile environments---🎯 READY TO FACE THE TRUTH?Get your FREE AI-Readiness Quick Scan for software teams.Clear data on where your team stands. Zero cost.👉 https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/⚠️ Only 3 spots remaining for Q4 2025---📝 DEEP DIVE ARTICLE:Full written analysis drops Thursday on Substack & LinkedInSubscribe: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/---ABOUT THE FORGE OF UNICORNS:Weekly insights for C-level executives, PE/VC leaders, and board members on building elite software organizations. 77+ episodes analyzing what really works in the AI era—backed by data from 130 people who built 52 unicorns.Host: Michele (Mike) Brissoni Background: F1-inspired behavioral engineering for software teams. 15+ years building the Software Craftsmanship Dojo. Engineer by training (robotics, telecom, software). Zero tolerance for mediocrity.Mission: Elevate software development to F1-level mastery through systematic behavioral engineering.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes 📧 Join the newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three years after ChatGPT's release, $2.5 trillion wasted in 2024 alone. Forecast for 2027? $4 trillion. Meanwhile, 38% burnout rate, 77% disengaged workforce, and 90% failure rate on digital transformations.After 77 episodes analyzing 130 people who built 52 unicorns, one pattern emerged: The bottleneck isn't AI, Agile, or capital. It's the 1% problem—the extreme scarcity of people capable of executing at elite level.This episode is different. No guest. Just me and one year of brutal research findings. The patterns nobody wants to hear. The truth about why AI amplifies dysfunction instead of solving it.---🎯 WHO SHOULD LISTEN:CEOs wrestling with failed digital transformationsCTOs scaling teams but losing qualityVCs/PEs analyzing portfolio performanceBoard members demanding ROI from AI investmentsEngineering leaders tired of mediocrityIf you've invested millions in AI tools and seen minimal results, this explains why.---📊 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:- Why 52 unicorns all pointed to the same bottleneck (and it's not technology)- The 1% paradox: How talent scarcity lowered hiring standards to catastrophic levels- Why IT/software lacks the professional standards that make medicine and engineering reliable- How AI acts as a mirror—amplifying excellence OR weaponizing dysfunction at scale- The three-layer filtering system that separates elite performers from the 99%- Why digital transformation fatigue is structural, not temporary- How generative culture beats process-heavy bureaucracy every single time- The real cost of accepting mediocrity: $2.5T wasted and climbing---🔥 KEY INSIGHTS:"AI doesn't fail because of technology. It fails because of who uses it.""You can't buy the 1%. You have to build them.""Small elite teams always beat large bloated organizations.""77% of employees are disengaged.""38% burnout rate is alarming." ---🫵 READY TO FACE THE TRUTH?Get your FREE AI-Readiness Quick Scan for software teams.Clear data on where your team stands. Zero cost.👉 https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/⚠️ Only 3 spots remaining for Q4 2025---📝 DEEP DIVE ARTICLE:Full written analysis drops Thursday on Substack & LinkedInSubscribe: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/---ABOUT THE FORGE OF UNICORNS:Weekly insights for C-level executives, PE/VC leaders, and board members on building elite software organizations. 77+ episodes analyzing what really works in the AI era—backed by data from 130 people who built 52 unicorns.Host: Michele (Mike) Brissoni Background: F1-inspired behavioral engineering for software teams. 15+ years building the Software Craftsmanship Dojo. Engineer by training (robotics, telecom, software). Zero tolerance for mediocrity.Mission: Elevate software development to F1-level mastery through systematic behavioral engineering.🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes 📧 Join the newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Licensing beats equity 10x. Fabio Lettieri (Founder, Artivium | Partner, TLN) reveals how €2M turns into €100M in 24 months through royalty-based partnerships instead of ownership dilution, why Europe's 10x better engineers stay underfunded, and the $34B empire that makes nothing.----🎙️ Episode Highlights:After 27 episodes with 130+ guests who backed 52 unicorns, one pattern emerged: the capital allocation system is fundamentally backwards. Europe has world-class engineering talent but systematically starves it with slow, risk-averse investment. Meanwhile, accelerators spread €20K across 50 startups (nothing happens), and VCs burn €10-20M on equity models when €1-2M licensing achieves the same outcome.Fabio's contrarian model:- 20-50x ROI multiples in under 3 years- €9K patent protection worldwide for 2.5 years- ABG case study: $34B annual sales without manufacturing one product- 24-month discipline: market or die💡 Key Insights:"That million euro becomes nothing when you give €20,000 to everybody. It will be more productive to give $1 million to one company." European talent is 10x better than US engineers, but the capital structure prevents scale. The alternative exists—most investors just pretend it doesn't.👤 Guest: Fabio LettieriFounder, Artivium Inc. | Founding Partner, TLN - The Licensing Network25 years IP licensing experience | $500M+ in royalty deals | Former Licensing Director, Iconix Brand Group----📖 Deep Dive Article:Why licensing beats equity 10x, the ABG model that makes $34B without products, and why Europe's investment mindset is the real bottleneck—not talent, not tech.🪧 Subscribe to the Forge on Substack to stay up to date: 🔗 https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/---🔧 FREE AI-Readiness Assessment (5 spots, Q4 2025):Clear data. Actionable insights. Zero cost.👉 Contact: https://brix.consulting/free-ai-readiness-assessment/----⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 TL;TR01:00 Introduction to IP and Licensing Business Models05:46 The Role of Accelerators and Incubators12:39 Challenges in Software Development and Marketing19:00 The Power of Licensing in Business27:06 Innovative Approaches to Product Development31:50 The Ego of Founders and Company Success32:37 Future Potential Over Past Achievements34:52 Investing in Projects: A Personal Approach36:09 The Unique Venture Studio Model38:29 Licensing vs. Traditional Venture Capital40:21 The Misunderstood AI Market41:25 Social Tensions in AI Adoption43:22 The Speed of Idea to Prototype with AI45:06 The Importance of Personal Connections48:23 Cultural and Investment Mindset Differences50:25 The Power of Licensing and Branding#VentureCapital #Licensing #Startups #Europe #CapitalEfficiency #TechLeadership #Innovation #Patents #IPLicensing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philosophy shapes AI future through karmapreneurship and soft skills revealed by Craig Weiss (Patent Attorney turned Unicorn CEO turned Managing Partner Flagstaff Venture) on execution curiosity mentorship and AI human gap.🎙️ Episode Highlights:Craig Weiss shares his journey from patent attorney to building Enjoy (unicorn, $1B valuation) to venture capital investor, revealing why philosophy and karmapreneurship matter more than ever in the AI era.The AI Human Gap:- AI amplifies organizational DNA—excellence or chaos- Soft skills becoming MORE important as AI replaces jobs- Code assistants need humans skilled in software fundamentals- VCs funding AI pitches without cultural/technical due diligence- Human experiences AI will never understand: love, loss, getting punchedKarmapreneurship Philosophy:- Treating employees, customers, vendors well = business foundation- Win-win over win-lose in business relationships- Small elite teams (F1 pit crew model) beat large bloated orgs- Execution beats ideas—always- Curiosity and question-asking as competitive advantage💡 Key Insights:"AI is never gonna understand what it's like to bury a parent, or to fall in love, or to pull an all-nighter" - Craig reveals why soft skills, authentic curiosity, and coaching culture create the human foundation AI needs to actually work.Peter Diamandis wisdom: "Ask good questions—because all the answers are out there. We differentiate by who asks the best questions."👤 Guest: Craig WeissManaging Partner, Flagstaff Venture 10 years Patent Attorney → Unicorn CEO (Enjoy, $1B valuation) → Venture CapitalistFirst investment became unicorn | Built consumer brand across 130,000 retail locations📖 Deep Dive Article (Thursday): https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns🎁 Your Gift as a Subscriber:In a moment when AI requires your company to be ready, we offer limited spots for Q4 for our 🔧 Free AI-Readiness Assessment📬 Contact us: https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 TL;TR02:00 Intro: Patent Attorney to Unicorn CEO Journey12:02 Navigating Entrepreneurship Challenges21:39 Business Meets Spirituality31:42 Karmapreneurship: Merging Profit with Purpose45:46 Finding Your Why (Viktor Frankl Philosophy)50:00 Software Patents & Craftsmanship54:09 AI Disruption & Human Connection1:01:06 AI in Mental Health & Education1:08:24 Community Role in Tech Advancement1:12:25 Open vs Closed Systems in Innovation🔗 Connect:Craig Weiss LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-weiss-9890127/Flagstaff Venture: https://www.flagstaffventures.com/Forge of Unicorns: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns🏷️ Tags :#aireadiness #Karmapreneurship #SoftSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #VentureCapital #UnicornStartup #Entrepreneurship #AIHumanGap #TechnicalExcellence #BehavioralEngineering #ConsumerBrands #PatentAttorney #ExecutionOverIdeas #Curiosity #CoachingCulture #AILimitations #HumanPsychology #BusinessPhilosophy #SpiritualCEO #VentureStudio #CollaborativeAI #F1Craftsmanship #SoftwareEngineering #AIEthics #StartupFunding #VCDueDiligence #AI #Leadership #TechLeadership #Philosophy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spitch.AI beats tech giants through customer-centric collaborative AI and cultural readiness. Pier Giorgio Vittori (CEO US division) reveals gradual adoption framework, employee satisfaction foundation, and ethical business practices that turn David into Goliath-killer in AI era.🎙️ Episode Highlights:Spitch.AI was founded in 2014, expanding from Switzerland to US, UK, and Italy. Instead of out-of-box solutions, they compete through deep customization matching customer needs and local regulations.Core principles driving their success:- Employee satisfaction = customer satisfaction (foundational law)- Technology serves customer needs, not adoption for hype- Collaborative AI: human expertise supervises AI execution- Gradual implementation matching organizational maturity- Ethics builds long-term relationships vs. short-term sales💡 Key Insights:- Don't be afraid of technology, embrace it wisely."- Without cultural readiness and technical fundamentals, AI amplifies dysfunction at 10x speed. - Teams can't challenge AI hallucinations if they were trained not to challenge authority.- The gap isn't technical—it's behavioral.👤 Guest: Pier Giorgio Vittori CEO, Speech AI | US/Italy📖 Deep Dive Article: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns🔧 Free AI-Readiness Assessment (5 spots, Q4 2025): https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 TL;TR02:00 Introduction to Speech AI and Its Journey04:49 David vs. Goliath: Competing with Giants08:01 Customization: The Key to Customer Satisfaction10:38 The Importance of Employee Satisfaction13:46 Customer-Centricity in Business16:31 Technology Development and Innovation19:32 The Role of Ethics in Business22:31 Building Trust with Customers25:21 The Importance of Soft Skills28:30 Creating a Collaborative Work Environment31:22 Long-Term Relationships and Employee Retention33:13 Conclusion: The Future of Speech AI44:37 Ethical Business and Customer-Centric Organizations46:00 Bridging the Skills Gap in Tech52:56 The Importance of Practical Experience59:27 Coaching and Mentorship in Organizations01:05:03 AI Readiness and Organizational Challenges01:13:03 Navigating the AI Revolution01:19:41 Balancing Regulation and Innovation in AI🏷️ HasTags#AIAdoption #CollaborativeAI #CulturalReadiness #TechLeadership #CustomerCentric #SoftwareEngineering #forgeofunicornsChapter #ai #software Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder how top tech leaders foster exceptional team environments? This Forge of Unicorns podcast episode dives deep into the secrets of high-performing teams and engineering excellence. Is leadership coaching the key to preventing burnout and cultivating a motivational workplace where innovative software solutions thrive? Or is the secret recipe of success the relentless pursuit of excellence? This is your #ai time life saver, don't miss it!⸻In this episode of Forge 🔥 of Unicorns, Michele Brissoni sits down with Meir Rabkin, Founder & Managing Partner at Blue Vision Capital — the investor who backed 12 unicorns in just 5 years 🦄.They dive into what truly separates elite startups from the rest:💡 Why relentless execution beats perfect strategy.💡 How mission-driven leadership and engineering craftsmanship build unstoppable teams.💡 Why burnout and chaos are symptoms of broken culture — and how AI is now amplifying both excellence and mediocrity.🎯 You’ll discover:• How to identify outlier founders and disruptive innovation.• Why quality over quantity in hiring defines long-term ROI.• How coaching and behavioral design unlock peak team performance.• Why AI is the ultimate mirror — amplifying excellence or chaos depending on your culture.⸻⚙️ Chapters:00:00 – Introduction to Unicorns & Investment Strategies02:46 – Identifying and Nurturing Unicorns05:40 – The Importance of Team Dynamics08:50 – Evaluating Business Models & Market Potential11:39 – Grit & Resilience in Founders14:34 – Engineering Excellence & Craftsmanship17:34 – Agility & Mission-Driven Innovation20:29 – Capital Efficiency & Sustainable Growth27:41 – Building Mission-Driven Teams30:25 – Culture of Excellence45:19 – Leadership Burnout & Coaching51:47 – Relentless Execution vs. Perfect Strategy⸻💥 Ready to build your own elite force of engineers and founders?👉 Explore the Software Craftsmanship Dojo®: https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/📩 Subscribe to Forge 🔥 of Unicorns for weekly deep dives and exclusive interviews:• 🔗 Substack: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/• 🔗 LinkedIn: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns⸻🏷️ #ForgeOfUnicorns #Unicorns #Startups #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIMirror #DigitalTransformation #EngineeringExcellence #SoftwareEngineering #SoftwareCraftsmanship #SoftwareCraftsmanshipDojo #Leadership #TeamCulture #HighPerformanceTeams #BehavioralEngineering #BehavioralDesign #OrganizationalExcellence #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #TechLeadership #ExecutionExcellence #RelentlessExecution #Coaching #BurnoutPrevention #HumanCenteredLeadership #UnicornMindset #VentureStudio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Forge of Unicorns – In the Head of a CEO, the host Michele Brissoni sits down with Stéphan Donzé, Founder & CEO of AODocs, to unpack one of the most uncomfortable truths of our time: AI doesn’t save you. It multiplies what you already are.Stéphan’s journey is unique — a brilliant software engineer who became a CEO, leading a SaaS company trusted in the most critical environments (data centers, aviation, energy). He knows both sides: writing production code and scaling enterprise software under unforgiving standards.🚨 And together, we confronted the ugly reality of the software industry:• Bugs are not an exception — they’re written into contracts.• Mediocrity has become the cultural baseline.• And now, AI isn’t solving it… it’s amplifying it.Just one week ago, IT Revolution’s 2025 DORA “State of AI-assisted Software Development” report confirmed it:👉 AI is a mirror. An amplifier.🏆 For elite teams with technical excellence, AI accelerates them to the Olympus of performance.🔥 For mediocre teams, AI turns dysfunction into total chaos — faster outages, higher costs, more burnout.This is the paradox: in a world where software engineering is often regulated by tools, frameworks, and blind hope, AI has exposed just how fragile this industry really is.In this conversation you’ll discover:⚡ Why software remains the “black sheep” of engineering — no standards, no predictability.⚡ Why technical excellence is no longer optional — it’s survival.⚡ How purpose, craftsmanship, and socio-technical practices transform AI into an ally.⚡ What investors should look for: the difference between teams AI can elevate, and those it will annihilate.Stéphan puts it bluntly: without engineering discipline, AI is not your friend — it’s your downfall. And as Paul O’Brien said in last week’s episode:“AI is the greatest discovery since the internet itself.”But only if we evolve beyond mediocrity.📌 Whether you’re a CEO, CTO, or investor, this episode is a wake-up call.AI is not the savior. It’s the amplifier of who we are.And whether humanity evolves or decays depends on the standards we embrace.—⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Introduction01:19 Welcome to the Froge 🔥02:15 Stephan Donze: The Journey of a Technical CEO05:30 The Importance of Document Management Systems09:50 The Need for Standards in Software Engineering12:50 The Challenges of Software Quality and Reliability18:00 AI’s Role in Software Development22:01 Pragmatic AI Applications in Document Management28:30 The Evolution of Automation in Business30:24 Cybersecurity Challenges in AI31:49 The Importance of Technical Expertise in Leadership34:21 Mediocrity in the Software Industry39:01 The Talent Crisis in Software Development41:58 Tech Disruption and the blind jump on it46:15 Investment Trends in Software vs. AI53:07 Suggestions from Stephan for other leaders—🎥 Watch more Forge of Unicorns:🔗 Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://theforgeofunicorns.substack.com/🔗 Deep dive articles on LinkedIn: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns🔗 Learn more about the Unicorns’ Ecosystem: https://brix.consulting#AI #SaaS #SoftwareEngineering #Leadership #DORA #AODocs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unicorns are going extinct. In 2015 there were 124 new unicorns. In the last 3 years? Barely 17.At the same time, trillions of dollars have been poured into AI, sold as the golden age of innovation. But here’s the paradox: if AI is so transformative, why are unicorns disappearing?In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, Michele Brissoni sits down with Paul O’Brien — Startup Economist, venture capitalist, and founder of MediaTech Ventures — to expose why accelerators are failing, how capital allocation is broken, and why venture studios are the future of predictable, software-driven success.Paul pulls no punches:“Most accelerators haven’t delivered results. When they present themselves as engines of entrepreneurship, founders are more likely to fail. And that’s what’s been happening.”We explore how AI is sucking capital into a “black hole,” why cookie-cutter accelerators misfire, and how sector-specific venture studios — with deep expertise and owner-operator DNA — can finally tilt the odds of success.⸻🔑 What You’ll Learn- Why 90% of startups still fail — and how to move the needle from 10% to 20% success.- The accelerator paradox: speeding up disruption by forcing it into rigid blueprints.- How AI is reshaping capital allocation (and why that’s dangerous).- The role of behavioral engineering in startup survival.- Why venture studios are the operating system of success in a software-driven world.⸻📌 Chapters01:30 – Intro: Unicorn extinction & the AI paradox07:30 – Why accelerators fail founders16:30 – Digital transformation myths24:30 – Behavioral engineering in startups35:30 – Globalization, AI, and capital misallocation49:30 – The venture studio model explained01:03:30 – Governments, policy, and sector-specific studios01:16:30 – Closing thoughts: doubling startup success rates⸻⚔️ Forge Your Edge👉 Subscribe to the newsletter for deep dives: https://go.brix.consulting/ForgeOfUnicorns👉 Learn more about the Unicorns’ Ecosystem our Venture Studio operative system for software organization, born on Ferrari Formula 1 and improved with over 2 decades of research: https://unicorns-ecosystem.com/⸻🏷️#Startups #VentureCapital #AI #VentureStudios #ForgeOfUnicorns #leadership #incubadoras #accelerator #ai #aiinvesting #investing #investment #podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is software still the Wild West—with no universal quality standards?In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, 🎙️ Noël Bauza (CEO of Zei) reveals why organizations are running on systems with zero agreed measures of quality, and how the scientific method gives leaders the clarity to evolve with confidence.🚨 Agile frameworks and AI buzzwords aren’t saving companies from failure.Instead, CEOs are betting their futures on software with no safety net—flying blind on vanity metrics, customer reviews, or gut feelings.Noël explains why this is dangerous, how ESG transparency is reshaping the business landscape, and why leaders who adopt the scientific method as their operating system are the ones who survive disruption.⸻💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:- ESG is crucial for companies to measure their environmental and social impact.- Data is essential for understanding and addressing global challenges.- The scientific method can enhance decision-making in business.- Quality standards in software are often subjective and lacking.- Customer satisfaction is linked to adaptability and transparency.- Neuroscience can play a role in improving business practices.- AI's impact on jobs raises important ethical questions.- Company culture influences employee motivation and productivity.- Transparency in data fosters a proactive work environment.- Innovation requires effective communication and collaboration.⸻🧠 Key Quotes“Without data, we are not an intelligent species.” – Noël Bauza“The more closely you stick to the scientific method, the more likely you are to succeed.”⸻📰 Read more👉 Subscribe to the newsletter to deep dive into every weekly episode:🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/⸻Subject: Sorry about the glitch – Episode with Noël is fixed! 🦄🎙️Dear Forge of Unicorns listeners,We owe you an apology! Episode 71 of Forge of Unicorns with Noël was published with a technical glitch – two minutes of silence right in the middle of our discussion about the scientific method applied to software engineering.We’ve fixed the issue, and the corrected version is now live. 🎧If you listened to the earlier release, we encourage you to revisit the episode to catch the full, uninterrupted conversation.Thank you for your patience and for being such an engaged community. Your feedback helps us keep improving and keep forging the next generation of unicorns together. 🦄✨Happy listening,Mike & the Forge of Unicorns Team Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unicorns are dying. Cockroaches creep us out. The future belongs to Camel Startups: resilient, human-centric, and engineered to survive.In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, host Michele “Mike” Brissoni sits down with Umar Munshi, CEO of HasanVC, to explore how ethical investing, halal venture capital, and the venture studio model are reshaping the future of entrepreneurship.🌍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode✔️ Why 99% of Unicorns fail — and how Camels survive harsh conditions.✔️ How ethical and halal investing principles (fairness, shared prosperity, long-term value) create more sustainable outcomes.✔️ Why the VC power law pushes founders into shortcuts — and how Camel Startups break the cycle.✔️ The role of Venture Studios in building resilient companies from zero to one.✔️ Why AI should enhance humans, not replace them — and how the right governance protects talent.✔️ The importance of purpose-driven organizations that put humans, fulfillment, and community at the core.✔️ How the Unicorns’ Ecosystem + BOKaRy governance model serve as the operating system for modern venture studios.🐪 Why Camel Startups MatterUnicorns are mythical. They grow fast, burn cash even faster, and collapse under their own hype.Cockroach startups? They survive — but no one wants to build them.Camel startups are different:They survive the harshest markets.They scale responsibly when opportunities arise.They are engineered through discipline, cooperation, and hard work — not magic.HasanVC, guided by halal ethics and human-centric investing, is pioneering this model — and showing investors a way forward.💸 The Problem with Venture Capital TodayTraditional VC relies on the power law: spray money across dozens of startups and hope one or two unicorns pay for the rest.The result?98% of portfolio companies fail.Founders are pushed into shortcuts, hype, and unsustainable growth.Burnout and disengagement spread across teams.Investors gamble on mythical outliers instead of predictable outcomes.🏗️ The Solution: Venture Studios + Unicorns’ EcosystemHasanVC believes the answer lies in venture studios — where ideas are validated, co-founders are supported, and companies are built systematically from zero to one with behavioral engineering not by luck. A model that mirrors our Unicorns’ Ecosystem, and our revolutionary Governance Layer (BOKaRy)🧭 Purpose, Ethics & Halal InvestingHasanVC anchors every decision in intention (niyyah) — why do we build, not just what we build.Halal principles ensure:Fairness in contracts.Shared prosperity between founders, investors, and employees.Long-term sustainability over short-term speculation.This approach resonates far beyond the Muslim community — it’s a model of human-centric capitalism for everyone.Hashtags:#CamelStartups #UnicornsEcosystem #EthicalInvesting #HalalVC #VentureStudios #Podcast #Leadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to Tyler Robertson's inspiring entrepreneur story of building a $100 million business from the ground up. This motivational podcast episode covers everything from how to start a business to insights on heavy duty truck scanner and truck diagnostic tool. Hear how he achieved success through hard work and determination and his journey in entrepreneurship.---What if a diesel mechanic just outbuilt your tech org?This episode of Forge of Unicorns reveals how Tyler Robertson turned a simple customer obsession into a $100M software empire — with no VC, no Agile, and no hype.👇 In this episode:• How deep domain knowledge can beat top-tier tech hires• Why 50 developers got fired… and replaced by 8• The real ROI of customer obsession• The origin story of the BOKARY model: the North Star for software behavior and board-level profitability🧠 “We had 50 developers and couldn’t ship. So we blew it all up. Kept 8. Started from scratch.” — Tyler Robertson⸻📌 Timestamps 07:00 – From grease stains to product vision10:05 – Understanding customer pain points16:57 – Leadership, clarity, and developer debt21:07 – The software dilemma: sustainable growth VS tech debt collapse26:16 – Learning from failure: the infinite delivery34:19 – What true customer obsession sounds like42:21 – Predictive maintenance + product evolution52:10 – High-performing talents: the grit mentality57:40 – The impact of 10 years of growth: Purpose, people, and product ROI01:04:06 – The Anticipatory Organizations mindset applied to the AI revolution🔗 Extra Link:Podcast Tyler and Daniel Burrus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuENITUDCtA⸻📈 This episode launches our last evolution: the Behavioral-OKR revolutionThe BOKARY model finally bridges what boards want to know:➡️ What’s the ROI of my software org?➡️ How do I connect behavior, delivery, and investor-level returns?Explore the system built for your organizational evolution:🔗 https://unicorns-ecosystem.com/Next Thursday, more details will be revealed in our podcast deep dive.Don't miss it! Subscribe to the Forge 🔥 of Unicorns newsletter.⸻To stay up-to-date, subscribe to our different channels:🎧 Listen to the podcast on the go on Spotify, Apple & Acast 📰 Read the newsletter🎥 Subscribe for more no-fluff, boardroom-grade episodes⸻#TylerRobertson #ForgeOfUnicorns #DieselLaptops #CustomerObsession #SoftwareROI #CTO #FounderToCEO #BehavioralEngineering #OKBR #BOKARY #TechLeadership #ProductDevelopment #AgileTheater #VC #SoftwareDelivery #NoVC #TechPodcast #DeepDive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The $30B Mistake: Why Startups Fail and Investors Sleepwalk Through It💥 Massimiliano Sulpizi exposes what’s broken in **venture capital** and offers a cure: **Equity Match**, a platform blending **AI**, mentorship, and real founder support. Discover how he's teaching startups to build, not just pitch, in a world where 97.5% still fail.---🧠 Executive Summary:This world is sick.Startups are collapsing. Founders are burning out. Investors are flying blind.And no one is asking the question that actually matters:Can this team really build?In this episode of *Forge of Unicorns*, we sit down with Massimiliano Sulpizi, founder of Equity Match, who delivers a raw, unfiltered reality check on today’s startup ecosystem—and brings a cure.He reveals:- Why 97.5% of startups fail- Why most VCs don’t know how to assess technical founders or software quality- Why platforms offering funding without coaching are setting founders up to fail- How Equity Match is rewriting the rules: helping founders *before* they’re investor-ready- How the new Equity Match Academy helps entrepreneurs learn from real experience, not theoryWe match Max’s ground truth with the macro data from VC latest report on the collapse in early-stage capital—and show you the solution hiding in plain sight:The Software Craftsmanship Dojo®, a behavioral and technical benchmark for startup health.---🎙️ Key Quotes:- “Digital natives are not engineers. And investors are not mechanics.”- “Startups pitch, but nobody checks if they can build.”- “The future is open sourcing.”---🔗 Links & Resources:🌐 Explore Equity Match🧪 Try the Software Craftsmanship Dojo®📬 Subscribe to Forge of Unicorns---📌 Hashtags & Tags:#VentureCapital #EquityMatch #Startups #FounderSupport #AngelInvesting#BehavioralEngineering #StartupFailure #TechDueDiligence #ForgeOfUnicorns #AI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Succession isn’t just an HBO drama.It’s real. It’s messy. And when it happens inside a high-growth SaaS company, it can break everything.In this raw, unfiltered episode of Forge of Unicorns, we sit down with 🇫🇷 Adrien Salvat, CEO of WebInterpret to launch our brand-new format:🎙️ “𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗢”💥 What’s the story?Adrien didn’t just survive a founder exit.He rebuilt the company — culturally, structurally, and emotionally — without losing his people.And he did it while staring down the biggest hype tsunami of the decade: GenAI.“If you’re transparent with your people—they give it back to you.”— Adrien Salvat🔎 What’s inside the episode:- The emotional trauma no playbook prepares you for- Why transparency is the new leadership operating system- What happens when culture breaks—and how to rebuild it- The danger of AI adoption without behavioral readiness- How to create positive stress and psychological safety- Why SW Craftsmanship, OKRs, and trust are the real stack for evolution🚫 What this is NOT:- Another story of VC theatre with a happy slide deck- A framework-first “transformation” pitch- A postmortem on failed agile or AI hype✅ What this IS for you 🫵:- A masterclass in behavioral leadership- A blueprint for CEOs navigating transition- A glimpse inside the Unicorns’ Ecosystem at work:- Transparency. Craftsmanship. OKRs. Evolution.🎯 Who should watch this:- CEOs & founders facing culture fatigue or post-merger trauma- PE/VC leaders tracking sustainable SaaS governance- Engineering and product leaders lost in GenAI noise- Anyone tired of frameworks that don’t solve people problems🔗 Mentioned:- BriX Consulting- WebInterpret - SW Craftsmanship Dojo®- Unicorns’ Ecosystem📣 Subscribe to Forge of UnicornsBecause the next unicorns won’t be built by frameworks.They’ll be built by leaders who evolve with their people.#CEO #Leadership #CultureShift #SaaS #OKRs #ForgeOfUnicorns #BehavioralEngineering #DigitalEvolution #Podcast #ai #duet #podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

💥 Your tech budget is burning—and hiring hype can kill your culture.Here’s the brutal truth:Boards are shelling out $1M+ to AI engineers—none of whom are scientists in the classical senseMeta’s Superintelligence Lab just dangled $100M–$300M packages for top AI talent, while tens of thousands of good people got laid offWorse: Investors are funding AI hires not to build software, but to create products that enable layoffs—fueling a toxic, nonsensical cycleIn this eye-opening episode, Michele Brissoni sits down with Sean Smith to reveal how hype hires destroy ROI, while true transformation demands behavioral discipline and operational mastery.🎯 What You’ll Discover:💸 The Meta Superintelligence paradox: sky-high compensation, no neuroscience depth🤡 Why the $1M AI hire is the ultimate mercenary—money in, culture out🧩 The blinding absurdity: “10 certified Scrum Masters shouting at one coder”🏎️ Why building like an F1 pit crew beats superstar hiring🔁 How small, disciplined steps produce real, sustainable ROI🗣️ Quotes That Hit Hard:“We are people from the market, providing them a lot of cash … not their culture.”“10 Scrum Masters screaming at one paddling engineer.”“This performance isn’t achievable with casual leadership.”💡 If You Care About…Keeping your team (and culture) alive during layoffsSpending on tools or people that actually deliver ROILeadership that doesn’t cheat the process…this episode cuts through the noise.🚀 Stop Buying, Start TrainingWant to stop lighting cash on fire?Cut through the hype. Cultivate behavior. Build talent from within—daily.Begin with a behavioral assessment and start evolving with the Unicorns’ Ecosystem.👉 https://unicorns-ecosystem.com/📥 Subscribe & Stay WokeDon’t miss the next episode—hit 🔔 and subscribe now.🏷️ Tags#DigitalTransformation #AI #Layoffs #Meta #EngineeringCulture #BehavioralEngineering #TechLeadership #Podcast #UnicornsEcosystem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI was supposed to help us build organizations faster.Instead, it’s flooding the market with fragile MVPs and founders who lack the knowledge to scale.Welcome to Episode 65 of Forge of Unicorns, where illusions shatter and the ugly truths of software engineering are exposed.🎧 This week: Most Capital founders Kamila Michalkiewicz and Ágúst Berg Arnarsson join us to unpack the real risks behind AI-fueled hype in startups and web3 organizations.--- 🔍 What You’ll Learn:• Why most AI-generated MVPs are architectural disasters• How “vibe coding” is the new silent killer of early-stage investments• What investors should look for in technical due diligence• The rise of impostor CTOs and how to spot them• How Most Capital uses behavioral engineering + coaching to fix founder-team dynamics• Why scaling requires engineering mastery, not pitch decks--- 💣 Power Quotes:“It looked like a working product. But it was built with AI, and the CEO had no idea how to scale it.” Michele Brissoni, host“You can get an MVP out of the box. But when complexity shows up, the whole thing crumbles.” Ágúst Berg Arnarsson“We ask 40 questions. If we smell ChatGPT copy/paste, then we just have the first 🚩 red flag.” Kamila Michalkiewicz--- 🧠 If You’re a…VC or Private Equity partner:Learn how to spot technical red flags before your money vanishes in GenAI chaos.CEOs and Startup founders:Find out if your prototype is truly production-ready, or if you’re riding a timebomb of tech debt.CTO or Board Member:Discover how to protect your org from impostors, mediocrity, and code rot.--- 🛠️ Related Links:🔗 Subscribe to Forge of Unicorns Newsletterhttps://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/🔗 Learn about the Unicorns' Ecosystem and the Software Craftsmanship Dojo®https://unicorns-ecosystem.com/https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/🔗 Connect with Michele Brissoni on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebrissoni/--- 📢 Call to Action:✅ Like, comment, and share this episode to spread awareness.💬 Drop your story: Have you been burned by vibe-coded tech?🔔 Subscribe to stay ahead of the behavioral evolution curve.🚀 Let’s evolve your organization, leveraging our free assessment:https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/#get-started Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🤔 Startups pitch AI like magic. But what happens when vibe-coded prototypes crash in production?👉 Who’s inspecting the code, not just the pitch deck?In this Forge of Unicorns episode, Dr. Jeremy Krell—Managing Partner at Revere Partners—reveals how real VCs assess risk in a post-hype market. With 40% of Revere’s portfolio in software, Jeremy’s team doesn’t just bet on the founder—they inspect the architecture, the codebase, and the clinical impact.From the operating room to the terminal, Mike & Jeremy show us why engineering diligence is no longer optional.👉 Why most AI-first startups fail the production test👉 Why vibe-coded prototypes are a liability in regulated markets👉 How real VCs use software as a behavioral signal👉 And why Revere’s CTO has the final say on who gets funded⸻🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why AI-generated code is failing real-world production tests• How clinical venture capital teams assess code quality and cultural alignment• Why behavioral due diligence matters more than resumes• How Roger Penrose’s Gödel argument debunks the myth of AI consciousness• Why Yoshua Bengio says agency + deception are the next wave of AI risk• What it takes to govern AI-first orgs beyond checklists and demos⸻🎙️ Key Quote from Jeremy Krell:“AI today writes code like a high school student. Useful as an assistant. Dangerous as an engineer.”⸻🧠 Why This Matters — Right NowAI-generated prototypes are flooding every industry.Most founders pitch speed—but ignore code quality, user impact, and long-term viability.And boards are still flying blind, unaware of the liabilities shipped to production.That’s why real due diligence must evolve—from checking resumes to assessing behavior, craftsmanship, and code.Because in healthcare and AI, the margin for error is gone.Revere’s model isn’t just about capital. It’s about care.⸻🛠️ Ready to See How You Compare?🎯 Want to benchmark your tech and software due diligence?👉 Start your free assessment⸻✅ Subscribe to the 🎥 YouTube Channel!💬 Comment: Is your software ready for investor-grade production?🪧 Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter to stay up to date with our deep dives!⸻📖 Chapters & Timestamps00:00 – Intro01:00 – From dentist to VC: Jeremy’s unique edge02:46 – What Revere Partner is investing in07:23 – Why 40% of the portfolio is software14:59 – How to measure quality of: care & software21:49 – Due diligence beyond decks in the AI-era: what Revere really looks at26:18 – AI vibe coding is knocking at your door. Limits of AI code generated31:48 – AI in healthcare: the importance of data, AI-first approach limits45:42 – The duet Healthcare & Software: the CARE we need to embrace52:57 – Jeremy's call for action and final thoughts55:55 – Final salute⸻🔗 Hashtags & Topics#leadership #duediligence #audit #ai #behavioralengineering #vc #TechnicalDueDiligence #codequality #artificialintelligence #ethicalai #ProductionTest #cto #investing #aiethics #privateequity #ceo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🤔 Investors are pouring billions into AI. But what if this is dot-com bubble 2.0?👉 Who will spot the real risks — hidden inside the code, and inside the culture?In this Forge of Unicorns episode, Maria de la Puente, one of the most respected investor advisors, reveals why today’s boards must evolve fast — or risk flying blind.From the boardroom to the engineering floor, Mike & Maria expose the trust gaps no spreadsheet can fix:👉 Why trusted TECH advisors and NEDs are now critical to governance👉 Why behavioral signals are the new frontier for evaluating AI-driven organizations👉 Why the next bubble may already be inflating under our feet.⸻🎧 Episode 63: Is the AI Bubble Coming? Who Do You Trust to Deal With It?Boards must evolve fast — because AI bets can’t be governed the old way.You can’t govern code, architecture, or behavioral dynamics with spreadsheets alone.The smartest investors know it.They’re onboarding trusted TECH advisors and NEDs — and building governance that can scale with this new era.Will your board evolve — or be blindsided?⸻🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• Why the next big AI risks are not technical — they’re behavioral• How to spot the trust gap in AI-driven companies• Why many AI founders are building fragile businesses• How smart boards and funds are changing their governance playbook• The role of behavioral signals (KBI) in de-risking AI investments• What it takes to build AI-ready governance — and avoid the next bubble⸻🎙️ Key Quote from Maria de la Puente:“We don’t want to repeat the same story of the dot-com bubble.We’re putting money into AI — but we don’t know about AI.And these people know about AI — but they don’t know about business.So how can we trust these investments?”⸻🧠 Why This Matters — Right NowThe AI bubble risk is real.And most boards are not ready.Governing AI-driven organizations requires more than dashboards.It requires behavioral governance, technical mastery — and the wisdom to see through the hype.The boards that evolve now → will lead.The boards that delay → will be left behind.In this episode, we show how to evolve — before it’s too late.⸻🛠️ Ready to See How You Compare?🎯 Want to benchmark your governance against Unicorn-grade orgs?👉 Start your free assessment: https://brix.consulting/contact/✅ Subscribe to the YouTube channel!🎥 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@brixconsulting💬 Comment: How ready is your board to govern AI-driven organizations?📰 Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter to stay up to date with our deep dives!🎧 Spotify🎧 Apple Podcast⸻🔗 Hashtags & Topics#ForgeOfUnicorns #AIBubble #AI #digitalgovernancemodel #bubble #BehavioralEngineering#PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #technical #NED #TechnicalNED #trustedadvisor #leadershipintech #cto #trending #advisor #investing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🤔 Why did Mining ⛏️, Formula 1 🏎️, and MotoGP 🏍️ evolve—and Software didn’t?In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, Nicolás Bañados, Managing Partner at Galgo Capital, helps us uncover the behavioral system behind industries that evolved from danger to precision—while the software world is still fighting over frameworks and labels.From mines to pitlanes, Mike draws the powerful parallel:In all those environments, people arrive as apprentices—and evolve into high-performance professionals through structured mentorship, feedback loops, and mastery.⸻🎧 Episode 62: The Common Secret Behind Mining, F1 & MotoGP EvolutionLet’s Finally Bring It to Software.Mine workers went from swinging pickaxes to piloting 50-ton excavators remotely.F1 and MotoGP engineers now prototype, test, and iterate at millisecond speed in some of the most regulated environments on Earth.And yet—they do it through engineering blended with craft, not checklists.They all did one thing software forgot to do:👉 Pair engineering with craftsmanship.💡 Engineering paired with craftsmanship is not a luxury.It’s survival—the only way to evolve without drowning in bureaucracy, tools, or hollow “transformation” initiatives.🧱 What Software Gets WrongWhile other industries evolved, we in tech bought templates.Frameworks. Acronyms. Certification schemes.We tried to outsource mastery with blueprints and SaaS tools—ignoring the reality:🧨 Digital transformation fatigue is real.It breeds burnout, disengagement, and leaves people too numb to embrace the next big change.But there’s another way.We found it.And it works.🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:• How high-risk industries evolved through mentorship and behavioral design• Why software teams burn out under rigid process instead of growing through real feedback• How to build true socio-technical systems using the Unicorns’ Ecosystem• The role of Nonviolent Communication in team and leadership transformation• What it takes to design an evolutionary path from apprentice to high-impact engineer🎙️ Key Quote from Nicolás Bañados:“The guy who used to dig in tunnels with a pickaxe can’t walk into a modern control room and succeed.He needs mentorship, time in the field, and behavioral evolution.Software is no different.”🧠 Why This Matters—Right NowAs we enter the AI-native era, software must evolve.But evolution isn’t a toolset. It’s a mindset.It’s time to stop rebranding frameworks—and start rebuilding mastery.We don’t need new labels.We need systems of care, precision, and unity.We’ve built that system.And in this episode, we’re showing it to the world.⸻🛠️ Ready to See How You Compare?🎯 Want to benchmark your teams against Unicorn-grade orgs?👉 Start your free assessment: https://brix.consulting/contact/✅ Subscribe to the YouTube channel!🎥  ⁨@brixconsulting⁩ 💬 Comment: What’s blocking evolution in your org right now?🪧 Subscribe to the LinkedIn Newsletter to stay up to date with our deep dives!📰 https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you prepared for the real risks of CEO succession, or any other CXO hiring? In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, investor and behavioral screening expert Ron Ondechek reveals the hidden traps that boardrooms, PE/VC firms, and founders face every time a new CEO is chosen. Every time a new leader joins your organization. The risks connected with casual HR hiring by pedigree and resume.🔑 What you’ll learn:Why over 4,000 CEO candidates fail each year—and what makes the “1” stand outThe behavioral engineering secrets behind real-world leadership transitionsThe emotional trauma and cultural risks every succession and new hire triggers (but most leaders ignore)How the Unicorns’ Ecosystem and Stanford-inspired frameworks are rewriting culture and due diligence for elite organizationsWhy “hiring for resume” is building a graveyard of mediocrity in the digital ageWhy the majority of your leadership notch your organization down, rather than upPower Quote:“We look for people who can earn respect on the field. Not just executives with the right pedigree.”Timestamps & Deep Dives:0:00 – Intro: The trillion-dollar problem of CEO succession4:54 – What is CEO succession?11:53 – The 4,000-to-1 filter: inside Ron’s CEO selection process18:20 – Emotional trauma, founder psychology, and hidden risks25:57 – How the right leader powers cultural putting their skin in the game 30:35 – The risks of onboarding people with a canonical HR department35:28 – The power of social interactions41:20 – Culture in the software industry is fluctuating too rapidly50:44 – Software industry oxymoron. Ron’s warning: how to avoid the next hiring disaster58:33 – Final thoughtsDon’t miss:🎥 XP 2024 conference and related 🧪 Experience Report on the SW Craftsmanship Dojo®🎥 IAD 2024 conference: building a culture of SW Craftsmanship🎥 IT Revolution ETLS 2024: in the heart of the SW Craftsmanship Dojo®For more insights, subscribe to my other digital resources:📰 Forge of Unicorns Newsletter on LinkedIn🥋 SW Craftsmanship Dojo🦄 Unicorns Ecosystem 🌱Subscribe for more brutally honest conversations on digital leadership, culture, and what it really takes to build a unicorn in today’s world.And don’t forget to join the Forge of Unicorns newsletter for your weekly deep dive!#CEO #SuccessionPlanning #BehavioralEngineering #ForgeOfUnicorns #PrivateEquity #Leadership #CultureFit #Stanford #UnicornsEcosystem #ExecutiveSearch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🕯️ The Torch 🔥 AI-First Leaders Dropped: Purpose---Klarna. Babylon. Forward.Three companies. Three massive AI-first bets.All failed.Why? They scaled tech. They injected the market hype: #AIBut, they forgot to align humans in their AI-driven organization!In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, VC and unicorn builder Pedro Lopez Sela joins Mike to expose the deeper reason behind these collapses… and the blueprint that could have prevented them.🚫 This isn’t about tools, frameworks, or automation.🎯 It’s about purpose. Behavior. And the human operating system every elite company needs.Tune in — and find out what your board might be ignoring right now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agile is collapsing under its own market weight.Drowned in certifications, fake agility coaches, and checkbox processes.The purpose? Forgotten.The manifesto? Commercialized.The results? Burnout, silos, disengagement.It’s not a transformation.It’s a crime scene.💥 But what if we could resurrect Agile from the wreckage?Not with another framework.Not with another Jira template.But with OKRs — the real ones.👉 Not dashboards.👉 Not vanity metrics.👉 But behavioral scaffolding — rewiring the way people think, act, and build.In this episode, John Cowan (NextWave VC) unpacks how OKRs, when rooted in engineering mastery, XP discipline, and behavioral science, can become a true operating system for cultural evolution.And that’s where the Unicorns’ Ecosystem takes over:🔁 Key Results designed to shift behavior🧠 Key Behavior Indicators that map cultural friction🥋 Software Craftsmanship Dojo to encode technical excellence💡 Egoless collaboration as a team operating norm“Agile only works when you layer OKRs on top.”– John CowanThe Agile you were promised isn’t dead.It’s waiting to be rebuilt — one virtuous behavior at a time.👇 Full drop inside.---🚨 GET STARTED - SW Craftsmanship Dojo Assessment🧪 Want to know how your team scores against elite development?Take the Craftsmanship Dojo Assessment and get your org benchmark.If your score is low, your entire org is one vibe-coded sprint away from irrelevance.Don’t wait for the layoffs.Start evolving today.👉 https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/#get-started Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They think they’re doing software right. But they’ve never seen real excellence.That’s the leadership trap and why companies stall, lose talent, and drift into mediocrity.In this honest conversation with unicorn builder Alexander Steeb, we expose the hidden dysfunctions behind underperforming IT teams, blind leadership, and the cost of hype-driven decisions.👉 Why most organizations don’t know what good looks like👉 How “walking assets” leave silently when excellence is missing👉 Why founders need coaching more than capital👉 And what PE firms must fix before trying to scaleThis one’s for CEOs, investors, and board members tired of “transformation” and ready for real evolution.🎧 Listen now and find out if your team is truly building toward excellence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Compliance isn’t excellence.And in today’s IT world, that illusion is costing millions — and lives.In this powerful episode, Michele Brissoni (Creator of the Unicorns’ Ecosystem and SW Craftsmanship Dojo®) is joined by Ute Mercker (Investment Director @IBB Ventures) to uncover a brutal but critical truth:✅ In healthcare, regulations protect human lives.👨🏻‍⚕️ But it’s doctors’ mastery, ethics, and relentless practice that actually save them.✅ In IT and software-driven organizations, leadership often hides behind compliance.🏥 But without behavioral excellence, they’re building risk — not resilience.✅ Compliance might keep you out of court.⚰️ But only mastery, like in a surgery room, will keep you alive in business.⸻Topics we explore in this conversation:• Why compliance isn’t enough to ensure excellence in modern industries• The dangers of “false safety” in software development and leadership• The awakening IT leadership must face to survive AI disruption• How behavioral engineering builds unbreakable organizations• How to upskill your org to the socio-technical excellence of healthcare⸻🎯 Awakening Week ThemeIf you lead a tech team, a company, or a portfolio…Now is the time to evolve. Compliance is just the starting block.Neuroscience-driven coaching is your real safeguard.🥋 Join the SW Craftsmanship Dojo® and elevate your software organization to elite standards:🌐 https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/#get-started📊 Request a non-binding Organizational Assessment to benchmark your company against true behavioral excellence.⸻🦄 Subscribe to The Forge of Unicorns for weekly insights in behavioral engineering, leadership, and transformation:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-forge-of-unicorns-7184097792242458624/🎥 Join the Deep Dive and explore the full narrative on LinkedIn.⸻🔖 Hashtags:#Leadership #Technology #Healthcare #BehavioralEngineering #PrivateEquity #SoftwareDevelopment #venturecapital #healthcare #podcast #elite #transformation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most startups don’t die from bad code. They die from bad leadership.In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, I sit down with Bryony Cooper (VC, founder, and human-first investor) to unravel the silent killers of startup growth: vanity metrics, boardroom dysfunction, and uncoached leadership.🚨 You’ll learn:• Why professionalism becomes non-negotiable at Series A/B• How bad behavior at the top spreads like wildfire• Why burnout isn’t a founder failure—it’s a system failure• How elite organizations scale people and systems together• The power of a neuroscience-based leadership dojo to rewire culture“Every type of business is about people first.” – Bryony Cooper“You don’t find unicorns. You breed them via behavioral engineering” – Michele Brissoni📈 If you’re still betting on tools instead of people, you’re scaling chaos.🔊 Listen now and unlock what it really takes to evolve beyond the hype.📲 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.💡 Download the open-source Dojo and start building from within.https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/📬 Or contact us to get support in your journey to organizational excellence!https://brix.consulting/contact/#Leadership #VentureCapital #BehavioralEngineering #StartupGrowth #Upskilling #Burnout #Elite #Organizations #podcast #tech #techtalk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 EP55 – From Mediocracy to Mastery 🧭 Rewiring Leadership🏷️ How to escape organization mediocracy!Most teams aren’t broken — their leadership is underpowered.In this pivotal episode, Calm Capital’s Marty Balkema and David Horne reveal what really fuels sustainable growth: stewardship, not transformation.From owning vertical SaaS companies to rebuilding cultures from the boardroom down, Calm Capital shows us what happens when leadership gets the coaching, clarity, and support it actually needs.🧠 Inside the episode:Why 91% of digital transformations fail — and how stewardship flips the equation.The secret sauce behind Calm Capital’s high-performing software portfolio.Why emotional trauma, burnout, and disengagement are the hidden cost of leadership neglect.How the Unicorns’ Ecosystem pairs a SW Craftsmanship Dojo for developers with a dedicated evolution track for C-levels and boards — covering governance, OKRs, coaching, and strategy design.Real stories: how a 130-year-old sock manufacturer saved millions by starting small and leading smarter.🎯 This is the playbook for rewiring leadership and turning mediocracy into mastery — from founders to investors to boardroom chairs.🔍 Ready to go deeper?Get the open-source SW Craftsmanship Dojo and see how the Unicorns’ Ecosystem transforms products and people — together.🥋 https://swcraftsmanshipdojo.com/🦄 https://brix.consulting/services/unicorns-ecosystem/🔍 Want to know what’s really blocking growth in your org?We’ll run a free organizational using behavioral markers from the Unicorns’ Ecosystem — and show you where mediocracy hides (before it hits your ROI).📩 Less than 30 seconds! Just drop your email. We’ll handle the rest.No forms. No sales. Just insight.👉 https://forms.gle/eD5XXDqxgxHNAJhUA#leadership #podcast #stewardship #unicornsecosystem #softwareengineering #privateequity #organizationaldesign #OKRs #coaching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we say “mediocrity is a leadership choice,” we’re not just being dramatic. In this first face-off between researcher and investor, Mike challenges the venture capital mindset—and VC Oussama Glilah (@ Razor Capital) doesn’t just agree… he confirms it all.💥 From the absence of engineering standards to the myth of plug-and-play talent, this episode dismantles the fantasy that unicorns are born from flashy ideas or frameworks.🔧 They’re built—through behaviorally engineered environments, prompt design, and holistic-elite upskilling that replace cookie-cutter training in favor of more modern programs based on the latest neuroplasticity discoveries!💡 Key insights you’ll hear:• Why 99% of engineers fail to meet Tier A standards—and how to grow them in-house with the SW Craftsmanship Dojo®• The leadership behaviors that unconsciously install mediocrity• How BJ Fogg’s behavioral model unlocks resilience in tech orgs• The brutal waste of $2.5T in 2024 on failed digital transformations (and how 2025 looks even worse with GenAI hype!)• Real startup stories from frontier markets—evolving through user behavior and feedback loops🧠 This isn’t your average “transformation talk” that pours in money and harvests disappointment.It’s the confirmation of two decades of research behind the Unicorns’ Ecosystem:A human-centered system where culture, leadership, and behavior are the real tech stack to build elite organizations—and the tech-savvy organizations of the future.🔊 Ready to evolve?Hit play—and find out why Tier A teams aren’t hired. They’re engineered.⸻🤿 Full deep-dive article drops Thursday → Forge of Unicorns Newsletter🎧 Available on: Acast • Spotify • Apple • YouTube#ForgeOfUnicorns #CraftsmanshipDojo #DigitalTransformation #VCInsights #BehavioralEngineering #LeadershipMatters #GenAIHype #UnicornBuilders Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this mind-blowing episode, I sit down with Andy Will, founder of Willpower Venture Capital, to reveal a bold new approach: behavioral engineering as the ultimate VC advantage.Forget spreadsheets and cookie-cutter playbooks — Andy shares how he backs founders who build elite teams, set cultural standards from day one, and scale without the chaos.🔥 Inside the episode:• Why 0.9% of tech talent is all that matters — and how to find it• How to detect and detox toxic cultures before they sink your startup• The dark truth behind failed transformations (spoiler: it’s not the tech)• Why most VCs are just “chasing tails” — and how to engineer success instead“You’re not fixing chaos. You’re scaling from a clean foundation. That’s the real edge.” — Andy Will🎯 Whether you’re a founder, investor, or tech exec trying to scale, this episode is a wake-up call.🔗 Want to engineer your next unicorn? Dive deeper at Forge of Unicorns 🦄📢 Follow the podcast + drop a 5⭐ if this one hit home.---📰 Deep Dive post: HERE🎥 Youtube version: HERE--- 🏷️ #ForgeOfUnicorns #AndyWill #BehavioralEngineering #VC #PE #Engineering #Culture #Startup #Investing #DigitalEvolution #Unicorn #Blueprint #Talents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🚀 The Quantum Shift Has Officially Begun… 🚀This week on Forge of Unicorns, we sit down with Matthew Cimaglia, Tech Innovator | Multi-Time Founder | Managing Partner at Quantum Coast Capital, leading the charge in quantum technology investments.With NVIDIA’s jaw-dropping Quantum Day announcement, the race just got real. Matthew unpacks:✅ Why Quantum is the next AI moment — but way bigger✅ How coding for Quantum today avoids tomorrow’s tech debt nightmare✅ Why the security apocalypse is closer than you think — and crappy software is doomed💣 “We either invest billions in Quantum today… or spend trillions in defense later.” 💣👉 If your organization is still struggling with GenAI, buckle up — Quantum is already knocking. This is your last chance to fix your software engineering posture before the next disruption wipes you out.🎯 Join the open-source Software Craftsmanship Dojo® — the ONLY proven way to upskill, bulletproof your tech stack, and evolve your org before it’s too late.👉 Contact us ✉️ to get it started!🎧 Listen now — before the quantum wave hits. Tomorrow’s trillion-dollar companies? They’re already coding for it.---📰 Deep Dive post: HERE🎥 Youtube version: HERE---🏷️ #NvidiaQuantum #Nvidia #Quantum #QuantumComputing #TechRevolution #AIFuture #AI #PE #VC #DigitalEvolution #SoftwareCraftsmanship #Unicorns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

💡 Most companies waste millions on digital transformation—and fail. What if, instead, you could engineer IT into a high-value asset that fuels exponential growth?93% of digital transformations fail. Companies throw money at new tech, yet only 7% see real results. Why? Because transformation isn’t just about software—it’s about leadership, execution, and strategy.🎙️ In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, Michele Brissoni sits down with Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director at Tip of the Spear Ventures, an elite business strategist who has helped companies scale from $10 million to $1 billion and beyond. With over 1,000 organizations in his portfolio, including global giants like Toyota and GM, Sam reveals why IT isn’t a cost—it’s your company’s greatest untapped goldmine.🔥 What You’ll Discover:✅ Why digital transformations fail—and the exact strategies that make the other 7% succeed.✅ How to turn IT from a budget drain into a profit center—and scale without chaos.✅ The leadership playbook behind billion-dollar companies—and why execution beats innovation.✅ Why blindly adopting Agile, DevOps, or Scaled Agile is a recipe for failure.✅ The key to breaking free from mediocracy and building high-performance teams.🚀 The Big Takeaway?At The Forge of Unicorns, we break down how to engineer high-performance companies. Sam Palazzolo proves that IT isn’t just infrastructure—it’s the hidden force that can drive massive business success.💬 Curious how this applies to your portfolio?✅ Grab your FREE organizational assessment—just mention the podcast: https://brix.consulting/contact/📥 Bonus: Explore the full article breakdown and research on LinkedIn here 👉🎧 Listen now—and discover how to make IT your secret weapon.---📰 Deep Dive post: HERE🎥 Youtube version: HERE--- 🏷️  #VentureCapital #DigitalEvolution #ITLeadership #InvestmentStrategy #TheForgeOfUnicorns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 50: The Unicorns’ Ecosystem—Flipping the Script on IT Investments 🚀📰 Original blog post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ep-50-975-investments-doomed-heres-how-top-flipping-brissoni-np79f/---💰 97.5% of IT investments NEVER reach unicorn status.📉 Even those that do, 80% see their valuations crash—nearly 30% fall below the $1B mark.🤯 Yet, most investors still rely on gut instinct instead of engineering high-performance companies from day one.🚨 Why do so many IT investments fail? More importantly—how do we fix it?In Episode 50 of The Forge of Unicorns, we pull back the curtain on the first-of-its-kind research that 50+ top PE/VC firms have now integrated into their investment strategies. We’ll reveal:🔥 Why digital transformation is a gamble—and why most investors are betting on the wrong horse.💡 The Unicorns’ Ecosystem: A data-driven, behaviorally engineered system that rewires IT organizations for success.🎙️ Investor Reactions: The moment PE/VC firms saw the data—and why their responses were mind-blowing.🛠️ The SW Craftsmanship Dojo®: The open-source weapon we gifted to investors to turn mediocre teams into elite software engineers.🎧 And here’s the best part—this episode kicks off a groundbreaking mini-series!For the first time ever, we’re bringing in some of the top investors behind today’s most dominant tech companies to contrast our research with their experience in IT investments. What worked, what failed, and why they’re integrating our NED-backed governance and hands-on Dojo system into their portfolios.The future of IT investment isn’t a bet—it’s an engineered outcome.🔎 STOP TRANSFORMING, START EVOLVING. 🚀🎙 Listen now! #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #ITInvestments #DigitalTransformation #BehavioralEngineering #AI #OKRs #PEVC #UnicornsEcosystem Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 49 - The Open-Source Playbook Investors Are Using to Engineer Unicorns 🚀📰 Original Blog post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ep-49-want-engineer-unicorns-open-source-playbook-already-brissoni-8gpuf/🛑 52% of Fortune 500 Companies Have Vanished Since 2000—Have We Really Learned Why They Failed?👉 Some investors have—and they’re quietly engineering unicorns while others keep making the same mistakes.In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we unveil the ultimate open-source playbook for Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) investors looking to transform IT from a cost sink into a billion-dollar asset.Most IT investments fail because they chase tools and frameworks instead of engineering excellence. But smart investors are flipping the script—leveraging 14 years of research and insights from 50+ top PE/VC leaders to turn tech assets into high-performance growth machines.🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:✅ The 6 dysfunctions silently killing IT investments—and why most firms ignore them.✅ How top investors are leveraging this open-source research to engineer high-valuation unicorns.✅ The hidden socio-technical markers that separate future market leaders from failures.💡 Here’s the kicker:The companies that thrive understand and measure IT and socio-technical excellence—those that don’t, vanish. This isn’t just another framework. It’s a battle-tested strategy backed by investors who build unicorns.🔥 Don’t just listen—take action!📩 Subscribe to The Forge of Unicorns Newsletter for exclusive insights on high-performance IT investments and organizations.🔁 Like, share, and spread the word—let’s build the future, together!🔗 Listen now & join the movement!#PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #UnicornInvestments #BehavioralEngineering #DigitalExcellence #ForgeOfUnicorns #Podcast #ITInvestments #TechGrowth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ EP 48 – Fake Productivity: The Deadly Illusion of AI-Generated Code 💣📰 Original blog post with all the bibliography: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ep48-fake-productivity-deadly-illusion-ai-generated-brissoni-rlp8c/---AI-generated code is flooding development workflows faster than ever—but are we really moving forward, or are we just accelerating into chaos?In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, Michele Brissoni unpacks the hard-hitting data behind two years of GenAI-assisted coding and exposes the hidden costs that investors, engineering leaders, and dev teams can’t afford to ignore:🚨 39.9% drop in refactored code—AI is prioritizing speed over quality.🚨 17.1% YoY increase in code duplication—leading to brittle, unmaintainable systems.🚨 77% of devs disengaged, 38% burned out—AI-driven outages are fueling post-production stress cycles.🔍 The reality?AI isn’t a software engineer—it’s a pattern replicator trained on an industry with more failures than successes.And with only 23% accuracy compared to a real modern engineer, GenAI is nowhere near replacing human expertise.🤔 So, what’s the way forward?The KBI Framework + SW Craftsmanship Dojo® injects the socio-technical excellence needed to:✅ Use AI as a cognitive amplifier, not a blind coding machine.✅ Reduce burnout by balancing automation with human mastery.✅ Ensure software is built with modern engineering principles, not just “produced” by AI.💡 Join us as we break down how to harness AI for real productivity—without falling for the illusion.🎧 Listen now and future-proof your engineering strategy!#AI #SoftwareEngineering #TechDebt #GenAI #DevEx #TDD #FakeProductivity #ModernSoftwareEngineering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️💣 Lost Millions in IT? Here’s the 300% Stock Surge Playbook Auditors Loved 😍 🎙️📰 Original article - HERE.Hey digital warriors! ⚔️In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we dive deep into an incredible IT turnaround story—from hemorrhaging millions to a 300% stock surge, all thanks to behavioral engineering, OKRs, and rock-solid IT governance. 💥What’s inside this episode?✅ How a crumbling IT organization transformed into a high-performing powerhouse.✅ The secret sauce: behaviorally engineered OKRs driving both strategic and tactical execution.✅ The auditor-approved governance overhaul that had PwC calling it “one of the best-executed transformations we’ve ever assessed.” 🏛️✅ The ultimate business impact—from massive cost reductions to skyrocketing investor confidence.✅ How embedding socio-technical mastery directly into governance reduced time-to-market and accelerated innovation.💡 Real numbers. Real transformation. And a playbook that shows IT can be a profit center, not just a cost sink.🔥 Tune in now to hear how this company survived the chaos, redefined its governance, and skyrocketed its stock—all while others crashed and burned.🎧 Press play and get inspired to transform your IT from a liability into your company’s greatest asset!#DigitalTransformation #ITGovernance #OKR #BehavioralEngineering #SoftwareCraftsmanship #ForgeOfUnicorns #TechLeadership #PwC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ EP46 - Scaling Excellence: The OKR Lessons from a Bold CIO 🎙️📰 Orignal Blog Post: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ep46-scaling-excellence-okr-lessons-from-bold-cio-michele-brissoni-cbhef/?trackingId=870B2EfrQOWfg2mHtoihuw%3D%3DAre your OKRs driving true excellence, or are they just glorified KPIs enforcing compliance?In this episode, we break down a real-world transformation where a bold CIO turned OKRs into a north star for technical mastery—scaling an IT organization from near-collapse to a model of software craftsmanship.🚀 What’s inside this episode?✅ How Strategic OKRs redefine engineering standards and reshape company culture✅ Why Tactical OKRs connect technical excellence to customer satisfaction and market success✅ How this transformation led to 300% growth, higher engagement, and an auditor-approved governance model✅ The AI disruption that’s wiping out traditional Agile and IT organizations—are you prepared?📢 If your OKRs aren’t pushing your teams to evolve, they’re setting you up to fail.Tune in now to discover how the Unicorns’ Ecosystem leverages OKRs and Dojos to fuel long-term digital excellence.🎧 Listen now!#OKRs #ScalingExcellence #AIRevolution #SoftwareCraftsmanship #TechLeadership #DigitalEvolution 🚀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 45📇 From Mediocracy to Mastery: How the Dojos’ Ecosystem Became the Engine of Evolution 🌱In the AI-driven economy, software excellence isn’t a luxury—it’s a competitive necessity. The recent DeepSeek R1 launch sent shockwaves through the market, wiping over $1 trillion from the Nasdaq, proving that high-quality software beats brute-force infrastructure spending.But how do you systematically engineer a culture of excellence in software organizations? 🤔🔍 In this episode, we break it all down:✅ How a disengaged, underperforming tech hub became an elite software powerhouse 🌍🔥✅ The Dojos’ Ecosystem—a framework that integrates software craftsmanship, product mastery, agility, and leadership to create high-performance teams 🏆✅ Why the market is punishing companies that treat software as an afterthought 💰✅ The 600% cycle time acceleration that turned a stagnant site into the most advanced development center in its global organization 🚀This isn’t just another digital transformation story. It’s a playbook for how organizations can evolve—not just change—to dominate in the era of AI-driven business.🎧 Tune in now and future-proof your tech organization.👉 Listen on Acast / Spotify / Apple Podcast👉 or read the full article HERE 📰🔹 Follow for more insights on high-performance organizations leveraging software, behavioral engineering, and AI-powered business evolution! 🚀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EP 44 - Behind the Curtain: The Digital Evolution That Redefined Excellence 🎭🚀📰 Original Blog Post🔊 IT was a liability. Deployments were slow. Teams were burned out. Leadership was flying blind. Sound familiar?This episode pulls back the curtain on a real story from the trenches—where IT, once a black hole of inefficiency, was rewired into a $5B strategic goldmine.📉 What went wrong?•Legacy tech was strangling innovation.•Feature releases crawled out quarterly (if they even made it).•The team was drowning in manual processes and burnout.💡 What changed?•We mapped the dysfunctions with behavioral engineering. 🧠•We exposed anti-patterns through heatmaps. 🔥•We rewired everything—systems, processes, and leadership. 🚀🏆 The result?✅ Faster, seamless deployments with high-velocity pipelines.✅ A complete culture shift—burned-out devs became high-performance innovators.✅ IT became an asset, not a cost center.💰 For PE and VC firms, this is your wake-up call.IT is the biggest undervalued lever in your portfolio. Treat it like an afterthought, and you’ll keep bleeding money. Engineer it right, and you’ll crush the market.🔗 Listen now & discover how IT evolution redefines business success.#DigitalEvolution #BehavioralEngineering #TechExcellence #ITGoldmine #PrivateEquity #VC #SoftwareCraftsmanship #HighPerformance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 43: From Chaos to Gold – How IT Can Rise Like a Phoenix📰 Original Blog PostIn this episode, we tackle a hard truth: most IT departments are treated as cost centers, shackled by inefficiencies and shadow IT that drains profitability. Instead of driving innovation and enhancing product or service value, they’re stuck in mediocracy, operating in subpar ways that fail to contribute to organizational success.🚨 With 93% of digital transformations failing and $2.5T wasted in 2024 alone, how can IT break free from this cycle of dysfunction?🔦 We unveil the blueprint for turning IT from a liability into a strategic asset—one that drives engagement, profitability, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Backed by 14 years of in-depth research, our experimentation culminates in a comprehensive whitepaper and an upcoming podcast series featuring insights from PE/VC leaders and industry leaders. In this episode, we reveal the hidden factors crippling the IT market.💡 If you’re ready to unlock the full potential of IT in your organization and finally treat it as the goldmine it’s meant to be, this episode is your starting point.🎧 Tune in now to learn how to rewire IT for profitability and sustained growth.#DigitalTransformation #ITExcellence #SWfrist #IT #TechLeadership #Innovation #BehavioralEngineering #PE #VC #Unicorns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

📰 Original Blog Post: HERE.In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns 🦄, we uncover the #1 reason most digital transformations crash and burn—and it’s not what you think. It’s not IT teams, tech budgets, or even unrealistic timelines. The real culprit?👉 Leadership’s lack of engagement and alignment.Join us as we:💡 Explore why 70% of digital transformation failures start at the boardroom, backed by insights from McKinsey & Company.📝 Reveal how boards can rewrite the narrative by aligning purpose, strategy, and behaviors across their organizations.⛳️ Share a real-world case study where board-level shifts led to 40% faster delivery, 5-star customer satisfaction, and 30% lower costs.🔔 Discuss why throwing money at IT isn’t the answer—and what actually works.Whether you’re a board member, C-suite leader, or someone passionate about transforming organizations, this episode is packed with actionable insights and bold strategies to evolve your company into a Unicorn.📩 Contact us to learn more or share your experiences to be featured in our white paper!#LeadershipMatters | #DigitalTransformation | #BoardroomExcellence | #Innovation | #UnicornsEcosystem | #ITLeadership | #BehavioralEngineering | #StrategyExecution Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 41 - From Desert 🌵 to Forest 🌳: Turning IT Into a Goldmine of Opportunity 💰📰 Original Blog postIn this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we take you on a transformative journey, exploring how IT can evolve from a costly liability into a profit-driving, strategic asset. The secret? Behavioral Markers—or Key Behavioral Indicators (KBIs)—that reveal whether your organization is thriving in a collaborative “Forest” 🌳 or stuck in a barren “Desert” 🌵.Join Michele Brissoni as he unpacks how KBIs go beyond metrics like DORA or SPACE to address the why behind team behaviors. Drawing insights from Bob Marshall’s Hearts ♥️ over Diamonds 💎 philosophy and Kent Beck’s compelling Forest vs. Desert analogy, we explore:•How KBIs act as leading indicators of success.•The powerful connection between behaviors, KPIs, and OKRs.•Practical steps leaders can take to shift organizational culture from reactive to proactive.•The emotional and financial ROI of a thriving IT ecosystem.This episode is more than a discussion—it’s a call to action for leaders who are ready to evolve their organizations. Whether you’re cultivating your “Forest” 🌳 or looking for a way out of the “Desert” 🌵, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you unlock IT’s true potential.👉 Ready to transform your IT culture? Tune in now and take the first step toward sustainable high performance!🎧 Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube#BehavioralEngineering #ITExcellence #UnicornsEcosystem #ForestVsDesert #KeyBehavioralIndicators #HearthsOVerDiamonds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Podcast Description: Episode 40 – Scaling IT Excellence: From Transformation to Evolution 🎙️🚀📰 Original blog post HEREIn this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we cut through the noise of buzzwords and hype to address the heart of IT’s most critical challenge: scaling excellence. 💡The numbers don’t lie:•91% of digital transformations fail (McKinsey, 2020).•77% of employees are disengaged, costing billions in lost productivity (Gallup, 2024).•And let’s not forget, 38% of professionals are burned out (Infinite Potential, 2024).So, how do you escape the cycle of transformation doom? You evolve. 🌱This episode dives into:•The deadly traps of traditional IT transformations—and why they fail to create lasting change.•How behavioral engineering identifies and addresses the root causes of disengagement and inefficiencies.•Real-world strategies to transform IT from a liability into a ROI-generating powerhouse.With a blend of actionable insights, case studies, and behavioral engineering principles, this is your guide to navigating IT’s stormy waters and building a scalable foundation for success. 🌟🎧 Ready to evolve your IT strategy? Hit play and join the revolution!#DigitalEvolution #BehavioralEngineering #ITExcellence #TheForgeOfUnicorns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Podcast Title: EP39 – A Year to Remember: Reflecting on 2024 and the Road Ahead 🌟📰 Original Blog HERE2024 was a year like no other for the IT world—marked by firsts, challenges, and transformative insights. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the highlights, lessons, and pivotal moments that shaped the year.🎙️ What’s Inside?•📈 The IT Inflation Era: How 2024 rewrote history with the first-ever IT inflation and its impact on budgets and priorities.•🧠 Burnout and Engagement Stagnation: Unpacking Gallup’s 2024 report—23% engagement and 38% burnout—and what it means for the future of work.•📰 The Forge of Unicorns Highlights: From VW’s CarID crisis to the CrowdStrike disaster and the pitfalls of AI-generated code, we celebrate the year’s most impactful articles.•🌍 Conference Spotlight: Insights from IT Revolution, XP2024, and IAD24, plus the honor of being featured on The Pragmatic Engineer’s list of top tech speakers.•🚀 2025 Sneak Peek: Upcoming projects, including a groundbreaking book, enhanced partnerships, and plans to evolve the IT landscape further.This episode is a celebration of resilience, evolution, and the power of behavioral engineering to tackle the IT world’s most pressing challenges.🎧 Tune in and let’s get ready to embrace the future—because evolution doesn’t wait!Tags: #BehavioralEngineering #TechLeadership #2024Reflections #EvolutionNotTransformation #ForgeOfUnicorns #PodcastReady to evolve? Hit play now! 🚀 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 38: “The Rise of the Behavioral Engineer – How Data Fuels Transformation” 🚀In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge field of behavioral engineering and its growing influence on the IT landscape. Behavioral engineering isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a data-driven approach that transforms how organizations evolve, innovate, and thrive in an ever-changing world. 🌍📊Key takeaways include:✅ What it means to be a Behavioral Engineer and why this role is critical for the future of IT.✅ How data-driven insights unlock organizational transformation and measurable ROI.✅ The foundational frameworks that empower leaders and teams to embrace continuous evolution.✅ Real-world examples of how behavioral engineering has solved complex challenges in IT.This episode also highlights how the Unicorns’ Ecosystem integrates behavioral design, socio-technical practices, and advanced analytics to redefine success for teams and organizations alike.Join us as we uncover the power of behavioral engineering and how it’s reshaping the digital world, one data point at a time. 🌟🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ EP37 - A Real Story of Socio-Technical Evolution 🌱 The Unicorns’ TouchHow do you turn chaos into cohesion? In this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we share a real-world story of transformation—where a team on the brink of burnout and organizational dysfunction evolved into a high-performing unit delivering an industry-leading platform. 🚀🔎 What You’ll Discover:•The nitty gritty details of the Unicorns' Ecosystem in action!•How socio-technical alignment 🌱 and behavioral engineering 🔧 turned daily firefighting into focused, meaningful work.•The role of product thinking and OKRs in aligning teams from the boardroom to the delivery floor.•Why prioritizing the human factor—through upskilling, collaboration, and purpose—leads to innovation and sustainable results.📊 This isn’t theory. It’s a case study on how the Unicorns’ Ecosystem empowers teams to evolve, reducing costs, boosting ROI, and driving digital excellence.🎧 If you’re a CXO, Private Equity, or VC leader, this episode will show you how investing in socio-technical evolution can unlock the hidden potential of your teams and IT assets.Tune in, and let’s explore how you can stop transforming—and start evolving. 🌱👉 Listen now and subscribe for more insights!#DigitalTransformation #BehavioralEngineering #SocioTechnicalEvolution #Leadership #TeamExcellence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 36: Unlocking the Wisdom of #IAD24 - Talks That Inspire Digital Transformation SuccessIn this episode of The Forge of Unicorns, we dive into the brilliance of the Italian Agile Day 2024 (#IAD24), where transformative ideas, inspiring stories, and actionable insights took center stage. 🌟Join us as we explore:•Michele Brissoni’s talk, “Stop Transforming, Start Evolving,” where socio-technical evolution and behavioral engineering redefine digital transformation. 🌱•Andrea Provaglio’s insights into the Agile Manifesto, revisiting its roots to uncover its true essence. 🧠•Anna Di Girolamo’s powerful story of ethical agility driving innovation and partnership. 🤝•Roberto Bettazzoni’s brilliant analogy, framing technical debt as a financial liability every leader must understand. 💡📈 Whether you’re a digital leader, a Private Equity/Venture Capital stakeholder, or a CXO, this episode unpacks how these ideas can shape a more successful and sustainable digital transformation journey for your organization.🎧 Listen in to uncover how behavioral engineering and socio-technical evolution are changing the game!#DigitalTransformation #BehavioralEngineering #SocioTechnicalEvolution #AgileLeadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 35: The Change Strategy Revolutionizing Boardrooms—Our Unique Formula, Your Competitive Edge💼 Why do over 90% of digital transformations fail? In this episode, we break down the real reason behind these staggering stats—it’s not the tech, it’s the approach.Join us as we explore two contrasting change management scenarios through an A/B test:•Scenario A: The classic top-down trainwreck 🚂🔥.•Scenario B: A behavioral engineering masterpiece 🧠✨.Discover how small, data-driven steps can build sustainable cultures, empower leadership, and create teams that thrive on collaboration and innovation. We’ll unpack:✅ The science behind successful change management.✅ Why reciprocity and behavioral prompts matter.✅ How to align leadership, teams, and individuals to unlock exponential ROI 💰.Whether you’re in #PrivateEquity (#PE), #VentureCapital (#VC), or leading at the boardroom level, this episode will challenge how you think about transformation and leave you inspired to evolve.🔗 Ready to move from frustration to flourishing? Tune in now!🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎙️ Episode 34: The Dangerous Myth of Harmless Behaviors – Sabotaging High-Performance Organizations 🚨In this episode of Forge of Unicorns, we explore the hidden impact of “harmless” behaviors in software organizations and how they quietly undermine collaboration, innovation, and performance. Inspired by insights from behavioral engineering and real-world organizational challenges, this episode unpacks why seemingly insignificant actions can lead to cultural drift—and how to address them.🌟 Key Takeaways:•What are “harmless” behaviors, and why are they so dangerous in high-performing teams?•Examples of these behaviors, like appearing to work rather than learn, constant complaining, and neglecting shared responsibilities.•How the KBI Model (Key Behavioral Indicators) tracks and addresses these behaviors, turning dysfunction into generative culture.•A call for ethics and empathy in behavioral engineering to create sustainable, human-centered IT environments.This episode is a must-listen for leaders, teams, and change-makers looking to build healthier, more effective organizational cultures. 🌱👉 Tune in now to learn how to spot and counteract the “harmless” behaviors that might be sabotaging your team! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.