Author: Mon-Chaio Lo

  • S3E7 – Decoding Organizational Cultures

    Show Notes In this week’s episode of The TTL Podcast, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into Ron Westrom’s influential paper, “A Typology of Organizational Cultures.” The hosts unpack the compelling insights and frameworks posited by Westrom, which categorize organizational cultures into Pathological, Bureaucratic, and Generative types. Mon-Chaio and Andy also share personal anecdotes and practical examples,…

  • S3E5 – VacationCast: Rethinking Mentorship

    Show Notes In this first VacationCast episode of Season 3, with Andy out, Mon-Chaio dives into the complexities of mentorship, particularly within workplace relationships. He explores the differences between peer-to-peer mentoring and manager-direct report mentoring, the potential pitfalls of using the term ‘mentorship’ for career development or performance feedback, and the impact of these practices…

  • S3E3 – Future Search

    Show Notes In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy delve into the concept of Future Search, a powerful methodology for driving organizational change. They discuss the essence of Future Search, its origins from Marvin Weisbord’s book ‘Productive Workplaces Revisited,’ and explore why it’s crucial to involve the whole system in problem-solving. The episode provides insights into…

  • S3E1 – Why Startups Fail

    Show Notes In this first episode of Season 3, Mon-Chaio and Andy welcome listeners back and dive into the theme of ‘The Turnaround’. They analyze reasons why startups fail, discussing both proximate and distal causes. They explore insights from multiple research reports, studies, and personal experiences to paint a comprehensive picture of startup failure scenarios.…

  • S2E50 – Scaling Up: From Garage to Global (Part 5 of 5)

    Show Notes This is the last episode in a multi-part series that will explore the various stages of scaling a company using a hypothetical startup scenario inspired by ride-sharing services. In the final installment of ‘Scaling Up: From Garage to Global,’ Mon-Chaio and Andy dive deep into the complexities of integrating a newly acquired company…

  • S2E48 – Scaling Up: From Garage to Global (Part 3 of 5)

    Show Notes This is the second in a multi-part series that will explore the various stages of scaling a company using a hypothetical startup scenario inspired by ride-sharing services. In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy pick up from where they left off in part two, exploring the transition of a company post-Series B funding, now…

  • S2E46 – Scaling Up: From Garage to Global (Part 1 of 5)

    Show Notes This is the first in a multi-part series that will explore the various stages of scaling a company using a hypothetical startup scenario inspired by ride-sharing services. In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy discuss how to scale a tech startup from its inception stage. They reflect on past experiences, emphasizing the importance of…

  • S2E44 – VacationCast – Is LeSS Scaling SAFe?

    Show Notes In this VacationCast episode, Mon-Chaio tackles a listener’s question inspired by “Does Your Software Methodology Matter?” about effectively scaling an engineering organization to 120 engineers. Dispelling the notion that scaling is about simple multiplication, he delves into key tactics, including the creation of autonomous, accountable teams with independent KPIs, and the importance of…

  • S2E43 – Assessing the Impact of Peer Code Reviews

    Show Notes In this engaging episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive deep into the topic of peer code reviews. They begin by providing historical context, tracing back code review practices to IBM’s research in the 70s and 80s, and examine the efficacy of modern-day peer reviews. The hosts debate the true benefits of code reviews, discussing…

  • S2E40 – Defining Technical Strategy

    Show Notes What is technical strategy? Is it a document explaining how to extend your data platform? A set of wiki articles on how you’re tackling technical debt? A forward-looking treatise on how you will integrate generative AI into your tech stack? In this episode, Mon-Chaio and Andy dive into the intricacies of creating a…