As CTO and co-founder of Spreaker and Voxnest, I architected and scaled industry-leading podcast hosting and monetization technology that was ultimately acquired by iHeartMedia, America's #1 audio company.
I led the development of innovative podcast monetization solutions including programmatic advertising and dynamic ad insertion technology, enabling thousands of podcasters to generate revenue without having to source sponsors directly.
Successfully guided technology strategy and engineering teams through the merger of Spreaker and BlogTalkRadio to form Voxnest, and later through the iHeartMedia acquisition, seamlessly integrating disparate systems while maintaining service quality for over 10,000 podcast publishers.
Key Achievements
-
•
Built and scaled Spreaker's technology infrastructure to support millions of monthly listeners and tens of thousands of content creators, establishing it as a leading podcast hosting platform.
-
•
Pioneered the development of Voxnest's dynamic ad insertion technology, creating new revenue streams for podcasters and increasing monetization opportunities across the platform.
-
•
Led technical due diligence during the iHeartMedia acquisition, ensuring seamless integration of Voxnest's technology stack.
-
•
Built and managed high-performing engineering teams across multiple countries, fostering a culture of innovation and technical excellence.
Leadership Philosophy
-
•
Change is inevitable, so work with it rather than resisting it.
-
•
Managing people is a whole different challenge from writing code or managing servers. Technical skills are important, but the ability to read people, address their concerns and insecurities, and build a supportive environment is essential for a team to grow and succeed.
-
•
Get comfortable with uncertainty. Sometimes a decision needs to be made without 100% of the information. Knowing when you have enough insight to move forward is what sets effective leaders apart.
-
•
Stay curious and never stop learning, but in a management role, breadth matters more than depth. Learn enough about everything so you can lead the team effectively without being drawn into every detail.
-
•
Develop a deep understanding of the business. Technology is just a means to an end. An engineering team doesn't build just for the sake of building, and their leader needs to go beyond executing a roadmap to truly understand and drive its purpose.
Personal Insights
- I need to understand the big picture
- I like good and concise writing
- I really want to know how you're doing
- Late afternoon is my peak productivity
- Reserved but open to conversation
- Coffee, cats and pizza enthusiast