The Everyday Agile Podcast

What does a fractional CTO actually do, and how is it different from being a contractor?

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac sits down with Rob Fawcett to discuss AI strategy, AI compliance, technology leadership, product development, software delivery, and what it really takes to create value from technology.

Rob shares his journey from project manager and operations leader to CTO, why he chose the fractional CTO model, and why he believes businesses increasingly need experienced technology leadership without necessarily needing a full-time CTO.

We also get into the reality of AI adoption.

The AI hype may be settling down, but organisations now face a different problem: how do they actually govern, manage and embed AI into their businesses?

Rob explains how he turned an AI compliance framework into a SaaS product, why AI needs to be connected to real applications, and why technology should always be designed around the people who use it.

And that's where the conversation moves into product and Agile.

What's the difference between shipping software and creating value?

Why should developers understand the people they're building for?

Why do so many organisations spend thousands on values, principles and transformation programmes but struggle to speak to their actual customers?

And why does Rob believe you should take the technology to the people rather than make the people adapt to the technology?

We also talk about:
• Fractional CTO vs contracting
• AI strategy and AI governance
• AI compliance
• Building AI into products
• SaaS product development
• Product teams and customer empathy
• Software delivery and creating value
• Leadership lessons from good and bad bosses
• Communicating strategy effectively
• Digital transformation
• User research and product discovery
• Technology leadership
• Keeping technology simple
• Connecting strategy, outcomes and outputs
• The difference between shipping and value

Rob also shares two brilliant real-world examples: developing blood-tracking software where usability could literally become a matter of life and death, and a cruise company sending its team onto a ship to watch real customers use its app.

▶︎Connect With Rob
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rfawcett/
https://thehumancto.co.uk
https://www.quantisys.co.uk/
https://aicompliance.uk/

▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867..

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Meet Rob Fawcett
03:22 From Contractor to Business Owner
04:43 Fractional CTO vs Contractor
05:49 What Does a Fractional CTO Actually Do?
07:22 How to Become a CTO
09:11 AI Strategy & AI Compliance
10:35 Building AI Into Real Products
12:31 Turning AI Compliance Into SaaS
16:07 The AI Hype Is Over
16:52 Lessons From Bad Leaders
21:32 The Real Problem Behind Poor Communication
29:21 Shipping Software vs Creating Value
30:34 Why Product Teams Need Customer Empathy
31:23 What Makes a Great Software Developer?
34:59 The Blood Tracking Software Story
36:42 Stop Making Humans Adapt to Technology
37:12 What Product Teams Can Learn From Cruise Passengers
38:03 Why Companies Overcomplicate Everything
44:04 Rob's Quickfire Business Takes
44:19 The Most Overused Business Phrase
44:35 Take Technology to the People
46:40 The One Thing Every Team Should Know
47:18 Connecting Strategy, Outcomes, Outputs & Problems
48:14 Where to Find Rob

If you work in technology, product, Agile, project management, software delivery, digital transformation or technology leadership, this conversation is for you.

What happens when Agile scales?

According to Agile transformation consultant Martin Schellert, the answer shouldn't be to simply add more process, more frameworks and more bureaucracy.

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Martin joins us to talk about what happens when Agile transformations go wrong ,and why organisations often lose the things that made Agile teams effective in the first place.

We get into some big Agile and product management questions:
• Why does scaling Agile often mean scaling process?
• Why is comparing team velocity between teams such a bad idea?
• Do teams actually need story points or estimation?
• What is an MVP really supposed to achieve?
• How should leaders create genuine ownership in product teams?
• What is "decision distance" and why does Martin call it a silent killer of agility?
• Can you build Agile teams inside a traditional organisation?
• How can you use AI without losing your own voice?
• Why is so much LinkedIn content starting to sound exactly the same?
• What is the most overlooked principle in the Agile Manifesto?
• Why should Agile practitioners be pragmatic rather than dogmatic?

Martin also shares how he got into Agile, how he prepares conference talks, how he uses AI as part of his workflow, and what he has learned from speaking at Agile conferences.

One of the biggest themes throughout the conversation is simple. Agile isn't about following a framework perfectly.

It's about finding the practices that work for your team, organisation, customers, culture and context.

As Martin puts it: be pragmatic, never dogmatic.

If you're interested in Agile transformation, product management, software delivery, Agile leadership, team performance, project management or better ways of working, there's plenty here to disagree with, steal and take back to your organisation.

▶︎ Connect with Martin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/schellert/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtf8TKCQfB3siec1cDB1Log

▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:14 How Martin Got Into Agile Conferences
02:22 Scaling Agile Without Scaling Process
03:20 Creating Conference Talks Using AI
05:12 How to Practice for a Conference Talk
06:19 Does Speaking Generate Business?
08:18 Martin's Journey Into Agile
10:27 Why Agile Still Matters
11:22 Do We Rely Too Much on the Agile Manifesto?
13:18 Why Agile Should Evolve
14:31 Finding the Root Cause of Agile Problems
15:39 What Agile Problems Do Organisations Really Have?
17:48 Why Comparing Team Velocity Is a Bad Idea
18:40 Should Teams Stop Using Story Points?
19:23 A Better Alternative to Story Points
20:04 What an MVP Actually Means
20:40 What Makes a Good MVP?
21:37 Leadership and Agile Teams
22:36 Building Agile Islands
23:20 Creating Team Ownership
24:24 When Empowerment Becomes a Poison Chalice
25:12 Decision Distance: The Silent Killer of Agility
26:12 What Agile Advice Doesn't Work?
26:18 Is AI Killing Authenticity on LinkedIn?
28:17 Using AI Without Losing Your Voice
29:30 Stop Turning Everything Into a LinkedIn Business Lesson
32:14 You Don't Have to Post 3 Times a Week
33:08 ADHD, Business & Burnout
34:48 Practical Productivity Strategies
36:20 The Quickfire Agile Round
37:28 What Should Every Team Stop Doing?
37:41 Get Closer to Your Customers
37:52 The Most Overlooked Agile Principle
38:35 What Gives Martin Hope for Agile?
39:05 Why Agile Certification Isn't Enough
40:16 Why Organisations Still Need Agile
40:48 Be Pragmatic, Never Dogmatic

Subscribe to Everyday Agile for conversations about Agile, product management, project management, software delivery, leadership, organisational change and the reality of making Agile work in the real world.

Diana Matei has spent 10+ years building and launching B2C and B2B products across e-commerce, fintech, marketplaces, and subscriptions. Work that's helped increase app downloads by 35%, boost app revenue by 15%, and take app ratings from 2 stars to 4.7 stars. In this episode, she breaks down how AI is reshaping product management, why brand often beats "the best product," and the retention framework she now builds with every client.

We cover:
✅ Why AI is making tech a commodity, and what that means for product strategy
✅ The difference between lagging and leading metrics (and why most teams track the wrong ones)
✅ How to build a "metric tree" to connect daily work to revenue
✅ Her honest take on OKRs and how to stop them dying after week one
✅ The biggest agile/product myth: "build it, and they will come"
✅ Why post-purchase experience is the next big product battleground
✅ Her daily routines as a product consultant and founder of her own practice

If you're a founder, product manager, or work in marketing or sales and want to understand how great product thinking drives retention and revenue, this conversation is for you.

📌 Connect with Diana:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-eugenia-matei/
https://dmthepm.com/

▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on agile, product management, and building products people actually stick with.

▶︎Chapters
0:00 – Welcome & introducing Diana
0:12 – Diana's background: 10+ years across Tesco, fintech, marketplaces
2:00 – The problem she's obsessed with: AI's impact on product management
4:24 – Brand vs product: why the best product doesn't always win
7:03 – Rolling out product frameworks without the jargon (200-year-old client)
9:57 – The metrics teams measure that are actually unhelpful
13:02 – Shipping fast vs creating real value
16:12 – What is a "metric tree"?
18:04 – Diana's honest take on OKRs
20:26 – Habits that create momentum instead of one-off workshops
23:40 – Why product managers get lost in the backlog
26:08 – When the cheapest option wins (car insurance, commoditised markets)
27:53 – Her theory: B2B is becoming B2C in disguise
29:12 – The loyalty problem with new-customer-only offers
34:26 – Biggest agile/product myth: "build it, and they will come"
36:45 – Morning routines and habits that keep her thinking clearly
38:44 – What going freelance actually feels like
42:53 – Quickfire round: worst advice, overused phrases, hills to die on
44:37 – What's next for Diana and her retention scorecard
45:50 – Where to find and work with Diana

AI won't necessarily replace project managers, but it could completely change what the job looks like.

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, I sit down with Michael Gold to talk about AI, project management, Agile, vibe coding, product development and the future of professional services.

Michael has built an AI-native Professional Services Automation (PSA) platform, Aria, using a combination of AI, vibe coding, Lovable and traditional software development.

We get into the reality behind building an AI product, including what vibe coding can and can't do, why building a B2B product is different, how software engineers reacted to the code, and why human design and engineering expertise still matter.

We also explore what AI means for project managers and delivery professionals.

If AI can automate project plans, status reports, risk identification and other administrative work, what should project managers actually spend their time doing?

Michael's answer is that the future isn't necessarily fewer project managers. It's project managers spending more time on clients, relationships, delivery and the things that actually require people skills.

We also discuss:
• What Professional Services Automation (PSA) actually means
• AI-native project management software
• Vibe coding and B2B software development
• Building a product with Lovable
• The limitations of AI coding tools
• Product management without being a traditional product manager
• Product validation and early user feedback
• AI and project management
• The changing role of Scrum Masters
• Why Delivery Managers are becoming more common
• People over process
• The future of Agile and project delivery
• The UK freelance project management market
• IR35 and contracting
• Why freelancers need to think like business owners
• Building a consultancy alongside a SaaS startup

▶︎Connect With Michael:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariafounder/

▶︎Aria
https://ariaplatform.app/

▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

▶︎Chapters
00:00 – Building an AI-Native PSA Tool
01:24 – From Vibe Coding to a Real Product
02:20 – What Is Professional Services Automation?
03:22 – How AI Is Changing PSA Software
05:18 – AI Project Management and Automated Admin
06:48 – What an AI Project Management Dashboard Looks Like
08:18 – Can You Vibe Code a B2B Product?
09:14 – How Vibe Coding Helps Product Development
10:17 – Why AI Products Still Need Human Design
11:22 – What Do Software Engineers Think About Vibe Coding?
12:13 – The Limits of Lovable for Production Software
13:22 – The Risks of Building on AI Platforms
15:14 – Becoming a Product Manager Without Being One
16:29 – How to Validate an AI Product Idea
18:08 – PSA vs Project Management Software
18:40 – Building a Startup While Running a Consultancy
22:02 – Why Project Management Is Becoming Delivery
23:41 – Will AI Replace Project Managers?
24:48 – People Over Process in the AI Era
26:50 – Scrum Masters vs Delivery Managers
28:04 – The Problem With Calling Everything AI
31:07 – The Reality of the UK Freelance Market and IR35
32:02 – Why Freelancers Need to Find Their Own Clients
34:36 – Could Freelancers Have Their Own Agents?
36:39 – What's Next for the Startup?
38:02 – Where to Find ARA and Gold Strategic Delivery

If you work in project management, Agile, product, delivery, technology or professional services, this episode is worth a watch.

Subscribe to Everyday Agile for more conversations about Agile, project management, product, technology, leadership and the reality of getting work delivered.

Agile doesn't become Agile just because you start calling things "sprints."

In this episode of the Everyday Agile Podcast, Jac sits down with Lou Matthews, founder of CultureCraft, to talk about company culture, Agile, product thinking, leadership, accountability and what actually helps organisations perform better.

We get into some uncomfortable questions about modern Agile and leadership:

• Why your "people problem" might actually be a systems problem
• Why role clarity and decision rights matter for accountability
• The difference between accountability and blame
• Why leaders need to model accountability themselves
• What psychological safety actually looks like in practice
• Why calling something a "sprint" doesn't make it Agile
• How Agile terminology can become performative
• What MVP actually means — and why people often misunderstand it
• How to prioritise when everything feels urgent
• Using effort vs impact to make better prioritisation decisions
• Turning hypotheses into observations and evidence
• Why employee surveys aren't the solution on their own
• How growing businesses can improve their systems and leadership capability
• Why leaders need to stop being too involved in the work

One of the biggest themes running through the conversation is that many organisational problems are symptoms rather than root causes. What looks like a people problem can often come back to role clarity, decision-making, accountability, leadership capability or the systems surrounding the team.

We also get into one of Lou's biggest Agile frustrations: the way words like "sprint" and "MVP" can be adopted without understanding the thinking and discipline behind them.

▶︎About Lou Matthews
Lou Matthews is the founder of CultureCraft, helping scaling businesses build culture as an operating system for predictable performance.

▶︎Connect with Lou
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-matthews-547654163/
https://www.culturecraft.team/

▶︎Tickets for Not Another Agile Conference (22 April 2027, Chester Zoo) are on sale.\
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/notanotheragileconference/2178867

▶︎Our Newsletter:
https://substack.com/@betweenthestandups

▶︎Chapters
00:00 Intro: Lou Matthews on Culture, Agile & Leadership
01:14 Building High-Performing Organisations
02:24 How to Unlock Growth Through Company Culture
03:25 Why Culture Should Be Treated Like a Product
05:05 Building a Business and Scaling a Team
06:30 From HR Network to Startup Founder
07:40 What Building a Business Teaches You About Leadership
09:05 The People Problem That Isn't Really a People Problem
10:35 Role Clarity, Decision Rights & Accountability
11:02 What Does Good Product Thinking Look Like?
12:13 Why Employee Surveys Often Fail
12:57 Product Thinking, Prioritisation & Effort vs Impact
14:12 Two Things Every Growing Business Needs
14:39 Automating Your Business Systems
16:24 Building Leadership Capability in Growing Teams
17:20 Accountability vs Blame: What's the Difference?
19:21 Why Leaders Need to Model Accountability
20:36 Psychological Safety in the Workplace
22:46 The Problem With Performative Agile
23:15 Why Calling Everything a "Sprint" Doesn't Make You Agile
25:11 When Agile Becomes Just More Pressure
27:12 The Problem With Misunderstanding MVP
28:18 What Does MVP Actually Mean?
29:45 How to Prioritise When Everything Feels Urgent
30:43 What Is a Skip-Level Meeting?
31:40 Turning Hypotheses Into Evidence
32:40 Backcasting, Effort & Impact
33:00 Using EOS to Prioritise and Stay Focused
34:25 Productivity, Burnout & Running a Business
35:59 Why External Accountability Matters
37:20 Quickfire: The Most Overused Business Phrases
38:40 One Thing Leaders Should Stop Doing
39:20 How to Improve Your Company Culture
40:23 Final Thoughts