In this episode, Meri Williams outlines her journey from teenage hardware hacker in South Africa to leading engineering teams at major companies, government, and startups. Meri shares insights from scaling teams, improving efficiency, navigating neurodiversity, and balancing profitability with growth in today’s macroeconomic climate. They also discuss building engineering cultures rooted in customer obsession, the real-world impact of AI on software development, and thoughtful career advice for sustaining purpose and avoiding burnout. About Meri Williams: Meri Williams is a seasoned technology leader and current CTO at Pleo, with a career spanning corporate giants, government transformation projects, and high-growth startups. From building part of South Africa’s first satellite as a teenager to leading engineering teams at organizations like Monzo, Marks & Spencer, Moo, and Gov.UK, Meri is known for blending technical expertise with a strong focus on people, culture, and customer impact. They are also an advocate for diversity in tech and openly share insights on leadership, efficiency, and navigating neurodiversity in the workplace. Here is what we cover: Career Path & Leadership – From building part of South Africa’s first satellite as a teen to CTO roles at major organizations, with experience in both corporate stability and high-growth environments. Scaling vs. Efficiency – At Pleo, maintained a ~250-person tech team while delivering 300% more work, 40% faster—proving efficiency can rival headcount growth. Neurodiversity & Fit – Autism and ADHD shaped Meri’s preference for structured, scale-up environments over chaotic early-stage startups. Government Tech Lessons – Helped scale Gov.UK from 30 to 300 people; balanced massive responsibility with personal health challenges. Profitability Mindset – In Europe, VCs increasingly push for sustainable, cash-flow-positive growth; U.S. still favors rapid expansion. Engineering Culture – Hiring and promotions based on values like customer focus and collaboration, not just output. Customer Proximity – Engineers attend user research, sales calls, and customer meetings to stay grounded in real-world needs. AI in Development – Offers modest (10–20%) gains; best for prototyping, but risky for legacy code without deep review. Career & Mental Health – Focus on work you can’t stop yourself from doing, watch for burnout, and don’t replace human support with AI tools. Industry Outlook – Tech faces macroeconomic and AI-driven disruption, but long-term prospects remain strong for products that truly serve people. To lower your churn, visit https://churnkey.co -------------------------- About Churnkey -------------------------- Churnkey is the retention automation platform that lowers your churn, boosts your MRR, speeds your growth, and launches your enterprise value to the moon. We help companies stop churn at the point of cancellation, recover failed payments, learn why customers are cancelling, and fix it. We don't just provide data. We take action.
