The CTO Lens

London Tech Leaders

A fresh look at what it really means to lead technology in today’s fast‑changing world. Hosted by seasoned CTO and thinker David Crawford, and co‑host, experienced product leader Sophie Valentine, The CTO Lens blends candid conversations with industry leaders, covers the latest tech news, and includes a whole host of personal insights and practical leadership lessons for the modern technology executive. From navigating roles, to understanding team culture, AI, tech strategy, and real‑world challenges, each episode offers both depth and everyday relevance. Whether you’re a current senior leader or aspiring to this role, The CTO Lens gives you perspectives that cut through noise - with clarity, humour, and a human touch.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Season 2: Episode 18 - Claude Mythos, Molotov Cocktails and the Future of UX

    The CTO Lens Podcast is back with Episode 18, and this one's got plenty to dig into. David and Sophie are back in their respective remote setups - but that doesn't mean things are any less lively. This episode covers a cyberattack that forced Northern Irish school kids back into classrooms during Easter - and raises a bigger question about the risk of centralising all your tech on a single supplier. OpenAI's four-day week proposal gets the David and Sophie treatment (spoiler: David is not convinced). There's also Sam Altman's home targeted by a molotov cocktail, the Claude Mythos rumour mill - including a rogue AI that allegedly emailed its own engineer - and a new company called rentahuman.ai that might just be the most honest business model in tech right now. Sophie sits down with Milena Nikolic, Founder of Heywa Labs, for a fascinating conversation about what "agentic" actually means, why text-in text-out is just the beginning of AI-native product design, and why brands should be very worried about becoming just a line in someone else's table. Milena brings serious credentials - over a decade at Google and four years as CTO of Trainline - and some genuinely fresh thinking on where UX is headed. And in this week's listener mailbag - a new segment - David and Sophie tackle the big questions: Will AI take our jobs? Are CTOs the CEOs of the future? And can you really defeat big tech by just... stopping? Plus the mid-episode game returns with a humbling round of "How Old Am I?" featuring child tech prodigies that will make you question everything you've done with your life. Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/l...

    1hr 32min

  2. 9 APR

    Season 2: Episode 17 - "Nobody Told Us It Was Going to Cost This Much"

    The CTO Lens Podcast is back with Episode 17, and this week's edition is packed! Oh, and yes - this week's episode was filmed in person. David and Sophie are confirmed humans. This episode features China's obsession with an open-source AI tool nicknamed "the Lobster" (aka Claude), Anthropic's token costs spiralling out of control - and an accidental leak of 500,000 lines of source code, plus a two-brother team on track for $1.8 billion in revenue with no big team, just AI. David and Sophie cut through the noise on the week's biggest tech stories. We also bring you an exclusive pre-recorded conversation with David and Justin Reock (Deputy CTO at DX). Both dive deep into AI adoption inside engineering teams - what's actually working, what the data really shows, and why enterprises are quietly outperforming startups on AI productivity. And the question circling every engineering org right now from our disaster diaries; Are we actually building a better team with AI, or just avoiding the harder conversation about what we really value? This week's diary entry hits close to home. Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 9min

  3. 1 APR

    Season 2: Episode 16 - The CTO's Dilemma: Prove ROI from AI & Prove You Still Have a Future Job

    The CTO Lens Podcast is back with Episode 16, and this week's edition is packed! Meta vs. Google in court. AI reshaping video production. A Lloyd's Bank data breach update. David and Sophie cut through the noise on the week's biggest tech stories. Then things get really interesting. We're bringing you an exclusive fireside recording straight from our London Tech Leaders event - a razor-sharp conversation on ROI from AI with Lyubomira Dimitrova (Senior Technology Leader) and Scott Eivers (CEO, Datatonic). Don't sleep on this one. And the big question everyone in tech is quietly asking? Will the CTO role even exist in 3 years? OakNorth Bank's own Tom Harris gives his take (taken from the panel session at the same event) - and David and Sophie don't hold back with theirs. Plus, don't forget the mid-episode game (which this week is titled 'Around the World 🌍'). Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 8min

  4. 24 MAR

    Season 2: Episode 15 - How Do Technology Leaders Drive Change for the Future Workforce

    In this week’ episode of the CTO Lens Podcast, David and Sophie begin by discussing the week's latest news, including budgets for AI and Quantum Computing, books being written using AI, Pokemon Go and Amazon’s new smart phone! Both then (as part of the leadership segment) discuss the future of the technology workforce, including the responsibilities that senior leaders have, how education may need to accommodate AI in a better way and what does the future workforce actually look like in 5-10 years from a technology standpoint. The episode concludes with the mid-episode game (titled Name That University) and a disaster diary entry all around effective objective setting! Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 18min

  5. 17 MAR

    Season 2: Episode 14 - How Is AI Reshaping The Software Development Lifecycle?

    In this week’ episode of the CTO Lens Podcast, David and Sophie begin by discussing the week's latest news, including delayed Royal Navy deployments, airport face scans, bank apps showing other users' transactions and much more! Both are then joined by Andrew Murphy (Head of Engineering and Product at Wickes) to discuss how AI is reshaping the software development lifecycle. Andrew offers some fantastic insights into the pros and cons of recent AI implementation, how leaders are engaging with AI, and how he foresees the effects of AI in three to five years time (amongst a whole host of other informative conversation). The episode concludes with the mid-episode game (titled Battle of the Blanks) and a disaster diary entry which covers accountability at C-Suite level. Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 16min

  6. 10 MAR

    Season 2: Episode 13 - Is The CTO Role Now More Strategic Than Technical?

    In this week’ episode of the CTO Lens Podcast, David is back and joins Sophie to discuss the latest in tech innovations and news. Both share insights on leadership, strategy, and the evolving role of technology leaders in organisations. From understanding the importance of strategic thinking to the future skills needed for CTOs, this episode offers valuable guidance for tech leaders aiming to make a broader impact. The episode concludes with the mid-episode game (titled Buzzword or Baloney) and a disaster diary entry which covers team conflict. Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 14min

  7. 3 MAR

    Season 2: Episode 12 - Building The Fastest AI Machines on Earth

    In this week’s episode of the CTO Lens Podcast, Sophie Valentine is joined by guest host Samantha Burrows, in an International Women’ Day week special. They explore the significance of culture in leadership, especially for women+ in tech, and continue with news on the ethical implications of AI in defence, the future of AI and its potential economic consequences, innovative AI projects in the civil service, and some light-hearted tech updates. They are also joined by Jeremy Adcock and Josh Silverstone of Hartley Ultrafast. They are building the world’s fastest decision making machines, bringing artificial intelligence to the scale of single nanoseconds for the first time. This was a fantastic conversation and one not to be missed. Find out more here: https://hartleyultrafast.com/ The episode concludes with the mid-episode game and Sophie and Sam discuss what International Women’s Day means to them. Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 12min

  8. 24 FEB

    Season 2: Episode 11 - Practical Cases of AI Working

    In this week’ episode of the CTO Lens Podcast, David Crawford and Sophie Valentine discuss various topics including social media court cases, recent AI trials and tribulations, and the emergence of Seedance, an app that can be used to generate Hollywood style videos. They are also joined by Otto Hilska (CEO of Swarmia) who shares insights on engineering effectiveness and the integration of AI tools in organisations, highlighting the importance of teams and the role of AI in enhancing productivity. The episode concludes with the mid-episode game and rather than a disaster diary entry this week, Sophie and David discuss the top five roles they would choose to build the perfect tech team in 2026.  Link for London Tech Leaders Upcoming Events: https://luma.com/londontechleaders Link for London Tech Leaders Engineering Summit: https://registration.crowdcomms.com/londontech2026

    1hr 17min
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About

A fresh look at what it really means to lead technology in today’s fast‑changing world. Hosted by seasoned CTO and thinker David Crawford, and co‑host, experienced product leader Sophie Valentine, The CTO Lens blends candid conversations with industry leaders, covers the latest tech news, and includes a whole host of personal insights and practical leadership lessons for the modern technology executive. From navigating roles, to understanding team culture, AI, tech strategy, and real‑world challenges, each episode offers both depth and everyday relevance. Whether you’re a current senior leader or aspiring to this role, The CTO Lens gives you perspectives that cut through noise - with clarity, humour, and a human touch.

Information

  • Creator
    London Tech Leaders
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 London Tech Leaders
  • Show Website
    The CTO Lens

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