Merge to main
Merge to main
Podcast Description
Merge to Main is a podcast where we talk with people who've been in the trenches of tech leadership. No fancy buzzwords or corporate speak - just honest conversations about what it's actually like to build and lead engineering teams. Each week, we explore the real challenges of engineering leadership - from hiring and team culture to shipping quality products. Practical, no-nonsense conversations that help you become a better leader today.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast emphasizes engineering leadership themes such as hiring practices, team culture, quality assurance, and the adaptation to new technologies like AI. For instance, episodes might delve into hiring strategies that prioritize soft skills alongside technical abilities, examine cultural shifts within teams, and analyze the balance between quality and development speed.
Merge to Main is a podcast where we talk with people who’ve been in the trenches of tech leadership. No fancy buzzwords or corporate speak – just honest conversations about what it’s actually like to build and lead engineering teams. Each week, we explore the real challenges of engineering leadership – from hiring and team culture to shipping quality products. Practical, no-nonsense conversations that help you become a better leader today.
Csaba Mézes, former delivery manager at Nordcloud with 25 years in the industry, shares his hard-earned insights on software delivery, team management, and why most projects fail. Here’s what you’ll learn from this episode:
1/ 🎯 Scope flexibility is your secret weapon. Unlike physical construction where you might hit bedrock requiring special tools, software development has no immovable obstacles. Everything is replaceable, which means keeping scope open throughout the project isn’t just smart – it’s essential for survival.
2/ 🤝 The team player test that most people fail. When life events affect your work, transparency matters more than perfection. Csaba shares the story of an excellent developer who tanked team morale by accepting sprint commitments he couldn’t deliver on, then disappearing without communication.
3/ 📊 Why the “Sue Goes to Work” exercise beats every prioritization framework. Create user stories for morning routines, then simulate oversleeping. What’s truly essential when time is cut in half? This simple workshop reveals your real MVP and teaches the difference between must-have and nice-to-have features.
4/ 📝 Shared documents ≠ shared understanding. Just because everyone has access to the requirements doesn’t mean they understand them the same way. Creating space for questions and discussion prevents costly misinterpretations that derail projects months later.
5/ 💰 Time-based pricing is fundamentally broken. Stop thinking in hourly rates and start thinking in value delivered. Csaba’s renovation contractor story shows how focusing on outcomes (square meters of tiles, cubic meters of debris removed) creates better relationships and clearer expectations than tracking hours.
Connect with Csaba Mézes:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mezescs/
Connect with the hosts:
- Christian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianbarra/
Check out our awesome sponsor, zerobang, your data and AI partner: www.zerobang.dev
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.