Michel Langlois & Calix: Reinventing a Company, Rewiring an Industry — All In, No Turning Back

On this episode of ADAPT or Die: Transformative Leadership Conversations, tech CEO-turned-coach Andreas Pettersson sits down with Michel Langlois, one of the most respected CTOs in the U.S. and author of Beyond the Code. Michel shares how he helped transform Calix from a struggling hardware company into the #1 rural fiber provider in America. With zero safety nets and a bold vision, he led the company through a radical seven-year reinvention that scaled market cap 8X—and reshaped an entire industry.

Challenge → A collapsing hardware model, legacy resistance, and the sudden loss of 40% of revenue as the company bet everything on a vision years ahead of its time.

Adaptation → Michel restructured engineering from 100 to 1,000+, pioneered a self-assembling virtual test lab, and pushed a new Wi-Fi gateway class that prioritized user experience over speed and feeds.

Success → Calix emerged with 95% of revenue tied to its new product suite, enabling critical broadband access during COVID—and Michel’s team rewrote the playbook for rural connectivity.

🔥 60-Second Hot Seat:
 Michel reveals why being a CTO is more about seeing the future than selling the now, recommends Geoffrey Moore's Crossing the Chasm, and defines leadership in just three words: “providing the context.”

If you think it’s too late to pivot big, Michel’s story proves you can lead from any starting point—even a chicken farm in Quebec—and still change the game.

📘 Learn more and grab Michel’s book Beyond the Code

Visit ADAPTorDIEpod.com for show notes, free resources, and coaching programs.

Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
https://missionmatters.com/author/andreas-pettersson/