Rob Zuber brings a refreshingly unconventional path to the C-suite, having evolved from analyzing production defects on factory floors with an engineering physics degree to leading distributed teams of 200+ engineers across five continents. As a three-time founder and five-time CTO, Rob has navigated the full spectrum of startup life—from watching businesses "disappear overnight" when Facebook flipped their mobile switch to successfully guiding companies through acquisitions and multi-round funding cycles. His leadership philosophy centers on being "wrong as fast as humanly possible" to discover what's right, a mindset forged through decades of building in an industry where, as he puts it, the only constant is that software engineers are fundamentally uncomfortable with things staying the same. When he's not solving complex technical problems, you'll find Rob snowboarding, playing guitar, or perfecting his appreciation for viscous cappuccino.
Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime:
Follow your host, Johnny!
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - Welcome
- (00:00:38) - Guest Introduction: Rob Zuber
- (00:01:06) - From Engineering Physics to Software Development
- (00:02:56) - The Intersection of Manufacturing and Software
- (00:04:53) - AI and Software Development
- (00:06:21) - Entrepreneurial Journey and Early Lessons
- (00:13:44) - Navigating Market Shifts and Pivots
- (00:23:31) - Transition to CircleCI
- (00:24:27) - Joining CircleCI: The Early Days
- (00:24:55) - Transition to Leadership
- (00:28:51) - Skills for Scaling a Company
- (00:30:21) - Humility and Continuous Learning
- (00:34:08) - Building a Talented Team
- (00:37:22) - Evolving Leadership Styles
- (00:41:52) - Effective Communication
- (00:47:01) - Balancing Work and Family
- (00:50:55) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.