CTO Series: Scaling Engineering Teams and Aligning Tech with Business Goals With Toni Sallanmaa
CTO Series: Toni Sallanmaa on Scaling Engineering Teams and Aligning Tech with Business Goals In this BONUS episode, we explore the journey of scaling technology teams and maintaining alignment between engineering and business objectives with Toni Sallanmaa, CTO at Funidata. Toni shares invaluable insights from leading the development of Sisu, a cutting-edge student information system serving over 100,000 Finnish university users, and discusses practical strategies for growing engineering organizations while preserving company culture. The Genesis of Leadership in Technology "I understood what I was really responsible for. I'm interested in the business we are running—the business adds meaning to the work." Toni's approach to technology leadership was fundamentally shaped by a pivotal moment early in his career when he first gained influence over system development and technology choices. After working with large-scale systems for 20 years, this moment of responsibility revelation transformed his perspective from purely technical to business-focused. He emphasizes that infinite curiosity drives success in tech businesses, and understanding the business context gives meaningful purpose to technical work. Bridging the Gap Between Tech and Product "Don't separate Tech from Product. We established a common language between product and technology people." One of Toni's most significant insights centers on eliminating the traditional divide between technology and product teams. As Funidata grew from a small startup to a 70-person organization, the challenges of maintaining alignment became apparent. Their solution involved several key practices: Teaching developers the language of the product domain Banning confusing technical terms that create communication barriers Workshopping product language to ensure clarity Keeping entity names deliberately vague until true understanding emerges This approach draws heavily from Domain Driven Design principles, creating a unified vocabulary that enables seamless collaboration. Collaborative Planning and Transparency "We use transparency as a collaboration technique. Every team sees what's being proposed as a goal for the next quarter." Funidata implements a unique "marketplace of goals" approach during their quarterly big room planning sessions. Rather than using scaled agile frameworks, they focus on transparency and collaborative goal-setting. Teams present their high-level quarterly plans to each other, creating visibility across the organization. Product owners are embedded within teams, keeping communication distances short and ensuring alignment between technical execution and business objectives. Future-Forward Roadmapping "We talk about the higher level ideas regularly, but let them bubble up from the community. We hold internal hackathons." Toni's approach to roadmapping balances strategic vision with grassroots innovation. They maintain an internal technology roadmap that addresses emerging trends like AI, while allowing ideas to organically emerge from the engineering community. Internal hackathons serve as catalysts for innovation, providing structured opportunities for teams to explore new technologies and approaches that might inform future roadmap decisions. Scaling Challenges and Cultural Preservation "The biggest challenge is not technology, it was the rapid scaling of technology teams. When you scale up, keep the culture in mind." The most significant challenge Toni faced wasn't technical but organizational—rapidly scaling teams while preserving company culture. Growing from 10 to 50 people required evolving processes, from establishing internal forums for architectural discussions to implementing continuous integration flows. The key was identifying pain points proactively and maintaining open discussions with team members throughout the scaling process. Strengthening company culture became essential to successful growth. AI's Impact on Software Development "Productivity is on the rise. We see opportunities like generating test data, but we have strict requirements for cybersecurity, which puts pressure on code quality." Toni views AI's impact on software development with cautious optimism. While productivity gains are evident, particularly in areas like test data generation, the stringent cybersecurity requirements in their domain mean that AI hasn't yet significantly improved code quality where it matters most. The technology shows promise, but implementation must be carefully considered within the context of security and quality requirements. Measuring Engineering Success "We use DORA and SPACE framework. We measure how much of our work is KTLO (Keep The Lights On) and how much is elective development." Funidata employs both DORA and SPACE frameworks to measure engineering organization success. From SPACE, they particularly focus on measuring software team wellbeing, while also tracking the balance between "Keep The Lights On" (KTLO) work and elective development. Using JIRA connected to a data warehouse, they mine extensive data that serves both leadership decision-making and team improvement efforts, ensuring metrics benefit everyone in the organization. Influential Leadership Resources "The organizational books have been more influential to me than purely technical ones." Toni emphasizes that organizational leadership books have shaped his CTO approach more than technical resources. Two key influences stand out: "Team Topologies" for understanding how to structure and scale engineering teams effectively, and "Radical Candor" for building authentic, productive relationships within the organization. You can find a BONUS episode on Team Topologies with the authors Matthew Skeltton and Manuel Pais. About Toni Sallanmaa Toni leads technology and engineering at Funidata, developing Sisu—a cutting-edge student information system serving over 100,000 Finnish university users. Passionate about agile methodologies, system architecture, and software engineering, Toni specializes in technology management, software lifecycle, OOP, and relational databases to deliver innovative, scalable solutions in higher education tech. You can connect with Toni Sallanmaa on LinkedIn.
6 Sep 40min
The Visionary vs The Micromanager - Two Product Owner Extremes | Mariano
Mariano Gontchar: The Micromanagement Trap—When PO's Good Intentions Harm Agile Team Performance Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Visionary Leader During an agile transformation project modernizing a build system with multiple stakeholders, Mariano worked with an exceptional Product Owner who demonstrated the power of clear vision and well-defined roadmaps. This visionary Product Owner successfully navigated complex stakeholder relationships by maintaining focus on the product vision while providing clear direction through structured roadmap planning, enabling the team to deliver meaningful results in a challenging environment. The Bad Product Owner: The Task-Manager Micromanager Mariano encountered a well-intentioned Product Owner who fell into the task-manager anti-pattern, becoming overly detail-oriented and controlling. This Product Owner provided extremely detailed story descriptions and even specified who should do what tasks instead of explaining why work was needed. This approach turned the team into mere task-handlers with no space to contribute their expertise, ultimately reducing both engagement and effectiveness despite the Product Owner's good intentions. Self-reflection Question: Are you empowering your team to contribute their expertise, or are you inadvertently turning them into task-handlers through over-specification? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Mariano Gontchar Mariano is a Madrid-based Scrum Master with a unique multi-perspective journey through Agile roles. Having evolved from developer to Product Owner, Project Manager, and now Scrum Master, he brings comprehensive insights to team facilitation and backlog management. Mariano specializes in practical Agile adoption strategies that work in real-world environments. You can link with Mariano Gontchar on LinkedIn.
5 Sep 14min
Fear-Free Teams—Creating Psychological Safety for High Performance | Mariano Gontcher
Mariano Gontchar: Fear-Free Teams—Creating Psychological Safety for High Performance Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Mariano's definition of Scrum Master success has evolved dramatically from his early days of focusing on "deliver on time and budget" to a more sophisticated understanding centered on team independence and psychological safety. Today, he measures success by whether teams can self-manage, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and operate without fear of criticism. This shift represents a fundamental change from output-focused metrics to outcome-focused team health indicators that create sustainable high performance. Self-reflection Question: How has your definition of success evolved in your current role, and what would change if you focused on team independence rather than traditional delivery metrics? Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Frustration-Based Retrospective Mariano's retrospective approach focuses on asking team members about their biggest frustrations from the last sprint. This format helps team members realize their frustrations aren't unique and creates psychological safety for sharing challenges. The key is always asking the team to propose solutions themselves rather than imposing fixes, making retrospectives about genuine continuous improvement rather than just complaining sessions. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Mariano Gontchar Mariano is a Madrid-based Scrum Master with a unique multi-perspective journey through Agile roles. Having evolved from developer to Product Owner, Project Manager, and now Scrum Master, he brings comprehensive insights to team facilitation and backlog management. Mariano specializes in practical Agile adoption strategies that work in real-world environments. You can link with Mariano Gontchar on LinkedIn.
4 Sep 14min
From Evangelist to Facilitator—How To Lead A Successful Company Merger | Mariano Gontchar
Mariano Gontchar: From Evangelist to Facilitator—How To Lead A Successful Company Merger Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. During a complex merger between two telecom companies, Mariano faced the challenge of uniting team members with different cultures, practices, and tools. His initial approach of selling Agile theory instead of focusing on benefits failed because he forgot about the "why" of change. The breakthrough came when he shifted from being an Agile evangelist to becoming a facilitator who listened to managers' real challenges. By connecting people and letting the team present their own solutions to leadership, Mariano successfully created unity between the formerly divided groups. Self-reflection Question: Are you trying to sell your methodology or solve real problems, and what would happen if you focused on understanding challenges before proposing solutions? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Mariano Gontchar Mariano is a Madrid-based Scrum Master with a unique multi-perspective journey through Agile roles. Having evolved from developer to Product Owner, Project Manager, and now Scrum Master, he brings comprehensive insights to team facilitation and backlog management. Mariano specializes in practical Agile adoption strategies that work in real-world environments. You can link with Mariano Gontchar on LinkedIn.
3 Sep 12min
Breaking Down The Clan Mentality In Agile Teams | Mariano Gontchar
Mariano Gontchar: Breaking Down The Clan Mentality In Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Mariano encountered a competent team that was sabotaging itself through internal divisions and lack of trust. The team had formed clans that didn't trust each other, creating blind spots even during retrospectives. Rather than simply telling the team what was wrong, Mariano created an anonymous fear-based retrospective that revealed the root cause: a Product Owner who behaved like a boss and evaluated team members, creating a culture of fear. His approach demonstrates the power of empowering teams to discover and solve their own problems rather than imposing solutions from above. Self-reflection Question: What fears might be hiding beneath the surface of your team's dynamics, and how could you create a safe space for them to emerge? Featured Book of the Week: Turn the Ship Around! by David Marquet Mariano recommends "Turn the Ship Around!" by David Marquet (we have an episode with David Marquet talking about this book, check it here). Mariano highlights the fascinating story and introduction to the leader-leader model, which differs significantly from the traditional leader-follower approach. This book resonates with Mariano's journey from directive leadership to facilitative leadership, showing how empowering others rather than commanding them creates more effective and engaged teams. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Mariano Gontchar Mariano is a Madrid-based Scrum Master with a unique multi-perspective journey through Agile roles. Having evolved from developer to Product Owner, Project Manager, and now Scrum Master, he brings comprehensive insights to team facilitation and backlog management. Mariano specializes in practical Agile adoption strategies that work in real-world environments. You can link with Mariano Gontchar on LinkedIn.
2 Sep 17min
From Boss to Facilitator—The Critical Role of Empathy in Scrum Mastery | Mariano Gontchar
Mariano Gontchar: From Boss to Facilitator—The Critical Role of Empathy in Scrum Mastery Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Mariano shares his transformation from viewing himself as a boss in his project manager role to embracing the facilitator mindset essential for Scrum Masters. His journey reveals a crucial insight: you cannot implement Scrum with a "big bang" approach. Instead, success comes through empathy and understanding your team's needs. Mariano emphasizes that working with Agile requires constant practice and learning, but the key lesson that changed everything for him was learning to empathize with his team members rather than directing them from above. Self-reflection Question: How might your current leadership style be limiting your team's potential, and what would change if you shifted from directing to facilitating? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Mariano Gontchar Mariano is a Madrid-based Scrum Master with a unique multi-perspective journey through Agile roles. Having evolved from developer to Product Owner, Project Manager, and now Scrum Master, he brings comprehensive insights to team facilitation and backlog management. Mariano specializes in practical Agile adoption strategies that work in real-world environments. You can link with Mariano Gontchar on LinkedIn.
1 Sep 14min
BONUS Agile Tour Vienna 2025: Building Community-Driven Agile Excellence With Robert Ruzitschka, Sabina Lammert, and Richard Brenner
BONUS: Agile Tour Vienna 2025—Building Community-Driven Agile Excellence In this BONUS episode, we explore the upcoming Agile Tour Vienna 2025 (get your ticket now!) with three passionate organizers who are bringing together the Austrian agile community for a day of learning, networking, and innovation. Join us as we dive into what makes this community-driven event special, the challenges facing today's agile practitioners, and why local connections matter more than ever in our evolving professional landscape. The Heart of Community-Driven Events "For me, it's really about creating an event from the community for the community. So at the Agile Tour Vienna we really pay a lot of attention that the contributions are made by community members." - Sabina Lammert The foundation of Agile Tour Vienna lies in its commitment to authentic community engagement. Unlike corporate-led conferences focused on sales and marketing, this event prioritizes genuine knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning. The organizers emphasize creating space for meaningful conversations, where participants don't just consume content but actively contribute to discussions and support one another with real-world challenges. This approach fosters an intimate atmosphere where attendees leave with valuable professional connections and practical insights they can immediately apply. Balancing Local Expertise with Global Perspectives "This local aspect is very important, but then it needs to be enhanced by bringing in ideas from people from the outside world." - Robert Ruzitschka Agile Tour Vienna strikes a unique balance between showcasing local Austrian talent and bringing in internationally renowned speakers. The event features a carefully curated mix of practical experiences from Vienna-based practitioners working directly with teams and companies, combined with keynotes from global thought leaders. This blend creates opportunities for attendees to understand both the local context of agile implementation and broader industry trends, making the learning experience both immediately relevant and strategically valuable. A Thoughtfully Designed Experience "We make sure we have a good diversity within the speakers. We also take care that we have a good mix, because for me, agile started with the engineering practices." - Richard Brenner The 2025 program demonstrates attention to creating a comprehensive learning experience. The organizers ensure language accessibility by maintaining at least one English track throughout the day while also offering German sessions. The content spans from technical engineering practices to team coaching and business strategy, reflecting agile's evolution across organizational levels. The event takes place in a stunning castle location (Auersperg Palace) that enhances the intimate, family-like atmosphere the organizers work hard to cultivate. World-Class Content in an Intimate Setting "Agile Tour Vienna is never aiming to go big, but to stay small and familiar. By the end of the day, you know new people." - Sabina Lammert This year's highlights include keynotes from Dave Farley on engineering excellence and Mirella Muse on product operations, plus an innovative Comic Agile storytelling workshop. The organizers deliberately limit attendance to maintain the conference's intimate character, ensuring meaningful networking opportunities rather than overwhelming crowds. Additional touches like a professional barista bar and ample space for informal conversations between sessions create an environment where genuine professional relationships can develop. From Concept-Based to Context-Based Agility "The biggest challenge is that we go from concept-based agility to context-based agility. Companies realize the world is complex. There is no one framework to rule them all." - Richard Brenner The agile community faces a significant evolution as the methodology matures from underground movement to established practice. Organizations are moving away from rigid framework implementations toward contextual problem-solving approaches. This shift requires practitioners to focus on solving real business issues rather than introducing agile for its own sake. The challenge lies in maintaining agile's core values while adapting to diverse organizational contexts and avoiding the trap of seeking simple solutions for complex problems. Maintaining Values-Based Working "It's not about winning over something. It's about using common sense, getting into interaction and trying to find sometimes complex solutions for complex problems." - Sabina Lammert Rather than declaring agile "dead," the community must refocus on value-based working and continuous adaptation. The real challenge involves empowering people to constantly reevaluate situations and embrace the reality that today's solutions may not work in three weeks or three years. This requires normalizing the inspect-and-adapt mindset as standard practice rather than exception, moving beyond method-focused thinking toward principle-driven decision making. Sustaining Community Spirit Through Challenging Times "In times of crisis, people tend to fall back to old patterns of behavior. We need to keep the ideas that made us work in a specific way alive." - Robert Ruzitschka Economic and political uncertainties create pressure to abandon agile practices in favor of traditional command-and-control approaches. Community events like Agile Tour Vienna play a crucial role in maintaining momentum for collaborative, adaptive working methods. The discipline required for agile practices - continuous integration, experimental approaches, market-driven feedback collection - represents a more sophisticated and ultimately more sustainable way of working than traditional project management approaches. The Discipline of Adaptability The discussion revealed an important distinction about discipline in agile environments. Agile teams demonstrate remarkable discipline through practices like continuous integration, experimental product development, and systematic feedback collection. This represents a more humane form of discipline that acknowledges complexity and enables adaptation, contrasting sharply with the rigid discipline of following predetermined plans regardless of changing circumstances. About Robert Ruzitschka, Sabina Lammert, and Richard Brenner Robert Ruzitschka is a Senior Principal Engineer at Raiffeisen Bank International and leads a team of Engineering Coaches. You can connect with Robert Ruzitschka on LinkedIn. Sabina Lammert is Founder and Agile Coach of Leadventure and supports Teams and organizations to improve their way of collaboration. You can connect with Sabina Lammert on LinkedIn. Richard Brenner is a previous guest, he started as Software Engineer and is now working as Agile Coach helping clients to adopt agile ways of working. You can connect with Richard Brenner on LinkedIn.
30 Aug 30min
Product Owner Patterns - From Absent to Exceptional | Salum Abdul-Rahman
Salum Abdul-Rahman: Learning to Communicate Value in Public and Non-Profit Sectors' Product Development Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. The Great Product Owner: The Systematic Value Communicator Salum describes working with a Product Owner who had a PhD in data science on a public sector visualization project. This exceptional PO was extremely systematic in working with stakeholders and possessed a unique ability to bridge abstract concepts with concrete implementations. In the public sector, where monetary feedback is absent, this PO excelled at thinking about value achievement and communicating it effectively to the team. They had the magical capability to involve stakeholders while demystifying complex requirements, helping the team understand not just engagement metrics but how their work would change society and the world. The Bad Product Owner: The Absentee Specialist The most common anti-pattern Salum encounters is the absentee Product Owner - typically a specialist assigned to the PO role while maintaining their full-time job as a domain expert. With only 10-20% time allocation, these POs lack the capacity to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. They often don't have the time or knowledge to develop essential PO skills, requiring extensive hand-holding to understand even basic concepts like user stories. Salum's approach involves booking time directly in their calendar for backlog refinement sessions and providing comprehensive guidance to help them understand the role, though this intensive support is necessary due to their limited availability for skill development. In this segment, we refer to the concept of 'enshitification' by Cory Doctorow, and refer to Tom Gilb's bonus episode on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast. Self-reflection Question: How do you ensure your Product Owner has both the time allocation and skill development needed to truly serve the team and stakeholders effectively? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] 🔥In the ruthless world of fintech, success isn't just about innovation—it's about coaching!🔥 Angela thought she was just there to coach a team. But now, she's caught in the middle of a corporate espionage drama that could make or break the future of digital banking. Can she help the team regain their mojo and outwit their rivals, or will the competition crush their ambitions? As alliances shift and the pressure builds, one thing becomes clear: this isn't just about the product—it's about the people. 🚨 Will Angela's coaching be enough? Find out in Shift: From Product to People—the gripping story of high-stakes innovation and corporate intrigue. Buy Now on Amazon [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends] About Salum Abdul-Rahman Salum is an agile coach at Reaktor and experienced leader driving sustainable knowledge work. He is passionate about enabling teams to work with complexity and conflicts. Salum builds communities in and outside of work and has 18 years of experience working with software mostly as a consultant with the public sector. You can link with Salum Abdul-Rahman on LinkedIn.
29 Aug 18min
