Tech Waka Podcast

Sometimes it feels like senior leadership in New Zealand tech isn’t recognised at the level it should be , especially when big roles come up, and decision-makers look offshore for “proven experience”.
In this episode, Jakub is joined by Paul Meyrick and Stuart Collins from Wires Uncrossed to unpack what’s really going on. Drawing on leadership experience across Silverstripe, MetService, BNZ, and Xero, they explore the hidden step-change from being an excellent engineer to becoming a system leader — shifting from “building solutions” to “designing the conditions where solutions can happen repeatedly”.
They talk about why success feels harder to claim in leadership, how humility can turn into invisibility, and why the right language matters when you’re asking for investment or influencing boards and exec teams. They also share practical signals that you’re ready for the next step, how to make imposter syndrome work for you (without letting it crush you), and why community and mentorship are critical — because leadership can be lonely.
In this episode we cover:
Why NZ tech leadership can be under-recognised (and what to do about it)

The shift from technical leader to system leader

Visibility vs humility: claiming impact without ego

How to build the language to influence senior stakeholders

Signals you’re ready for the next step in leadership

Community, mentorship, and frameworks that help when leadership feels lonely

This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed.

This episode is a little different. Instead of a guest, I’m taking a moment to reflect on Tech Waka’s second year — and how it grew from a podcast into a community for New Zealand tech leaders.

This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed.

Transformations don’t fail because of slide decks – they fail in the messy middle, where people are stressed, alignment drifts, and hard problems finally make their way to the top.

In this episode, Jakub sits down with Allan Sampson, Executive General Manager – New Zealand at Gentrack, who has spent more than two decades leading large-scale software and business transformations in the energy and utilities sector.

Allan shares what really makes transformation programmes hard: complex vendor–client dynamics, misaligned expectations, fragile governance, “watermelon” reporting, and the human reactions to sustained pressure. He talks through how he thinks about leaders, steady “followers”, and detractors on a programme, and what it takes to build trust and psychological safety without turning work into a comfort zone.

You’ll hear practical ways to:
Read what’s really going on beneath the project reports

Build authentic leadership that people trust under pressure

Navigate escalations, conflict, and clashing personalities

Use the forming–storming–norming–performing model in real teams (including the often-ignored “adjourning” stage)

Recognise and manage stress in yourself and your teams, and help people find what’s actually in their control

Close out a big programme in a way that captures learning and honours the relationships you’ve built

This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed.

What makes a retro actually useful—and why do so many senior devs stall out? Craig Bensemann brings sharp insights and real-world fixes.

Too many teams are “doing agile” without improving. And too many senior devs are stuck, unsure what’s next. Craig Bensemann—senior developer, mentor, and author of Retros Don’t Suck—joins Jakob to unpack both.

With two decades in tech, Craig has led teams, mentored developers, and experienced firsthand what happens when retros become venting sessions and careers lose momentum. In this conversation, he explains why rigid scrum can be today’s waterfall, how to shorten feedback loops in real ways, and how to bring intentionality to career growth.

They dig into practical ways to fix retrospectives (hint: fewer action items, more ownership), signs a senior dev might be coasting, and how to lead without a formal title. Craig shares why he stepped back into an IC role—and why that was exactly the right move for him.

Whether you’re a team lead trying to reboot agile or a senior engineer feeling stuck, this episode offers both insight and next steps.

Key topics: agile theatre, retrospective anti-patterns, career plateaus, developer mentoring, modern leadership without the title.

This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed.

1 in 4 New Zealanders live with a disability. Maia Miller says it’s time our tech reflected that, and she shows how leaders can start today.
In this episode of the Tech Waka Podcast, we sit down with Maia Miller, founder of Aleph Accessibility, to unpack the why, how, and impact of building accessible tech. Maia shares her own journey from frontend dev to Aleph Accessibility founder, and breaks down:
What accessibility really means in digital products

The NZ-specific landscape: what’s working, what’s broken

How accessibility benefits all users, not just disabled users

Practical steps tech leaders can take next week

How good accessibility makes your AI, codebase, and customer experience better

Whether you’re an engineering manager, product leader, or platform owner, this episode will expand your perspective and give you tangible ways to lead better.

This episode is sponsored by Wires Uncrossed.