S1 EP6 Lightning Talks with Tech Leaders - Chris Philipps

In this episode we're thrilled to have a true industry titan joining us. We are excited to speak with Chris Philipps, the visionary behind Philipps & Byrne, a consultancy firm revolutionising tech due diligence and helping founders and investors build the world of tomorrow! With over two decades of experience in the tech and startup ecosystem, Chris has built a reputation as a strategic advisor and seasoned angel investor. As a former engineer and CTO-turned-CEO, he brings a unique blend of technical prowess and business acumen to the table. Chris previously worked at StudiVZ, Germany's fastest-growing social network. He then spearheaded DailyDeal, which had the fastest-developing business model in history.

He then spent time working as a fractional or interim CTO at businesses such as Crealytics, Ryte, and OUTFITTERY, to name a few. He has also contributed to several books and articles and is a prominent conference speaker at events such as Tech Open Air (TOA) / Google Stage, UNIT Unicorns in Tech Conference, Code Talks, JAX, PHPUG, Meet Magento, Scrum Day, GTAC Google Test Automation Conference, and others.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Chris also champions diversity and inclusion. As a board member of BVT*, the German association of transgender people, he's actively working to create a more equitable and inclusive tech industry.

At Phillips & Byrne, Chris and his team have a proven track record of guiding businesses through the complexities of tech acquisitions and investments. With hundreds of successful due diligence projects under their belt, they're trusted advisors to some of the world's leading VCs, private equity firms, and startups.

In this episode, we cover some of the following topics:

⚡️ Chris's unique career journey

⚡️ Learnings of an interim CTO

⚡️ Why CEOs need the proper perspective in tech

⚡️ Deep Tech | Decarbonisation | BioTech

⚡️ Leadership should start with yourself, the 'know yourself principle'

⚡️ Why hiring for right now & next stage of growth earlier than you expect is key

⚡️ Interviews - 'Let them play the piano!' & The ugly side

⚡️ Make over Buy in Infra

⚡️ Documentation saves your ass!

⚡️ Remote or Back to the office conundrum

⚡️ Why you should invest in your network as a CTO

⚡️ Underestimating stakeholder management

⚡️ Focus on DX 'Developer Experience'