Catastrophizing

The Tech Exec Podcast with Aviv Ben-Yosef

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26:18

How do you know when it’s time to make your next big career move? With International Women’s Day around the corner, we are excited to feature Avni Patel Thompson, Founder and CEO of Milo. Avni is building technology that directly supports the often overlooked emotional and logistical labor that falls on parents—especially women. Milo is an AI assistant designed to help families manage that invisible load more efficiently. In this episode, Avni shares her journey from studying chemistry to holding leadership roles at global brands like Adidas and Starbucks, to launching her own ventures. She discusses how she approaches career transitions, the importance of unpleasant experiences, and why she’s focused on making everyday life easier for parents. [01:26] Avni's University Days and Early Career [04:36] Non-Linear Career Paths [05:16] Pursuing Steep Learning Curves [11:51] Entrepreneurship and Safety Nets [15:22] Lived Experiences and Milo [19:55] Avni’s In Her Ellement Moment [20:03] Reflections Links: Avni Patel Thompson on LinkedIn Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn Ipsos report on the future of parenting About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element? About The Hosts: Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030. Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders. Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.…

about a year ago 6:23

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Techies often have a default stance of expecting the worst to happen. It might've served you well when you were coding and helped you remember to write an 'else' for every 'if,' but it can be holding you back right now as a leader. More in this week's episode!

Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System.
Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives.
For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com

292 episodes

#Tech #Business #Startup #Leadership #Rnd #With Aviv BenYosef #CTO #RD In #CEO #IT Management

Catastrophizing

The Tech Exec Podcast with Aviv Ben-Yosef

16 subscribers

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

Check out my YouTube channel!

292 episodes

#Tech #Business #Startup #Leadership #Rnd #With Aviv BenYosef #CTO #RD In #CEO #IT Management

All episodes

1
Eight Traits: Autonomy 10:38

4 days ago10:38

10:38

Most tech leaders say they value autonomy. But when it comes to actually letting go and empowering their teams? That’s where the cracks show. In this episode of the Eight Traits series, I unpack how autonomy isn’t just about giving freedom—it’s about intentional delegation, trust, and designing teams that think for themselves (without blowing things up). If you’re still the bottleneck—or if “delegation” means throwing tasks over the fence—this one’s for you. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Eight Traits: Instilling Purpose 10:52

11 days ago10:52

10:52

For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. After previously discussing vision, now we're covering translating that into action: Instilling Purpose . Vision's no good if it's locked up in your head because then you have to play the master of puppets to make it a reality. Once you master instilling purpose, you gain the genuine benefit of having an empowered team work toward the same objective. More on cultivating that in this week's episode. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Eight Traits: Vision 8:31

18 days ago8:31

8:31

For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. This time, we're continuing with vision : A foundational tenet of every strategy, executives who lack vision don't know where they're headed. Let's go over simple questions to assess whether you've got enough of a vision or not. Check out my video about moving upstream and gaining vision. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Eight Traits: Accountability 14:48

25 days ago14:48

14:48

For years, I’ve guided tech executives through a simple self-assessment of eight leadership traits—helping them pinpoint the highest-ROI areas for growth. Now, I’m bringing that process to the podcast. In this series, we’ll break down each trait, giving you a framework to assess yourself and practical ways to improve. We’re starting with accountability : Can people trust you to follow through? Do you deliver on what you commit to? Let’s find out. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Other People's Games 12:52

5 weeks ago12:52

12:52

When you're playing other people's games, you're following a path selected by others. You might have a better way of reaching that destination, or an entirely different one. Too often, we find ourselves playing by rules that weren’t designed for us, following paths that don’t serve us, and chasing goals we never truly chose. In this episode, I break down the power of opting out, the courage it takes to reject playing other people’s games , and how tech leaders can create careers and companies that align with what actually matters. Reserve your spot for the Coaching Upgrade #2 livestream. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Innovation Safety Nets 11:29

6 weeks ago11:29

11:29

This team was spinning its wheels for weeks—endless discussions, half-baked experiments, and no real progress. Then, they put a “safety net” in place, and within days, they made leaps they hadn’t achieved in months. What changed? And more importantly—can you do the same? Too often, teams fear taking bold steps because failure feels too costly. But with the right structures in place, they stop playing defense and start creating. In this episode, we dive into how the right guardrails can unlock innovation rather than stifle it. Tune in to learn how to cultivate a culture where risk-taking is productive, creativity flows, and your team moves forward—fast. Reserve your spot for the Coaching Upgrade #2 livestream. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Risotto or Salad? 12:33

7 weeks ago12:33

12:33

🥗 Salad or Risotto? The Leadership Balancing Act 🍛 Some things can be tossed together in minutes. Others need time to develop depth and character. 💡 A salad? Chop, mix, done. Quick and fresh. 🔥 Risotto? Slow, careful stirring. Rushing ruins it. In tech leadership, knowing what needs speed and what demands patience is everything. Confuse the two, and you end up with a half-baked strategy—or worse, a burnt-out team. Reserve your spot for the Coaching Upgrade #2 livestream. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Ibuprofen Management 10:47

8 weeks ago10:47

10:47

Leadership headaches? If you’re just taking painkillers instead of treating the root cause, you’re letting problems fester until they explode—usually at the worst time. Are you practicing ‘Ibuprofen Management’? Let’s talk about it in this week’s episode. Get my free ebook about the impact coaching framework . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Burn Notion Down 11:22

9 weeks ago11:22

11:22

Some engineering leaders are so process-driven, they’re practically begging AI to replace them. Are you so intent on bolting everything down, you're mostly ensuring there's no innovation happening? Don't be a bureaucrat. Over-optimization and rigid systems kill creativity, making human leadership irrelevant. More on this week's episode. Get a copy of the Impact Coaching Framework ebook . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Unhappy Meals 8:48

10 weeks ago8:48

8:48

Is your team essentially operating like teenagers working at McDonald's, not having any real authority or agency to do anything without asking for their parent's permission? The right coaching and environment can unlock their potential, and the wrong ones easily deteriorate into a messy space with lots of unhappy faces. More on this week's podcast episode. Join my upcoming public livestream about upgrading your coaching skills . Sign up and also get my free ebook about the impact coaching framework. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
All Chiefs, No Tribe 10:53

11 weeks ago10:53

10:53

Being easy on the trigger with the titles and "roles" you hand out can really skew your organization's culture in the wrong direction. Here's the story of a real company I came across with no "plain" ICs and how you *should* handle titles and lead roles. Join my upcoming public livestream about upgrading your coaching skills . Sign up and also get my free ebook about the impact coaching framework. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
You Snooze You Cruise 9:30

12 weeks ago9:30

9:30

Toss aside those grand New Year's resolutions you wrote. I've seen tangible and long-term changes in my clients by finding a way to make improvement a constant. If you treat your progress with deliberate practice, these efforts will accrue considerably. But you have to be in it for the long game. More in this week's podcast episode! Get my free impact coaching framework ebook . Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Bootstrapping Leadership 15:08

13 weeks ago15:08

15:08

CTO/VPE? The bad news: Your CEO won't coach you. The good ones? You've got enough agency and authority to pull yourself by the bootstraps! This week's podcast is a DIY-kit for coaching and growth. Grab my free coaching framework ebook: https://avivbenyosef.com/free-coaching-framework-ebook/ Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
In The Shallows 9:53

14 weeks ago9:53

9:53

Year-end reflection on the behaviors of the top 0.1% engineers and leaders I've had the privilege of working with, and how you should make the time to get deeper instead of always doing shallow work. You don't have to change things constantly, but if you don't constantly learn and reassess, you'll miss the signs when change is actually needed. Grab a copy of my books, Capitalizing Your Technology and The Tech Executive Operating System . Subscribe to the best newsletter for tech executives . For any questions or comments, reach out to me directly: aviv@avivbenyosef.com…

1
Fooling No One 8:02

15 weeks ago8:02