Episode Summary

In this episode of Grown Up Product, host Brian welcomes Chris Kincanon, fractional CTO and co-founder of Ready Steady. With a career spanning from Accenture to startups to major corporations like Kohl's and Unity, Chris shares battle-tested insights on building scalable engineering organizations without burning out teams.

Key Topics Discussed:

The Evolution to Fractional Leadership

• Career progression from consulting to startups to enterprise and back to fractional
• Why fractional CTOs fill critical gaps early-stage companies need
• The unique position of covering both product and engineering sides

Process as Clarity, Not Control

• Why process is about "how we do business" not micromanagement
• The importance of guardrails and checkpoints vs rigid procedures
• How standards create culture and prevent talent loss
• The jazz metaphor: structure facilitates improvisation, doesn't inhibit it

The Product-Engineering Connection

• Getting product and engineering in sync as "the secret sauce"
• Building bridges between departments (marketing, sales, legal)
• Why writing code is expensive - iteration should happen on mockups first
• The critical role of product organizations in alignment

Quality vs. Velocity in 2025

• Why "move fast and break things" shouldn't be your normal operating mode
• The hidden costs: reputation damage, negative reviews, frustrated users
• How chaos at the team level filters up to leadership
• The iron triangle: quality, cost, and speed tradeoffs

AI and "Vibe Coding" Reality Check

• AI moves toward average, not excellence
• Why AI tools are multipliers in expert hands, not replacements
• The prototype ceiling: where AI coding hits its limits
• Training teams on AI tools like any other software rollout
• The danger of AI in decision-making vs. productivity enhancement

Building Standards in the AI Era

• What "good" looks like to experts vs. non-experts
• Using AI as the world's best rubber duck
• Why simple products built with AI face immediate competition
• The importance of maintaining human judgment in the loop

Notable Quotes & Insights:

• "The process acts more like a home base. When we stray from our path, we know where to come back to."
• "AI moves towards the average. And average is oftentimes better than what most people have. But it doesn't get you to good."
• "If your product is so simple you can throw it together with AI coding, you've got to expect competition."

Key Takeaways for Leaders:

1. Install guardrails and checkpoints, not micromanagement
2. Focus on clarity of roles and responsibilities early
3. Product-engineering alignment is the secret sauce
4. Treat AI tools like any new software - provide training and establish standards
5. Know what "good" looks like before implementing AI
6. Quality matters because reputation and user trust are hard to rebuild

About the Guest:

Chris Kincanon is a fractional CTO and co-founder of Ready Steady, bringing experience from Accenture, various startups, and major corporations like Kohl's and Unity. He specializes in helping early-stage companies build the right processes and standards for sustainable growth.

About Grown Up Product:

The podcast for founders, CEOs, and operators curious about building successful product organizations in a post-product market fit environment.