Software Leaders UNCENSORED
Steve Taplin hosts real conversations with CTOs and engineering leaders about what actually works in software delivery. Every episode surfaces a delivery pattern we document.
215+
Episodes
28k+
Subscribers
190K+
Lifetime views
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When 200+ leaders tell you their story...You start to see the pattern.
Every guest on Software Leaders UNCENSORED brings a different company, a different market, and a different set of scars. Put those conversations side by side and something shows up that no single interview can: the problems that keep coming back, the decisions that move teams forward, and the lessons leaders only learn the hard way. Steve Taplin has heard all of it firsthand. No other show has this exact set of conversations, and that is what makes the view from here different.
Firsthand
Every insight comes straight from a leader who lived it.
Every stage, every function
Startups to global enterprises, engineering to AI. The range is what makes the patterns visible.
Unfiltered
Leaders talk about what failed, not just what worked. That is where the real lessons are.
Guest feedback
What guests are saying.
Steve brings energy, insight, and real-world experience to every discussion. He has a unique ability to translate complex challenges into clear, actionable ideas for leaders navigating today's fast-changing tech landscape.
Chris Bee
Fractional CTO/CPO, ex Zillow, Uber, Amazon
Steve has a rare ability to drive meaningful, thought-provoking conversations that challenge how leaders think about AI, leadership, and global software delivery. His perspective pushes executives beyond theory into real-world application, making his sessions both engaging and highly actionable.
Srikanth Victory
CTO, AgilityHealth
Steve delivers high-quality, insightful discussions that resonate with technical leaders. His ability to blend experience with forward-thinking perspectives makes him a compelling voice on today's most important technology topics.
Jason Gilmore
CTO, Adalo
Meet Your Host
Steve Taplin
Steve Taplin has spent more than 25 years building companies. He’s founded more than 30 of them. He knows how good ideas stall, how teams get stuck, and what it takes to bring software to market.
He’s the Founder and CEO of Sonatafy Technology and a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He has published more than 248 articles in Forbes, Entrepreneur, CIO, and Inc., and has spoken at more than 50 events. He wrote Fail Hard, Win Big and co-wrote The Backlog Illusion.
On Software Leaders UNCENSORED, Steve has sat down with 215+ tech leaders and innovators, with no repeat guests. He asks the questions operators want answered: what worked, what failed, and what they’d do differently. The result is a candid, firsthand look at how leaders build, scale, and recover.
Connect with our host on LinkedIn
New series
Signature Spotlight
Hosted by Mike Whitmire
Introducing Signature Spotlight, the new series hosted by Mike Whitmire.
Watch on youtube