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Stellar Work

Benjamin Igna

Work is broken. Not in a LinkedIn-thought-leader way. In a "we spent 18 months on a transformation and nothing changed" way. Ben unpacks what actually moves the needle with practitioners, engineers, and leaders who've been through it. New episodes every two weeks.

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  • 23 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 42 min
  • English
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  • #45
    Nov 17, 2025 · 1 hr 14 min

    #45 Marcelo Lopez on critical thinking in business

    Summary This episode features a conversation between Marcelo Lopez and Benjamin, exploring themes of professional growth, the impact of AI, and the importance of critical thinking. Marcelo shares his journey as a Certified Scrum Trainer and his experiences in the tech industry, emphasizing the value of giving back and helping others. The discussion delves into the challenges of maintaining critical thinking in a fast-paced, technology-driven world, and the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on AI without human oversight. The episode concludes with a light-hearted exchange about personal hobbies and the importance of taking breaks to refresh one's mind. 00:00 Introduction and Catching Up 01:17 The Many Names of Marcello 03:46 Marcello's Professional Journey 05:52 Insights on Agile and Scrum 13:24 Challenges and Anecdotes 15:20 The Importance of Communication 30:08 Legal Issues and Cautionary Tales 33:08 Final Thoughts and Future Topics 33:50 Discussion on AI Research and Its Implications 36:45 Legal Implications of AI in the Courtroom 39:39 The Role of Critical Thinking in AI Usage 40:53 Studies on Brain Activity and AI Usage 44:25 Corporate Challenges with AI Implementation 01:03:22 The Importance of Critical Thinking in Business 01:09:57 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans Marcelo Lopez Marcelo Lopez is an accomplished IT and Product Management leader with over 30 years of experience across technology, operations, and organizational transformation. His background includes extensive work in help desk, incident management, and enterprise-level IT support within both distributed and centralized settings. With more than 15 years in senior IT leadership, he has successfully driven change management, process improvement, and business continuity initiatives. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and recognized for his strengths in communications, instructional design, and training. As a Product Management Leader and Enterprise Agile Coach, Marcelo combines technical expertise with strategic guidance to optimize team performance, foster innovation, and align product development with business objectives. His reputation is built on critical thinking, a goal-oriented mindset, and the ability to lead organizations through complex challenges toward long-term success. Marcelo Lopez on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelolopezjr/ Marcelos Work https://bold.pro/my/marcelo-lopez-jr-1 Stellar Work: Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stellarwork.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information about how evolutionary agile transformations work Make sure to follow us on your podcast player 🔔 as well as on LinkedIn to never miss out on more content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/stellarwork/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sponsors: This podcast is 100% sponsored by me :) If you need help with you agile transformation and opting for an evolutionary approach seems like something you want to check out, click here and lets meet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zeeg.me/stellarwork⁠⁠ Note: Stellar Work Podcast hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

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  • #44
    Nov 3, 2025 · 42 min

    #44 Philipp Guth - Transforming R&D at Rittal

    In this episode of the Stellar Work Podcast, Benjamin interviews Philipp Guth, the CTO of Rittal, about the company's transformation journey. Rittal, a leader in electrical enclosures and cooling solutions, is evolving from a product-centric to a solution-oriented company. Philipp discusses the need for transformation in response to increasing complexity in customer requirements and competition. He outlines his approach to change, emphasizing the importance of awareness, pilot teams, and adapting agile methods in hardware development. The conversation also touches on managing resistance, learning from failures, and drawing inspiration from innovative companies like SpaceX. Philipp Guth Philipp Guth has been Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Rittal since October 1, 2022. Rittal is the world’s leading provider of enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure, as well as software and services. In his role, Guth heads the Research & Development division and drives the company’s innovation strategy—particularly by integrating mechanical product development with software engineering and digitally supported processes. Before joining Rittal, Guth spent over ten years in senior management positions at Bosch Rexroth and Wittenstein, including serving as CEO of the Automation & Electrification Solutions Business Unit and later as Project Lead for Digitalization in Bosch Rexroth’s central division. Raised in Brussels and educated as a mechanical engineer at the University of Stuttgart, Philipp Guth brings deep expertise in technology, digitalization, and international collaboration. His mission at Rittal is to strengthen the company’s leadership in innovation and accelerate the global digital transformation of product and system development. Philipp Guth on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phigu/?locale=en_US Rittal: https://www.rittal.com/ Stellar Work: Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stellarwork.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information about how evolutionary agile transformations work Make sure to follow us on your podcast player 🔔 as well as on LinkedIn to never miss out on more content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/stellarwork/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sponsors: This podcast is 100% sponsored by me :) If you need help with you agile transformation and opting for an evolutionary approach seems like something you want to check out, click here and lets meet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zeeg.me/stellarwork⁠⁠ Note: Stellar Work Podcast hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions. Chapters (00:47) Introduction to Rittal and Philipp Guth (04:19) The Need for Transformation (08:18) Approaching Transformation: Steps and Strategies (12:13) Changing Ways of Working: From Silos to Flow (16:10) Managing Resistance and Building Awareness (19:58) The Timeline and Scale of Transformation (24:10) Learning from Failures and Iteration (27:58) Cultural Differences: Hardware vs. Software (31:51) Insights from SpaceX: Rapid Prototyping and Iteration (35:45) Advice for Leaders on Transformation

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  • #43
    Oct 6, 2025 · 45 min

    #43 Henrik Kniberg - Agentifying Software Development

    Summary In this episode Henrik shares his journey from software development to AI, discussing the evolution of coding practices and the impact of AI on the software industry. He delves into the Spotify model, the importance of Agile methodologies, and how AI is transforming coding and software development. Henrik also addresses hiring practices in the age of AI, the role of junior developers, and the significance of architectural decisions in software projects. He concludes with insights on future trends in AI-assisted coding and how developers can adapt to these changes. Henrik Kniberg Henrik Kniberg is a prominent Swedish technologist, agile and lean expert, and entrepreneur who helps organizations become more productive using generative AI and agile principles. He is known for co-founding AI companies (Ymnig.ai, Flitig.ai), creating educational content on generative AI, and pioneering practical AI agent platforms. Kniberg has played key roles at Mojang (as a Minecraft gameplay designer and coach), Spotify, LEGO, and other major companies, shaping both their software and organizational cultures. He is also widely credited for making agile methodologies accessible and for the “Spotify Model” of agile scaling, though he clarifies he helped make it visible rather than inventing it outright Henrik on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hkniberg Abundly: https://youtu.be/CKXVok7Vsck?feature=shared https://youtu.be/Pic9TKOvmG0?feature=shared https://youtu.be/2IK3DFHRFfw?feature=shared www.abundly.ai www.app.abundly.ai Stellar Work: Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stellarwork.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information about how evolutionary agile transformations work Make sure to follow us on your podcast player 🔔 as well as on LinkedIn to never miss out on more content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/stellarwork/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sponsors: This podcast is 100% sponsored by me :) If you need help with you agile transformation and opting for an evolutionary approach seems like something you want to check out, click here and lets meet: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://zeeg.me/stellarwork⁠⁠ Note: Stellar Work Podcast hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions. Chapters [1:02] Introduction to Henrik and His Journey [4:03] The Spotify Model and Its Impact [6:50] Transitioning to AI: A New Frontier [9:59] Building AI Tools: The Egbert Experience [12:54] AI in Coding: Enhancing Productivity [15:59] The Developer's Mindset with AI [18:53] AI in Hiring and Future Prospects [21:52] AI in Hiring: The New Norm [23:56] The Role of Junior Developers in an AI World [26:09] Navigating Job Security Amidst AI Advancements [27:40] The Evolution of Developer Productivity [29:05] Architectural Decisions in AI Development [31:49] Microservices vs. Monolithic Structures [34:44] Managing AI Risks in Development [38:07] Keeping Up with Rapid Tech Changes [39:39] The Future of AI-Assisted Coding

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Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes