Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What happens when a CTO refuses to "shove" AI into every corner of the product? Why is the most successful AI actually invisible to the user? How can reducing "engagement" be the ultimate metric for engineering success and mental health?
In this Podcast with Mikael Landau:
π‘ Discover the "Invisible AI" strategy: why the best tools are the ones users donβt even notice
π‘ Get the mechanical proof of why putting AI into your product is a product problem, not a tech problem
π‘ Learn the "Piston Principle" to stop over-engineering and start delivering value from day one
π‘ See how Mikael melts team skepticism by turning AI into a silent ally that saves hours, not adds work
π‘ Explore the leadership strategy for scaling engineers into managers without falling into the "Peter Principle" trap
π€ Mikael Landau is an architect of trust in the worldβs most regulated industry. With 8+ years at the helm of Semble, a high-stakes engineering background from Goldman Sachs, and a First-Class Honours from Nottingham, he has scaled Semble into a MedTech powerhouse by treating technology as a silent ally for healthcare professionals.
Connect with Mikael:
π linkedin.com/in/mikael-landau-274b0750
Explore Semble:
π semble.io
π Our host, Kolade Afode, is an international tech speaker and Senior Engineer with deep expertise in high-performance systems. As a GitNation community host, he analyzes best practices and architectural solutions within the React ecosystem alongside the industry's leading voices. Connect with Kolade on LinkedIn:
π linkedin.com/in/kxlaa
β± Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Your 20$ Off π€«
01:14 - Goldman Sachs legacy and the foundation of Semble
05:34 - The βLifeworkβ rule: Why buying is better than building
09:06 - The AI Hype: Why βAI everywhereβ is a product trap
10:59 - The Piston Metaphor: Why users don't care about your tech stack
14:02 - Melting skepticism: Winning the team through immediate utility
16:20 - Ambient Intelligence: How AI becomes an invisible ally (ΠΠΎΠ±Π°Π²Π»Π΅Π½ΠΎ Π΄Π»Ρ Β«ΠΌΡΡΠ°Β»)
19:31 - The Engagement Paradox: Why success is fewer clicks, not more
20:48 - The Peter Principle: How to scale leaders, not just managers
23:45 - Engineering culture and the future of Semble
πΉ The podcast was recorded at TechLead Conf 2025 in London:
π gitnation.com/events/techlead-conference-2025-irl?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π Inside this video weβve hidden a secret code for 20% off your next event:
π« JSNation, June 11 & 15, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π jsnation.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π« React Summit, June 12 & 16, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π reactsummit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π« TechLead Conf, June 11 & 12, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π techleadconf.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
Join us and don't forget to use INSIDER20!
π Check out all the upcoming events from GitNation:
π gitnation.com/events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
#GitNation #GitNationHeroes #TechPodcast #GitNationInterviews #TechTalks #WebArchitecture
#CTO #AIStrategy #EngineeringManagement #MedTech #Semble #ProductLed #BuildVsBuy #TechLead #ITCareer #Career #Ai #AICoding #MiddleToSenior #Career #Semble
What happens when a CTO refuses to "shove" AI into every corner of the product? Why is the most successful AI actually invisible to the user? How can reducing "engagement" be the ultimate metric for engineering success and mental health?
In this Podcast with Mikael Landau:
π‘ Discover the "Invisible AI" strategy: why the best tools are the ones users donβt even notice
π‘ Get the mechanical proof of why putting AI into your product is a product problem, not a tech problem
π‘ Learn the "Piston Principle" to stop over-engineering and start delivering value from day one
π‘ See how Mikael melts team skepticism by turning AI into a silent ally that saves hours, not adds work
π‘ Explore the leadership strategy for scaling engineers into managers without falling into the "Peter Principle" trap
π€ Mikael Landau is an architect of trust in the worldβs most regulated industry. With 8+ years at the helm of Semble, a high-stakes engineering background from Goldman Sachs, and a First-Class Honours from Nottingham, he has scaled Semble into a MedTech powerhouse by treating technology as a silent ally for healthcare professionals.
Connect with Mikael:
π linkedin.com/in/mikael-landau-274b0750
Explore Semble:
π semble.io
π Our host, Kolade Afode, is an international tech speaker and Senior Engineer with deep expertise in high-performance systems. As a GitNation community host, he analyzes best practices and architectural solutions within the React ecosystem alongside the industry's leading voices. Connect with Kolade on LinkedIn:
π linkedin.com/in/kxlaa
β± Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Your 20$ Off π€«
01:14 - Goldman Sachs legacy and the foundation of Semble
05:34 - The βLifeworkβ rule: Why buying is better than building
09:06 - The AI Hype: Why βAI everywhereβ is a product trap
10:59 - The Piston Metaphor: Why users don't care about your tech stack
14:02 - Melting skepticism: Winning the team through immediate utility
16:20 - Ambient Intelligence: How AI becomes an invisible ally (ΠΠΎΠ±Π°Π²Π»Π΅Π½ΠΎ Π΄Π»Ρ Β«ΠΌΡΡΠ°Β»)
19:31 - The Engagement Paradox: Why success is fewer clicks, not more
20:48 - The Peter Principle: How to scale leaders, not just managers
23:45 - Engineering culture and the future of Semble
πΉ The podcast was recorded at TechLead Conf 2025 in London:
π gitnation.com/events/techlead-conference-2025-irl?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π Inside this video weβve hidden a secret code for 20% off your next event:
π« JSNation, June 11 & 15, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π jsnation.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π« React Summit, June 12 & 16, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π reactsummit.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
π« TechLead Conf, June 11 & 12, 2026 (Amsterdam & Online)
π techleadconf.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
Join us and don't forget to use INSIDER20!
π Check out all the upcoming events from GitNation:
π gitnation.com/events?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=MikaelLandau
#GitNation #GitNationHeroes #TechPodcast #GitNationInterviews #TechTalks #WebArchitecture
#CTO #AIStrategy #EngineeringManagement #MedTech #Semble #ProductLed #BuildVsBuy #TechLead #ITCareer #Career #Ai #AICoding #MiddleToSenior #Career #Semble
