Behind the Fail Whale, GM, and Apple: Unfiltered Leadership Lessons from Mike Abbott

Exceptional tech leadership requires mastering both organizational transformation and sustainable scaling while maintaining empathy and cultural awareness. In this episode of Signal to Noise Podcast, host Ali Behnam is joined by Mike Abbott, Co-Founder of Open Athena, to unpack what real tech leadership looks like when the stakes are sky-high.

What You’ll Learn:

How to lead transformational change by asking questions and listening before implementing solutions
The framework for scaling engineering teams sustainably without compromising culture or quality
Why mission alignment matters more than technical skills when building high-performing teams
How to navigate organizational resistance when joining large established companies
The critical balance between speed and stability when managing hypergrowth infrastructure
How to adapt leadership approaches across different company cultures and growth stages

Mike Abbott is a distinguished technology executive and leader with vast experience across major tech companies and startups. As a former VP of Engineering at Twitter, head of iCloud at Apple, and Global Head of Software at General Motors, he has demonstrated expertise in scaling engineering organizations and managing complex technological transformations. Throughout his career, Mike has led critical initiatives, including stabilizing Twitter's infrastructure during periods of hypergrowth, developing WebOS at Palm, and founding Composite Software.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Episode Resources:

Mike Abbott on LinkedIn
Open Athena Website
Ali Behnam on LinkedIn
Riviera Partners Website
Riviera Partners on LinkedIn