CTO Series: Bridging Innovation and Strategy as CTO of CrateDB With Sergey Gerasimenko

Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

CTO Series: Sergey’s Leadership Insights—Bridging Innovation and Strategy as CTO of CrateDB

In this BONUS episode, we sit down with Sergey, the forward-thinking CTO of CrateDB, to unpack his journey from Nokia to CrateDB and his leadership philosophy that blends technical expertise with strategic foresight. We dive into the key moments that shaped his career, the challenges of scaling technology in a competitive market, and how Sergey aligns his team’s efforts with broader business goals while staying adaptable in an ever-evolving tech landscape.

The Defining Moment in Sergey’s Leadership Journey

“Being a cheerleader, servant, and strategist for your team creates an environment where innovation can thrive.”

Sergey shares how working at Nokia with an inspiring people manager, Sotiris, influenced his leadership approach. Sotiris embodied servant leadership and made strategic thinking a team-wide responsibility. Sergey reflects on how this mindset helped him approach his current role at CrateDB, emphasizing the importance of not only building great products but ensuring they resonate in the market through thoughtful sales and marketing alignment.

“The best leaders help their teams see what’s next—not just solve today’s problems.”

Navigating Product-Market Fit for Technical Products

“For technical products, adoption is not just about features—it’s about connecting with both developers and decision-makers.”

Sergey breaks down the challenges of achieving product-market fit for developer-centric solutions like CrateDB. He explains the dual approach of engaging both top-down decision-makers, like CTOs, and bottom-up developer communities. By drawing from his startup experience, Sergey underscores the importance of building trust and delivering a developer experience that wins over early adopters.

“The real challenge is bridging the gap between leadership adoption and the developers who use the product every day.”

The Impact of AI on Developer Experience

“AI’s true transformation lies in how it enhances the products we already use, often invisibly.”

When asked about AI’s current role, Sergey reflects on the potential of AI-powered tools to transform workflows over the next few years. While not yet life-changing for his daily routine, he anticipates that AI’s influence will soon be felt through the optimization of background processes in everyday tools and databases.

“The future isn’t about flashy AI features—it’s about smarter tools that simplify complex workflows.”

Aligning Tech Strategy with Business Goals

“A strong strategy needs to be a story that teams can rally around and imagine themselves in.”

Sergey details CrateDB’s unique approach to strategic planning, inspired by open-source RFCs (Request for Comments). Instead of rigid OKRs, they craft stories that clarify priorities and invite feedback from across the organization. He highlights the importance of quarterly check-ins and building checkpoints to validate assumptions along the way.

Key tips in this segment:

• Document the assumptions behind the strategy.

• Break initiatives into steps to test their feasibility.

• Avoid deadline-driven development; focus on value-driven milestones.

Fostering Collaboration Between Tech and Business Units

“Collaboration thrives when both sides understand the trade-offs involved in strategic decisions.”

Sergey explains how collaboration between engineering and business leaders is fostered through transparency and communication. Product managers and engineering leads play key roles in advocating for priorities and ensuring alignment across teams. Sergey emphasizes the value of making trade-offs explicit to avoid silos.

“The best partnerships between tech and business come from mutual understanding—not just of goals, but of constraints.”

Staying Ahead with Strategic Roadmapping

“A good strategy diagnoses the situation, sets guiding policies, and outlines coherent actions.”

Sergey highlights the importance of competitive intelligence in staying ahead of market trends without reacting impulsively. In the world of databases, long adoption cycles offer the advantage of thoughtful strategic planning. He references the book Good Strategy/Bad Strategy and describes how CrateDB maintains an evergreen list of initiatives that can be prioritized when needed.

“Don’t just chase trends—create a strategy that withstands change by focusing on long-term coherence.”

Overcoming the Challenges of the CTO Role

“The CTO role is often ambiguous—define it based on your organization’s needs.”

Sergey candidly discusses the challenge of imposter syndrome and the ambiguity that comes with the CTO title. He outlines two common archetypes: the technical expert versus the team builder and cultural leader. He stresses the importance of adjusting the role to the organization’s maturity and goals.

“Your leadership role isn’t static—adapt your approach to meet your organization where it is.”

Books That Shaped Sergey’s Leadership Approach

“Most tech problems are people problems disguised as engineering issues.”

Sergey shares the books that influenced his leadership style:

• Peopleware by Tom DeMarco: Reinforces the idea that technical challenges often stem from team dynamics.

• Drive by Daniel Pink: Highlights the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in motivating teams.

• Good to Great by Jim Collins: Explores what makes some companies thrive while others stagnate.

About Sergey Gerasimenko

Sergey is the innovative CTO of CrateDB, leading the charge in real-time analytics and hybrid search. Previously, he was VP of Engineering at MongoDB, shaping the edge device strategy, and at Realm, a leading open-source mobile/embedded database acquired by MongoDB in 2019. With a career spanning groundbreaking roles at Brainly and Nokia, Sergey co-founded two companies and holds a patent. His leadership continues to push the boundaries of tech innovation.

You can link with Sergey Gerasimenko on LinkedIn.