Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

How can early-stage investors deliver repeatable, outsized returns—without chasing hype?

In this episode of Techoventure, Mark Fernandes, Managing Director at Sierra Ventures, shares the disciplined model behind one of the industry’s most consistent early-stage venture firms. Sierra’s strategy is designed for repeatable 3–5x returns by focusing on founder-market fit, tight portfolio construction, and tech-savvy sectors like AI, cloud, and cybersecurity.

Key insights include:

The four-part rubric Sierra uses to vet early-stage founders

Why fund size discipline is critical to long-term VC performance

How Sierra balances seed and Series A checks with portfolio theory

The power of “AI enablers” in healthcare, legal, and vertical SaaS

The 20-year evolution of Sierra’s CXO Board and its enterprise value

Is AI coming for your job—or just changing how you work?

In this episode, Wall Street Journal technology columnist Christopher Mims shares a grounded, deeply informed perspective on how AI is reshaping productivity, creativity, jobs, and knowledge work. From the pitfalls of overhyping generative AI to the rise of agentic systems and the enduring role of classic AI, Christopher unpacks what leaders need to know now. He also highlights how experts benefit most from AI, what happens when organizations anchor too heavily on AI tools, and why handwritten notes, walking meetings, and skepticism are critical in the AI age.

Key highlights from the episode:

Why experts extract more value from generative AI

How CEOs are freezing junior hiring while boosting senior productivity

Mims’ concept of “work slop” and how to avoid it

Why hallucinations are structural in AI and require human oversight

Tips for AI adoption that preserve creativity and context

How does a 100-year-old manufacturing leader reinvent itself through autonomy and AI?

In this episode, Caterpillar CTO Jaime Mineart shares how her team is transforming industrial work sites using robotics, machine intelligence, and real-time data. From mining to construction, the company is applying decades of engineering expertise to modern digital challenges, partnering with customers to co-develop scalable automation solutions.

Key highlights from the episode:

How autonomy is expanding beyond mining into quarries and construction

What makes Caterpillar’s AI adoption strategy unique—and replicable

Inside the Helios platform and NVIDIA partnership powering data-driven insights

Why the company pledged $100M to upskill the workforce of the future

Lessons from scaling R&D with real-world customer involvement

1048: What if the hiring process wasn’t broken—but reimagined?

Anthony Moisant, Chief Information Officer and Chief Security Officer at Indeed, details how his teams are building trusted systems, tackling AI bias, and leveraging background agents and AI sourcing to solve the “black hole” of hiring. He also reflects on the importance of early-career talent, skill-based hiring, and the balance of self-learning and leadership-led growth.

The conversation covers:

Why trust is foundational to AI innovation at Indeed

How “invite to apply” transforms the candidate experience

The future of work through agentic systems and AI sourcing

Balancing self-driven learning with leadership-created space

1047: What does it take to lead tech—and the enterprise—in 2026?

In this episode of Technovation, we feature a panel from our October 2025 Metis Strategy Summit where Steven Norton speaks with three top executive recruiters: Craig Stephenson (Korn Ferry), Jamey Cummings (JM Search), and Scott Robbin (Heidrick & Struggles). Throughout the conversation, each recruiter gives their perspective on the evolving mandate of the CIO.

The conversation covers:

The convergence of data, security, digital, and operations under the CIO

How talent strategy and succession planning are changing

What makes a technology leader board-ready

The rise (and ambiguity) of the Chief AI Officer

Offshore workforce trends and leadership development