Hear it now

When I look back on rolling my first code into production, I can’t remember a line of code I wrote, but I recall the conversations with the mentor who gave me the IT bug.

When I think about my early introduction to Linux more than 10 years ago, the specific steps required to compile the kernel on an old 486 escape me, but I very clearly remember spirited late-night talks over coffee with the helpful co-worker who introduced me to Linux. In my current role at InfoWorld, my regular conversations with other CTOs continue to mold my thinking, both in terms of strategic technology and personal growth. Aside from small nuggets of those conversations in my weekly column and in my Weblog, much of the content of those conversations has been lost to unrecorded history, even though I’m certain you’d find many of these dialogues every bit as enlightening as I have. But I’ve decided to change all that.

Thanks to the relatively new phenomenon of podcasting, I’m now able to capture and distribute those conversations with other CTOs and share them with you on a regular basis. For the uninitiated, Wikipedia defines podcasting as “a way of publishing sound files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive new audio files automatically.”

After four years of writing this column for the magazine and the Web, I’m pleased to announce that I’m launching an audio edition of CTO Connection, an interview series where I sit down with a working CTO and discuss the business of running and managing IT, career issues, and the mindset required to be a successful CTO. I’m hoping that this audio series will give you a peek into the kinds of behind-the-scenes conversations I have with CTOs so you can learn from them in the same way I have during the past four years. I’m looking forward to sharing the thoughts of CTOs in their own words with you.

We won’t be talking about technology alone, because I don’t think the path to being a successful CTO is paved purely through technical proficiency — a balanced point-of-view is essential. CTOs are multidimensional people with passions and interests that extend beyond technology, so expect to hear a little about what CTOs do for fun.

For the first installment of the audio edition of CTO Connection, I spoke with Mike Dunn, vice president of interactive media at Hearst Interactive, a founding member of InfoWorld’s CTO Advisory Council and an enthusiastic blogger. Mike’s career includes stints as the CTO of Time Warner and as the first CTO of Dell’s category-leading online business.

As a fellow media CTO, Mike has given me excellent advice on a number of occasions about everything from content management to collaboration technologies and techniques. As an avid consumer and sometimes-producer of podcasts, Mike inspired me to make the leap into audio and diligently worked with me to get this series off the ground.

In our conversation, Mike and I talk about how to make the transition from hands-on technologist to CTO, what Mike is learning from the ways that his kids use technology, why podcasting is important, and a little about snowboarding — one of Mike’s passions (and a personal failure of mine). You can download the 40-minute interview as an MP3 file from my Weblog. Thanks for reading — and now, listening.