Steve Taplin

CEO at Sonatafy, AI/ML led Nearshore Software Development synced with US time zones for maximum Productivity & Collaboration | Forbes & Entrepreneur Author

I am the CEO of Sonatafy Technology, where we help CTOs and engineering leaders fix software delivery problems that slow teams down and put outcomes at risk.

Most organizations do not fail because they lack talent. They fail because delivery lacks ownership, structure, and senior technical leadership.

At Sonatafy, we focus on predictable software delivery through a combined US-based and nearshore model. Our teams operate through managed delivery pods, CTO-level consulting, and outcome-driven execution designed to clear backlogs, reduce technical debt, and restore delivery confidence.

I spend most of my time working with technology executives who are dealing with stalled roadmaps, growing backlogs, legacy modernization, DevOps bottlenecks, and distributed teams that are busy but not effective.

In addition to leading Sonatafy, I host the Software Leaders Uncensored podcast, where I have candid conversations with more than 160 software leaders about what actually works and what does not when it comes to building, scaling, and delivering software.

I am also the author of "Fail Hard, Win Big," a book grounded in real-world experience building and scaling companies, focusing on resilience, execution, and the lessons learned when things do not go according to plan. Many of the principles in the book directly apply to leadership, decision-making, and delivery inside modern software organizations.

My perspective is shaped by decades of building companies, scaling engineering teams, and learning the hard way that execution beats strategy when accountability is missing.

If you are a CTO, VP of Engineering, or technology executive looking to improve delivery outcomes without adding chaos, I am always open to thoughtful conversations.

Chief Executive Officer & Board Member

Sonatafy Technology is a premier nearshore software development services company that provides its clients with expertise in Cloud Solutions, Web and Mobile Applications, E-Commerce, Big Data, DevOps Practices, QA, IoT, and Machine Learning.   With current and past signature clients such as IBM, FOX, Cisco, TaylorMade, Caterpillar, Alcatel, and more. Sonatafy Technology helps software teams perform at their best.

Software stocks are sliding on the narrative that AI is about to gut SaaS.
 
That narrative is wrong.
 
AI is not ruining software. It is reshaping it.
 
Salesforce, Snowflake, and other platform players are not being replaced. They are embedding AI directly into their ecosystems. The data, compliance layers, workflows, and integrations still live inside enterprise software. AI runs on top of that foundation.
 
AI without enterprise systems is noise.  Enterprise systems with AI become force multipliers.
 
This is not the end of software. It is a reset for companies that fail to evolve.
 
The real risk is not AI.  It is standing still.

CEO, Sonatafy Technology | Software Delivery Done Right | Host of Software Leaders Uncensored Podcast | Best-Selling Author, Fail Hard, Win Big | Forbes & Entrepreneur Contributor

Open article: After weeks of getting bashed, two software giants can make the case for why AI won't kill them by businessinsider.com

After weeks of getting bashed, two software giants can make the case for why AI won't kill them

One of the most dangerous signals inside a technology company is a growing backlog.
 
On the surface it looks like productivity.
 
Lots of tickets.  Lots of work happening.  Lots of sprint activity.
 
But if the backlog continues growing while engineering headcount increases, something deeper is wrong.
 
This is what I call 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
 
Teams appear busy, but fewer capabilities are actually reaching production.
 
The real issue is usually coordination overhead.
 
As engineering teams scale, dependencies multiply, meetings increase, and integration complexity rises.
 
Execution slows even though activity increases.
 
Great engineering organizations design systems that protect delivery flow.
 
They do not simply add more developers.
 
#SoftwareDevelopment   #EngineeringLeadership  #TechLeadership

Great conversation with Michael Cieri on The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast!

View company: The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast

From product decisions to engineering priorities, designing for SMBs means meeting customers where they are, not where we assume they should be.

Host Steve Taplin and Michael Cieri, EVP of Software at BILL, emphasize an important point many leaders miss: SMB customer challenges are unique, and addressing them requires focus, empathy, and a genuine understanding of how these businesses truly function.

Check the full episode in the comments!

#AI
#BILL
#Podcast
#SteveTaplin
#MichaelCieri
#SonatafyTechnology
#SoftwareLeadersUncensored

Product failure rarely starts in engineering. 
It starts with a misaligned product strategy.
 
That is why Sonatafy Technology | Software Delivery Done Right, we introduced our Fractional CPO Enablement Offering.
 
Too many companies build features instead of outcomes. 
Roadmaps become wish lists. 
Engineering burns cycles. 
Customers do not feel the impact.
 
On the The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast, the strongest product leaders always have one thing in common. Ruthless clarity.
 
Fractional product leadership gives you that clarity without committing to a full-time executive salary before you are ready.
 
Product discipline is leverage.

Stay tuned! New episode of The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast drops tomorrow! Great talk with Todd Persen.

🎙️ New episode of The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast drops tomorrow!

In this upcoming episode, host Steve Taplin is joined by Todd Persen, CTO of Hydrolix, for a deep dive into organizational structure and leadership alignment.

Todd shares his perspective on the importance of keeping product and engineering as separate reporting structures while ensuring they remain in constant communication.

The balance is critical: clear ownership and accountability on one side, continuous collaboration on the other. When product and engineering challenge and inform each other consistently, teams move faster and make better decisions.

Stay tuned.

#AI
#Podcast
#Hydrolix
#SteveTaplin
#ToddPersen
#SonatafyTechnology
#SoftwareLeadersUncensored

New episode of The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast it's live! Great conversation, Martin Mrugal!

🎙️ Check out a new episode of The Software Leaders UNCENSORED Podcast!

This time, host Steve Taplin sat down with Martin Mrugal, CEO of Alchemer, to talk about the evolution of customer feedback platforms and why most companies still aren’t using their data effectively.

They dive into:
- How AI is transforming customer feedback analysis
- Why speed of innovation is now a competitive advantage
- The future of surveys (and why over-surveying can backfire)
- Turning customer feedback into operational improvement, not just market research
- Building a genuinely customer-centric culture
- Making tough CEO decisions, balancing customer demands with security and tech debt
- Why AI enhances development but still requires human oversight
Martin brings a pragmatic, operator-focused perspective on leadership, innovation, and making decisive moves in a fast-paced environment.

Check the full episode in the comments!

#AI
#Podcast
#Alchemer
#SteveTaplin
#MartinMrugal
#SonatafyTechnology
#SoftwareLeadersUncensored

AI Advisor & Enterprise Architect | Guiding Europe’s AI Innovation & Compliance | Board Member, Author, Speaker | Based in Brussels, EU

AI Advisor & Technology Speaker | Top AI Voice | Board Member | Author | Enterprise Architect
Guiding Europe’s AI Innovation | 114K+ Followers | 50K+ AI Daily Nutshell Readers | Based in Brussels, EU

I am an AI Advisor, Technology Speaker, Board Member, Author, and Enterprise Architect based in Brussels, EU, helping professionals and organizations across Europe understand and adopt AI with clarity, confidence, and responsibility.

With a community of 112,000+ followers on LinkedIn and 50,000+ readers of my AI Daily Nutshell newsletter, I simplify complex AI topics and translate them into practical insights that leaders, teams, and individuals can act on immediately.

For over 20 years, I have worked across enterprise architecture, cloud, data centres, automation, and digital transformation. Today, my focus is on guiding Europe through the fast-evolving AI landscape — from emerging tools and responsible AI practices to policy, strategy, and the impact of the EU AI Act.

My mission is simple:
Make AI understandable for everyone, and empower Europe to innovate with purpose.

I speak at global tech summits, advise organizations on AI strategy, mentor startups, and engage daily with a global community eager to learn, grow, and stay ahead of change.

If you’re interested in:
• Simplifying AI in practical language
• Understanding AI trends shaping Europe
• Enterprise architecture and transformation
• The EU AI Act and responsible AI
• Emerging tools, future skills, and digital leadership
— you will find daily, value-driven content here.

📍 Based in Brussels, EU
🌍 Collaborating with organizations and communities across Europe and beyond
💬 Open to speaking engagements, advisory roles, and meaningful discussions on the future of AI

#AIEurope #EuropeTech #DigitalEurope #EuropeanInnovation
#Entrepreneurship #ITAdvisory #BoardMember #AIInnovation #BlockchainStrategist #TechVisionary

ChandraKumar R Pillai

Google quietly released 10 AI courses.🚨

100% FREE.
Built for real-world hiring, not hype.

If you’re trying to break into AI, or stay relevant as roles evolve, this is the kind of foundation employers actually respect.

👉 These courses teach what recruiters expect you to understand.

Here’s what you can start learning today:

1. Generative AI (Foundations)
Understand how generative AI works and build simple applications
🔗 https://lnkd.in/ghGR-kqa

2. Large Language Models (LLMs)
How models like ChatGPT think, learn, and improve
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gMKCQ7nf

3. Responsible AI
How ethical, fair, and safe AI systems are designed
🔗 https://lnkd.in/g4EAJmGT

4. Prompt Design (Vertex AI)
Write prompts that actually produce useful results
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gWJg-6aP

5. Image Generation
How AI creates images from nothing
🔗 https://lnkd.in/ggZWmem7

6. Encoder–Decoder Architecture
The engine behind translation, summarization, and text generation
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gc-g3-fq

7. Attention Mechanism
How AI decides what information matters most
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gfXVJFPw

8. Transformers & BERT
The models that reshaped modern AI (badge included)
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gGGKTCsS

9. Image Captioning Models
Teaching AI to understand and describe images
🔗 https://lnkd.in/g62aH2sf

10. Generative AI Studio
Turn AI ideas into working products using Google’s platform
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gRnedPKk

🎯 Bottom line:
You don’t need more courses.
You need the right ones.

Start here.
Build proof of skill.
Let the results speak.

👉 Which course are you starting with?

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

#ai #tech

undefined undefined

Every emotion is speaking to you. Are you listening? 🔑

Anger → move
Envy → focus
Anxiety → slow down
Irritation → pause
Tiredness → rest

When inspiration fades → refresh
When doubt appears → reflect & realign

Sometimes, the smartest choice isn’t action… it’s learning something valuable today. 

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts 

#EmotionalIntelligence #MindfulLeadership #GrowthMindset #CareerWisdom

Every emotion is speaking to you

Most battles are not worth your energy.
A donkey once challenged a lion to fight.

The lion looked… and simply walked away.
Not because he was afraid.

Because he understood something powerful:
True strength is choosing where not to fight.

In business and in life, some people will try to pull you into arguments, ego wars, and distractions.

But leaders know:

• Not every opinion deserves a response
• Not every challenge deserves your time
• Not every noise deserves your attention

Protect your focus.
Protect your energy.
Protect your peace.

Sometimes the most powerful move is simply walking away. 💡

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

#success

Donkey

Some companies track attendance.

One Chinese company tracks happiness.

They introduced “Unhappy Leave.”

If you’re not feeling mentally well…
You simply don’t come to work.

No fake excuses. No pretending.

Because showing up exhausted, distracted, or burned out doesn’t help anyone.

Smart companies know this:

People perform better when they’re allowed to be human.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Happiness

If you’re not using AI yet… you’re working too hard.

Most people spend hours
writing
designing
researching
coding.

When AI can do it in minutes.

So I collected 40 FREE AI tools that can do almost everything.

No fluff.
Just tools that actually save time.

Steal the list.

And start working 10x faster. 

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

40 FREE AI TOOLS

Before you spend 100K on a business degree…

Watch these 12 movies.

Because money is not just numbers.
It’s psychology.
It’s leverage.
It’s risk.
It’s timing.

And the best lessons don’t come from professors.
They come from real stories of ambition, greed, collapse, and comeback.

Financial literacy is a life skill.
Not a semester subject.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

Watch These 12 Movies

100 Books That Teach More Than Any Degree

Most people spend years chasing a degree. But the smartest lessons in life? You’ll find them in books.

Books show you:
▶️ How money really works
▶️ How great businesses are built
▶️ How powerful thinkers solve impossible problems
▶️ How successful people see the world differently

You don’t need a classroom to learn from Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Naval Ravikant, or Peter Thiel. One book can completely change your perspective on money, risk, opportunity, and life.

The real advantage isn’t information. It’s thinking better than the average person. And reading is the fastest way to build that edge.

📚 Save this post your future self will thank you.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

100 Books

Most people think they need another degree to get ahead.

They don’t.

They need better teachers.

The internet is the largest free college in the world.

The problem?
98% of people don’t know where the best professors are.

Instead of learning, they scroll.

But one hour a day on the right platforms can teach you skills most universities never will.

Here are 22 websites that will accelerate your learning faster than traditional education.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

22 Websites

Most people are paying for AI they don’t actually need.

Monthly subscriptions.
Multiple tools.
Half of them doing the same thing.

But here’s the truth:

You can run almost your entire workflow using free AI tools.

Writing.
Design.
Research.
Automation.
Presentations.

No credit card required.

I put together a list of 27 powerful AI tools you can use for free so you can stop stacking subscriptions and start working smarter.

Some of these tools can easily replace the paid ones.

Check the carousel to see all 27.

Save this for later.
You’ll want to come back to it.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Never pay for Al again

14 Problems. 14 Books. 14 Fixes. 📚

You don’t need more motivation.
You need the right book for the right problem.

No consistency? → Atomic Habits
No focus? → Deep Work
Emotional money decisions? → The Psychology of Money
Overthinking? → The Power of Now
Self-sabotage? → The Mountain Is You
No execution? → Get It Done Now!

Reading won’t change your life.
Applied reading will.

Pick one problem.
Read one book.
Upgrade one level. 🚀

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

#books #success

Books 

Power fades. Titles expire. Attention moves on.

At the very end, Alexander the Great didn’t talk about how much he owned or how far he expanded.

He pointed to something most people ignore until it’s too late:

👉 Status doesn’t survive time
👉 Wins don’t equal meaning
👉 Legacy isn’t what you take, it’s what you stand for

The real scorecard of life isn’t measured in dominance.
It’s measured in intention, integrity, and impact.

Build accordingly.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Alexander the Great

AI skills are quickly becoming the new literacy.

And Nvidia just made learning them a lot easier.

They quietly released multiple AI courses that cost nothing.
Skills companies are paying thousands of dollars for today… free to learn.

Inside these courses you’ll explore:

➡️ Building AI models
➡️ Understanding generative AI
➡️ Working with RAG systems and large language models
➡️ Speeding up data science workflows

The reality is simple:

Most people wait until a technology becomes mainstream before they start learning it.

By then, the biggest opportunities are already taken.

The people who win are the ones who start beforel everyone else notices.

AI isn’t replacing people.

It’s replacing people who refuse to learn how to use it.

Save this post so you can come back to these resources later

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Nvidia free Al courses

Lamborghini didn’t start with supercars.
Samsung didn’t start with smartphones.
LG didn’t start with global tech.
IKEA didn’t start with iconic furniture.

They all started small.
Unexpected.
Imperfect.

What made the difference wasn’t luck.
It was consistency.
Step by step.
1% better every day.

Progress looks boring before it looks brilliant.
Beginnings don’t decide endings.
And where you are right now doesn’t define where you’ll finish.

Keep building.
Keep showing up.
Great things grow quietly first.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Great things often begin humbly

RIP LinkedIn & Indeed ❌
(Not dead. Just… not enough anymore.)

Smart candidates aren’t applying harder.
They’re applying smarter.

They’re using exact AI prompts to:

→ Fix weak resumes
→ Prepare killer interview answers
→ Write cover letters recruiters actually read
→ Optimize LinkedIn profiles for inbound calls

Result?
📈 Interviews 5x faster
🤫 Recruiters don’t even realize what changed (yet)

This carousel breaks down the exact prompts.
No fluff. Just leverage.

👉 Save this
👉 Share with anyone job hunting right now
👉 Use it before everyone else does

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

#ai #tech

RIP LinkedIn

You weren’t trained for the world you’re in.

You were trained for stability.
You got chaos.

You were told:
Study hard.
Get a job.
Stay loyal.
Win.

Then the rules changed.

Jobs disappeared.
Prices exploded.
Attention became the currency.

So you adapted.

You learned speed after patience.
Digital after analog.
Survival before comfort.

They called you lazy for refusing burnout.
Entitled for asking for balance.
Difficult for questioning broken systems.

Reality:
You weren’t weak.
You were awake.

You chose:
Boundaries over tradition.
Meaning over titles.
Life over endless grind.

You’re the last generation who remembers life before the internet.
And the first forced to build inside it.

That’s not failure.

That’s resilience.

Save this.
Send it to someone who lived it too.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

Millennials

Most people read quotes.
Very few apply them.

That’s the difference between inspiration and transformation.
These 13 life-changing quotes aren’t meant to sound good.
They’re meant to hit, stick, and change how you think.

Read them slowly.
Save the ones that hurt a little.
Revisit them when life gets loud.

Because the right words at the right time
can shift years of thinking in seconds.

📌 Save this for later
🔁 Share this with someone who needs it today

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

#success #motivation

Wise man

You can’t control someone who has mastered being alone.

Because they don’t stay out of fear.
They don’t stay out of need.

They stay by choice.

And choice is power.

When you’re okay on your own,
you stop chasing.
You stop begging.
You stop tolerating less than you deserve.

That’s when relationships become intentional — not transactional.

Build a life so full
that anyone in it is there by alignment, not attachment.

That’s real power. 

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

#SelfLeadership #InnerStrength #Growth #Mindsetb

Stop Letting Everything Affect You

Kids who went to school in the 1990s had a very different experience.

No laptops.
No Google.
No AI.

Homework meant textbooks and handwritten notes.
Projects meant chart paper, markers, and glue.
Research meant going to the library.

Lunch break meant playing outside with friends.

Today it’s different.

Laptops replace notebooks.
Google replaces the library.
AI helps with assignments.

Information is instant.
Screens are everywhere.

School didn’t just change.

Technology rewrote the classroom.

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

School In 19s VS Now

Stop treating ChatGPT like Google. 🤯

Most people type random questions and get random answers. But with the right prompts, it becomes your:

✅ Content machine 
✅ Study coach 
✅ Business strategist 
✅ Productivity booster 

I’m sharing 10 ChatGPT prompts that instantly upgrade your results.

📌 Save this post your future self will thank you.
🔁 Share with a friend who’s still asking, “What is AI?” 

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai for more such posts

#ChatGPT #AITools #Productivity #AIHacks

10 ChatGPT prompts

Most people don’t stay broke because they’re lazy.

They stay broke because their energy is scattered.

Too many ideas.
Too many distractions.
Too many things started… and never finished.

The people who move ahead usually do three things better:

▶️ They think for themselves
▶️ They focus on high-value moves
▶️ They stay calm long enough to organize chaos

That’s the real edge.

Not more motivation.
Not more hustle.

Better direction.

Instead of asking:
“What do I feel like doing today?”

Start asking:
“What actually moves my life forward this week?”

That one question will outperform most “hustle” advice on this app.

Save this.
Not for motivation.

For direction.

Let’s succeed together 🚀

Follow ChandraKumar R Pillai

taplio

The Battle

Steve Taplin

ChandraKumar R Pillai

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreSteve Taplin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChandraKumar R Pillai's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Steve Taplin

ChandraKumar R Pillai

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Steve Taplin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreChandraKumar R Pillai's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreSteve Taplin's LinkedIn Performance