CTO at Synpulse: The Engineering Culture Principle Nobody Talks About

Most engineering leaders talk about AI changing how we build software. Jieke Pan, CTO at Synpulse, is more concerned about what we’re losing in the process. In this episode, he breaks down why the fundamentals of software engineering matter more now than ever, and why “always be kind” is actually a high-performance leadership principle.

**What you’ll learn:**

- Why being a hands-on CTO who still writes code closes the gap between business expectations and engineering reality
- How extreme programming practices like test-driven development and pair programming are more relevant than ever in the age of AI
- What “always be kind” actually means in engineering culture (hint: it’s not about being friendly)
- Why the middle layer of engineers is thinning out and what senior leaders need to do about it
- How to hire and evaluate engineers who grew up coding with AI copilots
- Best practices for leading distributed, multicultural engineering teams across time zones

**About the guest:**

Jieke Pan is the CTO at Synpulse, a global management consulting and technology company. With over 20 years of experience leading digital product innovation and transformation across banking, insurance, healthcare, retail, and telco, Jieke is a hands-on technology leader who still writes production code. He’s passionate about engineering culture, extreme programming, and building high-performing teams that ship quality software.

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