Expert advice for managing large software teams on high-stakes projects: The Roadmap podcast

Watch or listen: YouTube // Spotify // Apple

Ivan Glazer is a Business Line Manager at ASEE, where he leads a large, distributed software development team delivering complex products in demanding environments. He’s spent years on high-stakes projects in telecom and mobile banking, combining delivery, project management, and business analysis.

In this episode, Ivan shares practical tips on leading big software teams, keeping people aligned under pressure, and managing high-stakes projects with little room for error.

What you’ll learn:

• How to manage large software teams on complex, distributed, and high-risk projects
• Why great individual contributors don’t automatically make good team leads, and how to spot the right people for leadership roles
• The real differences between leading small teams and scaling leadership across departments of 50+ people
• Practical do’s and don’ts of people management, from transparency and trust to avoiding micromanagement
• How to run meetings and build processes that keep everyone on the same page without wasting their time or energy
• How to handle difficult stakeholders, pressure from above, and escalations without burning out your team
  

In this episode, we discuss:

(00:00) Ivan’s background and how he moved into leading large software teams

(04:28) Key fintech and mobile banking trends shaping high-stakes software projects

(11:32) Common people management challenges and why promotions don’t always equal leadership

(15:07) The difference between managing small teams and leading large, structured departments

(18:04) Practical do’s and don’ts of managing software teams under pressure

(22:53) Why micromanagement fails and how trust impacts team performance

(25:13) How to run daily meetings that keep teams aligned without wasting time

(31:12) Managing your manager and handling feedback in both directions

(34:12) Leading remote and hybrid teams with trust, clarity, and flexibility

(40:58) Handling difficult stakeholders, escalations, and high-pressure situations

(47:18) Final advice on transparency, communication, and being a better manager

Where to find Ivan and The Roadmap

Ivan Glazer

• LinkedIn
• ASEE

The Roadmap

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts

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