Strictly From Nowhere: A Podcast Experiment by Cause of a Kind Karlo Kilayko | Learning By Doing
Karlo Kilayko went from rebuilding car engines to building games. And the skills transferred better than you'd think.
In this episode of CTO Confidential, Mike Rispoli sits down with Karlo to discuss his journey from the gaming industry trenches to software engineering, the brutal reality of quality assurance in game development, and why he walked away from management to get back to building.
How AI is reshaping software development and testing. Why the indie builder movement is exploding right now. And what the future of interactive storytelling looks like when games become more dynamic and personalized.
Karlo doesn't just build software. He builds experiences. And his insights on transitioning from developer to producer and back to individual contributor reveal what so many CTOs are feeling right now. Sometimes you just need to get back to the work that matters.
Topics covered:
Karlo's journey from rebuilding engines to building games
The critical role of quality assurance in game development
Why shipping games is essential for success and player engagement
The evolution of testing frameworks and AI's impact on QA
Transitioning from management back to individual contributor roles
The rise of the indie builder movement in tech and gaming
How AI is changing software development without replacing engineers
Why indie development allows for more creativity and personal projects
If you're a CTO, software engineer, game developer, or anyone who's ever felt the pull to get back to building instead of managing, this episode is for you.
Builders build. Everything else is noise.
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LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS
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Stand up. Show up. Build.