In this episode of CTO2CTO, Lucas Hendrich, CTO at Forte Group, talks with Jeff Miller, VPE at LinenMaster, about what it takes to lead through complexity—from navigating legacy code to building high-performing engineering teams. Jeff’s journey from a small-town hardware store to leading technology at a critical SaaS business offers a grounded take on what modern tech leadership really looks like.

1. Legacy isn’t the enemy: It’s the job

LH: LinenMaster’s been around since 1995. Are you still working with that original code?

JM: Definitely. But we’re not rewriting everything from scratch. We use a strangler pattern—refactoring high-impact areas one by one. Our software runs mission-critical operations for hospitals and commercial laundries. We can’t afford downtime, so modernization has to be incremental and data-driven.

2. AI can be a leverage tool, not a Threat

LH: What’s your approach to AI across your org?

JM: We run two tracks: a reliable path for the broader team and an exploratory track for innovation. AI won’t solve all our problems—especially not our 30-year-old C++ code—but it can improve processes like summarizing field notes or aiding code generation on modern stacks.

3. Hiring for intangibles in the age of AI

LH: How do you assess candidates who might be using AI in interviews?

JM: I don’t mind if someone uses AI—as long as they can walk me through their thinking. We look for engineers who can explain decisions and collaborate, not just generate code. Curiosity and communication are harder to teach than syntax.

4. Metrics matter, but they aren’t the whole story

LH: How do you measure engineering success?

JM: Metrics can help, but they’re incomplete. I once saw our best glue engineer ranked lowest by an activity-tracking tool. She wasn’t writing the most code, but she was the key connector between teams. Those soft skills don’t show up in dashboards.

5. Extreme ownership isn’t just a buzzword

LH: What philosophy guides your leadership?

JM: Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. Every situation can be influenced, even if you’re not at fault. That mindset shifts you from blaming to problem-solving—and it’s changed how I lead teams, ship code, and even parent.

6. AI isn’t just for the tech stack: it’s for decision-making

LH: Any unexpected uses of AI?

JM: Honestly, I’ve started using AI to reduce decision fatigue. Whether it’s choosing gear or brainstorming, it helps clear the mental clutter so I can focus on what matters—solving the real, ambiguous problems tech leaders face.

7. Fiction, history, and frameworks of thought

LH: Any media that’s changed how you think?

JM: Extreme Ownership helped me rethink leadership. On the fiction side, The Nightingale reminded me how different paths can still come from shared values. And I loved The Three-Body Problem for its first-principles approach to complexity.

Stay tuned for more conversations at the intersection of technology, product, and growth on CTO2CTO.