The Executive Return to the Keyboard

For many executives, the traditional path of delegation and high-level strategy is losing its luster. As AI reshapes the landscape of software engineering, leaders like Reza Khadjavi, CEO of the Toronto-based firm Motion, have found that staying in the weeds is no longer just a hobby, but a strategic necessity. Khadjavi, who recently returned to coding to build an internal AI agent, argues that the old-guard wisdom of strictly separating leadership from execution is becoming obsolete. The ability to build alongside his team has shifted his perspective on accountability and internal growth.

This trend is reflected in the hiring market, where veterans like Robert Sweeney are explicitly seeking roles that mandate a balance between management and technical work. At Citizen Health, Sweeney splits his time equally, arguing that managers cannot effectively lead engineering teams if they lack a grasp of the current technical reality. However, the shift carries inherent risks. Sameer Ranjan, CTO of Catenate, warns that leaders who become too absorbed in code may lose sight of the broader business objectives. To mitigate this, Lemieux approaches his role at Spellbook like a specialized operative, dropping into specific projects to clear bottlenecks before moving on. By working as an individual contributor, these executives hope to foster faster growth within their teams, proving their value through shared labor rather than just oversight.