Episode 3

full
Published on:

19th Sep 2025

From Tinkerer to CTO with Mattia Peiretti

In this episode, Mattia Peiretti shares his journey from a young tinkerer to the CTO of PocketCFO, a startup focused on making finance effortless for entrepreneurs. He discusses the importance of curiosity, the role of AI in finance, and the dynamics of building a successful team. Matt emphasizes the need for daring and innovation in the tech landscape, offering valuable insights for aspiring CTOs and entrepreneurs.

Chapters

00:46 Intro & Early Tech Obsession

05:04 From School Projects to Running an Agency

12:10 Scaling Up at Pararius

16:17 Inside the Antler Experience

22:58 Finding a Co-Founder & PocketCFO’s Start

29:32 Why SMEs Matter & The Future of Finance

41:00 Building Fast, Smart Tech without Regrets

50:42 Lessons & Advice for Aspiring CTOs

About Mattia

Mattia is a techie at heart. Since the age of 3 years old he was fascinated with technology and the impact that could be achieved by it. From taking toys apart and playing with Arduino at 10, to building a game engine in C++ at 12, to starting a Web dev and Marketing agency at 18.

His passion for building also expanded from tech to business. Building innovative products that solve real world problems. Having worked with lots of SMEs and having seen their problems up close, now on a mission to make finance for SMEs intuitive and proactive, leveraging AI and cutting egde technologies.

Where to find Mattia

Mentioned in this episode:

🚨 Why Tech Strategies Fail in the Age of AI - and How to Fix Yours in 90 Days (Free Workshop: 16 October)

Is your team drowning in scattered priorities? Spending time on the wrong projects? In endless meetings? And you're under pressure to move on AI faster than your team is capable of? In Tairi, we built the Lighthouse Strategy System to lock in one clear, company-wide technology direction in just 90 days. No scope creep. No slide ware. No politics. Just clarity and execution. On October 16th I'm hosting a free live training where I'll teach you how to create your own tech strategy and roadmap - free of charge. Grab your free set now.

Lighthouse Strategy Workshop (16 October)

Show artwork for The CTO Compass

About the Podcast

The CTO Compass
Stories and hard-won lessons from those building tomorrow’s tech
Actionable lessons and personal insights for anyone leading, or aspiring to lead, in tech. A candid interview series where your host Mark Wormgoor meets tech leaders, from startup CTOs to enterprise CIOs, to explore what it means to lead in tech today. They share real stories of growth and setbacks, navigating the constant pressure to reinvent, scaling teams, balancing code and infra with board meetings, and pursuing their vision. No jargon included.

About your host

Profile picture for Mark Wormgoor

Mark Wormgoor

👋 Hi, my name is Mark Wormgoor.

I'm a tech strategist and executive coach. Over the past 30 years, I've consulted for industry leaders, led large global IT teams, and coached high-profile tech executives. Throughout my career, I've enjoyed working with renowned organizations including: Lipton, CRH, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Accenture, Shell, ING, ABN Amro, Van Lanschot, and KLM Air France.

Today, I run Tairi. We deliver tech strategy, software development, and executive coaching to tech leaders. Throughout my career, I've seen and worked for too many companies where IT is a supporting function. As AI and tech rapidly evolve, businesses that prioritize strategic tech leadership at the executive level will drive exceptional growth and impact.

My mission is to place tech leadership at every boardroom table. By making technology and AI integral to strategic decision-making, we create lasting impact for business leaders, their teams, and their customers alike.