The Engineering Leadership Podcast · 2026-04-21 · 45 min
Enterprise customers demand 99.9% availability, regardless of how the underlying software is built. In this episode, Murali Swaminathan (CTO @ Freshworks) discusses how enterprises actually win with AI! We explore the “Architecture of Predictability” - proactive architectural safeguards to scale “responsible AI by design” across a global organization serving 75,000 customers. Murali shares his leadership playbook for implementing the technical safeguards and product trust controls that empower hundreds of engineers to build safely. We also dive into the shift from deterministic flowcharts to “workflows with a brain” and why backend systems engineers are the secret bedrock of agentic products. Plus, Murali deconstructs the dual evolution required of modern leaders: mastering strategic thinking at the business level while cultivating systems thinking at the engineering level. ABOUT MURALI SWAMINATHAN Murali Swaminathan joined Freshworks as Chief Technology Officer in September 2024. Murali is responsible for Freshworks’ technology roadmap and strategy, leading the company’s global engineering and architecture teams.
Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.
The Art of Building a Different Kind of Private Equity Firm - Bobby Ocampo on Raising the BrandRaising the Brand · on Enterprise software87 / 100
Scaling TensorFlow, Navigating Startup Pivots, ML Edge Infrastructure and AI Inference Strategy w/ Rajat MongaEngineering Founders · on Engineering management85 / 100
AI Is Ready for Government. Is Government Ready?The So What from BCG · on generative AI84 / 100
How CX Leaders Can Win With AI with Greg MeliaBusiness Transformation Pitch with The CX Goalkeeper · on generative AI77 / 100
RBC's Kelly Bradley on Disclosure, Disruption, and Developing TalentHBS Managing the Future of Work · on generative AI77 / 100Determining bets, using customer insights to pivot, and gaining developer buy-in & trust w/ Tomas Reimers #26483 / 100Utilizing AI internally to iterate faster and empower smaller teams to upskill w/ Vivek Raghunathan #26396 / 100The Product Paradigm Shift: How Livekit Navigated High Stakes Scaling Challenges to Build the Future of Voice-First AI Interfaces w/ Russ d’Sa #26276 / 100Building an empowered career w/ Jean Hsu & Cate Huston #26163 / 100Redefining profit, centering human flourishing, and building an incorruptible mission-driven roadmap w/ Eric Ries #26075 / 100