Spyros Zafeiropoulos
Engineering executive · Founder of STEPS
Autonomy · Robotics · AI
Build the team.Ship the product.
I'm Spyros Zafeiropoulos, an engineering executive with 12+ years in autonomous driving and robotics. Through STEPS, I help engineering leaders and deep-tech startups get from working prototype to shipped product, and build the organization that gets them there.
01 — Who I work with
Does any of this sound familiar?
A
You just stepped up to leading managers.
The job changed overnight. The playbook that got you here doesn't cover it.
Leadership coaching →B
The prototype works. The path to product doesn't.
The demos impress, but every date slips and nobody can say what "done" means.
Founder advisory →C
The team doubled. Delivery didn't.
More people, more meetings, the same output. The structure hasn't caught up with the headcount.
Fractional leadership →D
The board wants engineering metrics you can't give yet.
You know the team works hard. You can't yet show where it's heading, or how fast.
Founder advisory →02 — How I help
Three ways to work together
For engineering leaders
Leadership Coaching
For managers, directors and VPs stepping into a bigger role: the judgment, systems and presence it asks for.
3 months · bi-weekly 60-min sessions
See the details →For deep-tech startups
Fractional VP of Engineering / CTO
For seed to Series B teams of 10–80 engineers: the org, the execution system and the path from prototype to shipped product.
Starts with a 2–3 week Engineering Org Review
See the details →For technical founders
Founder Advisory
A seasoned sounding board on the hard calls: technical strategy, first leadership hires, the story for your next raise.
Monthly session + async access
See the details →One focused problem? Ask about a 90-minute Strategy Session →
03 — In practice
What this has looked like before
Venture-backed autonomy startup
12 → 65+
engineers in two years
What I did
Structured the org into dedicated teams (autonomy & AI, software platform, safety & systems, simulation, product & program), hired directors and senior staff engineers, and built continuous feedback and performance reviews.
Global algorithms organization
140 → 250+
engineers across 7 sites in 18 months
What I did
One algorithm product strategy across ~10 customers and ~20 projects, a new data science & simulation team, and a V-cycle + Agile release process.
Delivery
50% → ~100%
on-time project delivery
What I did
OKR-driven technical product strategy and hands-on Scrumban project management. Key decisions went from days to hours.
04 — In their words
What people I’ve worked with say
“Spyros makes everyone around him better! … I consider this opportunity to work with Spyros to be one of the cornerstones of my career.”
“His combination of hands-on technical experience and executive leadership gives him a unique perspective on both the engineering challenges and broader business landscape of robotics.”
“Spyros cares. … Spyros' commitment to the well-being of people goes beyond the domain of automotive safety.”
Let's talk
Ready for your next step?
Tell me where you are and where you want to go. The first conversation is 30 minutes and free.