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 tech startups, from software to robotics, get from working prototype to shipped product and build the organization that gets them there. I also coach and mentor engineers and engineering leaders as they grow.
01 — Who I work with
Does any of this sound familiar?
A
You're a strong engineer and unsure what comes next.
Go deeper on the technical path, or start managing? Nobody has shown you what either one looks like up close.
Coaching & mentoring →B
You just stepped up to leading managers.
The job changed overnight. The playbook that got you here doesn't cover it.
Coaching & mentoring →C
The prototype works. The path to product doesn't.
The demos impress, but dates slip and nobody can say what "done" means. The board wants numbers you can't give yet.
Founder advisory →D
The team doubled. Delivery didn't.
More people, more meetings, the same output. The structure hasn't caught up with the headcount.
Fractional leadership →02 — How I help
Three ways to work together
For engineers and leaders
Coaching & Mentoring
For engineers and engineering leaders. Grow on the technical path, move into management, or take on a bigger role.
Ongoing or 3 months · 60-min sessions
Coaching & mentoring →For 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
“I've especially appreciated his ability to connect technical considerations with broader career and strategic perspectives.”
“He has an ability to bring in a culture where everyone feels empowered and sets vision which energizes all on the pursuit of it.”
“He sparked and mediated conversations between Advanced and Production Engineering to collaborate more closely and reduce re-work.”
05 — Writing
Selected writing
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.