Spyros Zafeiropoulos
Engineering executive · autonomy & robotics
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 — How it works
One deliberate step at a time
00 · 30 min · free
Intro call
We see whether there's a fit.
01
Audit
Where you stand today.
02
Design
The few steps that matter most.
03
Execute
Move, measure, adjust.
05 — Writing
From the journal
Management · Feb 15, 2025 · 5 min
Management vs Technical Path
Most people who ask about management versus the technical path have already made the move. The question comes from uncertainty — and the answer almost always surprises them: the two paths demand more of the same than either side admits.
Read →Management · Jan 7, 2023 · 8 min
Feedback
What feedback is, and how to give and receive it well: planned vs impromptu, constructive feedback, frequency, direction, and a worked example.
Read →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.