In this episode of Forge of Unicorns – In the Head of a CEO, the host Michele Brissoni sits down with Stéphan Donzé, Founder & CEO of AODocs, to unpack one of the most uncomfortable truths of our time: AI doesn’t save you. It multiplies what you already are.

Stéphan’s journey is unique — a brilliant software engineer who became a CEO, leading a SaaS company trusted in the most critical environments (data centers, aviation, energy). He knows both sides: writing production code and scaling enterprise software under unforgiving standards.

🚨 And together, we confronted the ugly reality of the software industry:

• Bugs are not an exception — they’re written into contracts.

• Mediocrity has become the cultural baseline.

• And now, AI isn’t solving it… it’s amplifying it.

Just one week ago, IT Revolution’s 2025 DORA “State of AI-assisted Software Development” report confirmed it:

👉 AI is a mirror. An amplifier.

🏆 For elite teams with technical excellence, AI accelerates them to the Olympus of performance.

🔥 For mediocre teams, AI turns dysfunction into total chaos — faster outages, higher costs, more burnout.

This is the paradox: in a world where software engineering is often regulated by tools, frameworks, and blind hope, AI has exposed just how fragile this industry really is.

In this conversation you’ll discover:

⚡ Why software remains the “black sheep” of engineering — no standards, no predictability.

⚡ Why technical excellence is no longer optional — it’s survival.

⚡ How purpose, craftsmanship, and socio-technical practices transform AI into an ally.

⚡ What investors should look for: the difference between teams AI can elevate, and those it will annihilate.

Stéphan puts it bluntly: without engineering discipline, AI is not your friend — it’s your downfall. And as Paul O’Brien said in last week’s episode:

“AI is the greatest discovery since the internet itself.”

But only if we evolve beyond mediocrity.

📌 Whether you’re a CEO, CTO, or investor, this episode is a wake-up call.

AI is not the savior. It’s the amplifier of who we are.

And whether humanity evolves or decays depends on the standards we embrace.

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⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:19 Welcome to the Froge 🔥

02:15 Stephan Donze: The Journey of a Technical CEO

05:30 The Importance of Document Management Systems

09:50 The Need for Standards in Software Engineering

12:50 The Challenges of Software Quality and Reliability

18:00 AI’s Role in Software Development

22:01 Pragmatic AI Applications in Document Management

28:30 The Evolution of Automation in Business

30:24 Cybersecurity Challenges in AI

31:49 The Importance of Technical Expertise in Leadership

34:21 Mediocrity in the Software Industry

39:01 The Talent Crisis in Software Development

41:58 Tech Disruption and the blind jump on it

46:15 Investment Trends in Software vs. AI

53:07 Suggestions from Stephan for other leaders

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#AI #SaaS #SoftwareEngineering #Leadership #DORA #AODocs

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