Anmol Dhingra, our 2025 graduate, got so inspired by our Digital MBA that he a) built and launched a new business, and then b) literally gamified the MBA. Anmol added a quick, educational (but also a bit funny) demo of the core learning points to his new app, Trivana. 

Yesterday, he announced the app in a Community Slack, saying, “After years in corporate (Mastercard, State Street), I finally went public with the product I've been building solo. First time putting my name on it after months of building quietly — validating with real users, iterating on feedback, and getting into NVIDIA Inception and Google for Startups before going public.” 

It was really fun to try the demo, by the way. 

Anmol concludes by stating, “The Digital MBA honestly played a big role in giving me the confidence to make the jump. I am grateful for this community.”

And the timing is perfect. We are about to launch our 50th cohort - in just 3 days! 

Now, here's something you probably don't know. Each cohort is named after a distinguished historical figure who contributed to computer science, directly or indirectly. The April cohort – our 50th – is named after Professor Zemanek, the first manager of IBM's legendary Vienna Lab. Zemanek, who will later become an IBM Fellow, was instrumental in the creation of the formal definition of the programming language PL/I.

Reflecting on this important milestone, Andrew Weaver, CEO and Co‑Founder of CTO Academy, said, “When we launched in 2022, we wanted something accessible, practical, and community-led — a programme that could meet tech leaders where they are and help them reach where they wanted to go. To now see 50 cohorts, many hundreds of graduates, and the community that’s grown around them is both humbling and deeply rewarding.”

This vibrant Community of technology leaders is now being enriched by tech professionals from the US, UK, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Italy who have already joined our 50th cohort, anxious to start learning from industry veterans.  

“Our participants tell us the real magic happens in the conversations — the moments of reflection, challenge, and support that happen between peers who truly understand the journey,” added Weaver. “That spirit of connection has carried us through 50 cohorts and will continue to shape the next 50 and the wider connections we’re making as we broaden CTO Academy into new markets and new challenges.”

From Salesforce to Fugro, Stryka IO, Workato, and senior government executives, the April cohort includes CTOs, Regional Directors, Tech Leads, Architects, and Senior Engineering Managers who will start their learning journey on Monday, April 7, at exactly 5 pm UK time. 

That's when they'll first meet and be greeted by the Academy's co-founders and personal course managers during onboarding, an ongoing practice from the very first cohort back in 2022.

All of them are moving from technology leadership to strategic influence, building the business and leadership skills their – and your – next role will demand.

Why Continuous Learning Still Matters for Tech Leaders

The Season 3 finale of our podcast emphasizes learning as a leadership discipline. In his conversation with Sanjay Mistry, Kasey McCurdy argues that growth does not happen by accident. It comes from deliberately making space for deep work, staying curious, trying hard things, and being willing to learn through failure, burnout, and discomfort.

The most important takeaway is that learning is not a passive trait but a muscle that needs regular training. For technology leaders, that matters because the job keeps evolving. Staying effective means continuing to develop not just technical knowledge, but resilience, self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to understand people and organisations.

Some of the strongest learning points from the episode are:

• Treat time like a budget. Growth requires intention, not spare capacity.
• Deep work matters. Creating focused space is essential for meaningful progress.
• Failure and burnout can be teachers. Setbacks, honestly examined, can build better judgment and resilience.
• Curiosity creates momentum. Experimenting, exploring, and taking on hard challenges make leaders more adaptable and more interesting.
• Human understanding is a leadership advantage. Technical strength still matters, but so does empathy, honesty, and the ability to connect across the business.

McCurdy's message perfectly aligns with our approach to learning: always forward-thinking, never passive or reactive. Thanks to our deep relationships with real global tech influencers, many of whom are Community members, CTO Academy is setting trends way before they become mainstream. Add the practitioner-led nature of our programs, and you immediately know how our MBA gives Anmol and others the competitive edge.