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Project Zero
From first steps to best practices — stories that shaped project leaders.
Project Zero is a podcast for project managers — and the PM-curious — who want more than frameworks and certifications. Each episode features a project leader, highlighting first projects and the pivotal lessons that shaped their approach to leadership, collaboration, and delivery.
From unexpected missteps to breakthrough moments, these conversations reveal what it really takes to grow into a confident, competent project manager. It’s honest, insightful, and designed to help you lead better — whether you're managing your first task or your hundredth milestone.
Project Zero
S2 Episode 9: What CEOs are Actually Looking for in a Project Manager with Zack Tembi
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
On this episode of Project Zero, host Alex Tuck welcomes Zack Tembi, CEO of Single Fin, a startup that supports the cybersecurity and infrastructure needs of Fortune 500/1000 companies. Tembi recounts his path from Roanoke College to early roles at Netuitive and as an early Splunk employee through its growth and Cisco acquisition, then founding Single Fin to prioritize customer outcomes and cut through AI “noise.” His “Project Zero” occurred during COVID while launching a major video game, during which a PM succeeded by calming stakeholders, code-switching between executive and engineering audiences, aligning technical work to strict uptime/capacity metrics, and unifying goals. Tembi describes Single Fin’s internal use of named AI agents with role-based access to scale operations, urging PMs to build skills by testing tools and exercising agency to implement practical AI use cases.
00:00 Season Two Kickoff
00:29 Meet Zack Tembi
03:06 Startup Roots and College
04:28 Early Career Lessons
06:01 Splunk Growth Story
07:08 Founding Single Fin
08:35 AI Hype and Reality
10:54 Project Zero Story
12:18 Great PM Traits
18:28 AI Agents for Work
23:31 Cool AI Use Cases
28:22 Where to Connect
29:46 Closing Thanks
Connect with Zack Tembi
- Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/single-fin-enterprises/
- Weekly Newsletter Signup: https://ciosurge.beehiiv.com/subscribe
- Newsletter Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ciosurge/
Connect with Alex Tuck
- Personal LinkedIn: Alex Tuck
- Website: www.tuckconsultinggroup.com
- Company LinkedIn: Tuck Consulting Group
Email: alex@tuckconsultinggroup.com
