#149 | From Kid Coder to Tech Leader, Adventures in AI and Global Tech with Martin Cooperwaite

Agile Ideas

Martin Cooperwaite, co-founder of Kiandra, takes us from his early days of coding adventure games as a kid to leading one of Australia’s top software companies. Inspired by his dad’s source code books, Martin’s passion for tech evolved from childhood tinkering to co-founding Kiandra with a friend in 1995, starting with local projects and growing into a global digital transformation leader with offices across Melbourne, Perth, and Toronto.

Martin shares how simple beginnings led to high-impact projects in health, finance, and government, with an emphasis on client care and innovative solutions that have earned Kiandra over 18 awards. We discuss Agile practices, responsible AI, and low-code platforms, while Martin reflects on the role of perseverance, collaboration, and a human-centered approach to tech-driven success.
Join us for insights into building a legacy in software while staying hands-on and true to mission.

In this episode we cover:

0:00 Software Development Journey and Business Success

9:49 Early Days of Business Growth

21:14 Evolution of Agile Practices and Governance

28:53 Tech Evolution and Responsible AI Use

35:59 Navigating AI use in Software Development

45:41 Innovative Projects and Financial Insights

53:38 Leveraging AI for Business Growth

and more

To connect with Martin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/martincooperwaite/

https://www.kiandra.com.au/

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Hoofdstukken

1. Software Development Journey and Business Success (00:00:00)

2. Early Days of Business Growth (00:09:49)

3. Evolution of Agile Practices and Governance (00:21:14)

4. Tech Evolution and Responsible AI Use (00:28:53)

5. Navigating AI Use in Software Development (00:35:59)

6. Innovative Projects and Financial Insights (00:45:41)

7. Leveraging AI for Business Growth (00:53:38)