RJ Lindelof: Frequently Asked Questions

RJ Lindelof is CEO of RJL Software, Inc., founded in 1994, and a technology executive with more than 20 years leading engineering organizations in regulated B2B SaaS. He spent 13 years as a software engineer before moving into leadership, and has led hybrid teams since 2006 and fully distributed global teams since 2012. The full story is on the about page.

He sets technology strategy, scales SaaS platforms, and leads AI adoption for private-equity-backed, venture-backed, and mid-market software companies, alongside running RJL Software, Inc. His focus is AI-native software delivery: AI built into the engineering pipeline with governance, and measured by outcomes such as a 5x deploy-frequency lift at hc1.

RJ Lindelof brings over 20 years of executive leadership experience across multiple industries, with a track record of scaling 4 companies by 50%+ and entering 4 new global markets. His experience spans technology strategy, digital transformation, AI-native SDLC, and building high-performance engineering cultures. Role-by-role detail is on the career timeline.

RJ's core expertise includes Growth Strategy, AI-Native Software Development Lifecycle, Servant Leadership, Cross-Functional Alignment, Global Engineering Teams, and Legacy System Modernization. He helps organizations modernize platforms and adopt AI while building cultures of innovation and psychological safety. See the expertise page.

RJ is based in Lake in the Hills, Illinois, in the Greater Chicago area. He works remotely and has led fully distributed engineering teams since 2012, across the United States, Central America, Eastern Europe, Germany, India, China, and the Philippines.

Servant leadership with a direct edge: clear objectives and metrics, then autonomy. He describes himself as a player-coach who still reviews pull requests and architecture, and as a builder of high-velocity teams rather than a manager of large ones. The principles are on the leadership page.

Yes, selectively. RJ is not actively searching, but he is open to the right VP of Engineering, CTO, or CEO conversation, especially with regulated B2B SaaS companies that need to scale engineering, modernize a platform, or put AI into production. Fit criteria are on the advisory and executive roles page.

He does not hold a board or advisory-board seat today and is open to the right one. He brings technology risk assessment, AI strategy with a production bias, and a read on engineering organization health. Details are on the board and advisory section.

RJ offers consulting services through RJL.guru, speaking engagements, and strategic advisory roles. You can reach out using the contact form, connect on LinkedIn, or start with the roles he considers and his speaking topics.

Yes. At PE-backed Successware he presented architecture and investment cases directly to PE advisors, investors, and the C-suite, and he has run technical due diligence and post-close integration on multiple acquisitions. See the section for private equity and venture investors.

Yes. He spent 13 years as a software engineer and still reviews pull requests and architecture. As a player-coach he will code up to 30% of the time when the work calls for it, and RJL Software keeps him close to real builds. He draws the line at being the critical path on a sprint.

No. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Columbia College Chicago. In his words: "I have not found a role in 20+ years where this mattered." More admissions of this kind are on the outtakes page.

With AI, yes. The site was planned, written, and built with AI agents working from RJ's own resume, writing, and recommendations, under a rule to invent nothing. The disclosure is on the outtakes page.