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How a First Reddit Engineer Builds Strong Engineering Cultures with Jeremy Edberg
In this episode of the Leadership Exchange, host Tracy Lee welcomes Jeremy Edberg, CEO of DeVos and former first employee at Reddit, to discuss leadership, engineering culture, and team building. They review Jeremy's career journey from Reddit to Netflix and beyond, sharing insights on scaling engineering teams, the impact of culture on development practices, and hiring strategies. Jeremy reflects on the evolution of his management style, emphasizing the importance of human connection in leadership, while also sharing lessons learned from his time at companies with strong engineering cultures. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:48 - Jeremy’s Background and Career Journey 01:51 - Introduction to DeVos and Its Founders 02:30 - Throwback: Reddit Meetups and "Chad Berg" Chanting 03:05 - Rebuilding the Reddit Engineering Team 05:16 - Challenges of Scaling and Maintaining Reddit's Culture 07:08 - The Role of Code in Driving Team Culture 08:14 - Differences in Team Dynamics at Reddit and Netflix 09:07 - Working at Netflix vs. Cloudflare 09:38 - The "Sports Team, Not a Family" Philosophy at Netflix 11:21 - Understanding the Keeper Test at Netflix 14:27 - Evolving Netflix's Culture to Support Diversity and Inclusion 16:05 - Misconceptions About Netflix's Work Environment 17:17 - Work-Life Balance at Netflix: High Performance in a Chill Setting 20:28 - Key Elements of a Good Engineering Culture 23:09 - How Jeremy's Leadership Style Has Evolved 24:34 - Advice for Building Successful Engineering Teams 25:26 - Closing Remarks and Sponsor Thanks 26:13 - Where to Follow Jeremy Online Follow Jeremy Edberg Twitter: https://x.com/jedberg Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedberg/ Sponsored by Wix Studio: wix.com/studio...
Oct 15, 2024
2 mins
The Future of Healthcare Delivery Models with Anita Ballaney, Founder of MyHealthQ
In this episode of the Leadership Exchange, Tracy Lee welcomes Anita Ballaney, Founder of MyHealthQ, to discuss the future of healthcare delivery models and the impact of technology. Anita discusses the evolution of care, from its community-driven roots to today's telemedicine and AI-driven advancements, while emphasizing the need for change in payment models that have long been stuck in outdated practices. They explore how AI can revolutionize healthcare by eliminating inefficiencies, improving risk prediction, and reducing costs. Chapters [00:00 - 00:25] Introduction [00:26 - 01:11] Challenging the Healthcare Status Quo [01:12 - 03:17] The Evolution of Healthcare Delivery Models [03:18 - 06:30] Technology’s Role in Revolutionizing Healthcare [06:31 - 10:19] Breaking Free from Outdated Coding Systems [10:20 - 12:16] AI and Risk Prediction in Healthcare [12:17 - 15:36] Enhancing Care Through Technology and Telemedicine [15:37 - 19:02] The Future of Telemedicine and Sustainable Models [19:03 - 22:37] Innovating Healthcare Accessibility and Affordability [22:38 - 26:56] People Problems: The Biggest Barrier to Healthcare Innovation [26:57 - End] Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks Follow Anita Ballaney on Social Media Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitab/ MyHealthQ: https://myhealthq.com/about-us/ Sponsored by This Dot...
Oct 3, 2024
1 min
Aligning Product Teams and User Goals with Stacie Frederick, CPO at Stanza
Stacie Frederick, Chief Product Officer at Stanza, discusses how her engineering background informs her work in product management, particularly in understanding user needs and building solutions for Stanza, which focuses on improving reliability engineering for development teams. Stacie shares her approach to balancing the needs of current users with future growth, the importance of clear customer personas, and how friction can arise when product teams misalign with user goals. The conversation also touches on how technologists can develop a product mindset by staying connected with customers, and the unique challenges of working across different industries where technology intersects with non-tech domains. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:00 - Transition from CTO to CPO 03:00 - Understanding Users in Product Development 06:00 - Role of Personas in Building for Users 09:00 - The Balance of Serving Current and Future Users 11:30 - Challenges of Startups and Growing with Users 14:00 - Product vs. Engineering: The What and the How 17:00 - Blending Product and Engineering Roles 21:00 - Encouraging Product Mindedness in Engineers 24:00 - The Importance of Understanding Users in Tech 28:00 - Industry-Specific Challenges for Technologists 31:00 - Closing Remarks Follow Stacie Frederick on Social Media: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacie-frederick/ Sponsored by This Dot...
Sep 30, 2024
1 min
How User-Centric Design Motivates Developers with Paul McCollum
Paul McCollum, author of "Practical Salesforce Architecture", shares his journey from microbiology to tech, discussing his work at Nortel Networks, and his transition into enterprise architecture with Salesforce. They explore the importance of empathy in engineering, how user-centric design motivates developers, and the evolution of agile development. Paul emphasizes solving real user problems over technical tasks and how continuous learning keeps work exciting. Chapters 1. Introduction – [00:00:00] 2. Early Career & Transition into Tech – [00:00:58] 3. The Evolution of Technology Stacks – [00:03:15] 4. Learning Through Play & Empathy – [00:04:52] 5. Agile Development & Challenges – [00:18:51] 6. Value-Driven Software Development – [00:21:23] 7. Avoiding Burnout in Tech Careers – [00:25:42] 8. Conclusion – [00:36:17] Follow Paul McCollum on Social Media Paul McCollum Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realpaulmccollum/ Paul McCollum Twitter: https://x.com/uxaholic...
Sep 11, 2024
1 min
How to Take Extreme Ownership Over Your Engineering Efforts with Nate Emerson
Nate Emerson is a self-taught dev & a computer science university grad. In this episode, Nate talks about his unusual career trajectory, & what it taught him about the differences between being self-taught vs. formal education in software development....
Sep 10, 2024
1 min
How to Invest in New Software Engineering Talent with Shashi Lo
"In this Modern Web Podcast episode, Shashi Lo, Senior UX Engineer at Microsoft, shares insights on mentoring junior developers, bridging the gap from boot camps to tech jobs, & the role of mentorship, code reviews, and onboarding in nurturing new talent."...
Sep 5, 2024
2 mins
Challenges of Growing into a Software Leadership Role with Gant Laborde
In this episode, Rob Ocel sits down with Gant Laborde, CIO at Infinite Red, to explore Gant's journey in the tech industry, his transition into leadership, and his role as a Chief Innovation Officer. Gant shares insights into the challenges and rewards of innovation within a company, how to manage upward and downward effectively, and the importance of trust in leadership. They also discuss the evolving landscape of AI, the significance of experimentation, and the courage needed to make bold decisions. Chapters Introduction and Opening Remarks - 00:00 Gant's Background and Journey in Tech - 02:05 Transitioning to Leadership at Infinite Red - 05:08 Defining Innovation at an Agency - 07:28 The Role of AI in React Native - 09:39 Navigating the Hype and Troughs of Technology - 11:35 The Challenges of Middle Management - 15:12 Building Trust and Managing Upwards - 16:25 Empowering Teams and Passing the Torch - 19:40 Developing Courage and Taking Risks - 22:30 Why Leadership is Worth It - 30:28 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up - 31:53 Follow Gant Laborde on Social Media Twitter: https://x.com/GantLaborde Github: https://github.com/GantMan Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gant-laborde/ Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@gantlaborde...
Aug 30, 2024
1 min
"Do What Matters with Who Matters While It Matters" Mark Techson on Leadership
Tracy Lee and Rob Ocel sit down with Mark Thompson, aka "Mark Techson", to explore key themes around personal branding, workplace culture, and leadership. Mark shares his journey of building a strong personal brand, discussing how consistent online...
Aug 20, 2024
2 mins
Translating Developer Needs into Business Objectives with Sam Julien, Director of Developer Relations at Writer
Sam Julien, Director of Developer Relations at Writer, shares insights on understanding developer needs and translating them into business goals, while also discussing the importance of bridging technical and marketing teams effectively....
Jul 31, 2024
2 mins
Systemized Problem Solving in Engineering Leadership Using Data with Ankur Jain
What is it like to transition from technologies to Fractional CTO? How much do systems matter when operating at the C Level? Ankur Jain, Fractional CTO and Founder at Sprout discusses the transition from being a technologist to a fractional CTO, and how to...
Jul 26, 2024
2 mins
The Impact of AI on Testing with Ivan Barajas Vargas, CEO + Co-Founder at MuukTest
Ivan Barajas Vargas, CEO and Co-Founder, at MuukTest discusses his journey from QA expert to engineering leadership, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changes in QA and effectively utilizing resources. Along with Rob Ocel, Ivan highlights the...
Jul 10, 2024
1 min
Cultivating Value Through Developer Communities with Ronald Williams
In this JS Drops presentation, Ronald Williams, Senior Community Programs Manager at Cypress.io, discusses key tips for cultivating and capturing value within a developer community. Ronald emphasized the need to differentiate between creating useful...
Jun 25, 2024
1 min
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