Navigating Early Career Challenges in Aerospace and Defense

Allison Malloy, Director of Engineering at Shopify, joins the show to chat about her journey from aspiring astronaut to a successful career in software engineering. We talked about her unintentional path to management, the challenges of running a remote team, and her Priority Zero of unifying services across Shopify.

08:40 Transitioning to management: The unintentional leader

14:00 Managing managers and the importance of letting go

17:30 What makes a great technical manager

19:50 Working fully remote from Canada

24:00 Unification of teams and features at Shopify and expanding future capabilities

33:00 Setting the right goals for major projects and launches

Allison's recommendation: The Acquired podcast and The Art of Storytelling by John D. Walsh.