Developing technical taste: A guide for next-gen engineers | Sam Schillace (Deputy CTO at Microsoft, creator of Google Docs)
Jun 6, 2024
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Sam Schillace, Deputy CTO at Microsoft and creator of Google Docs, shares insights on developing technical taste, AI, market timing, and scaling a software company in 2024. He discusses the importance of asking 'what if' questions, lessons on market timing, and the future of AI. The podcast covers topics like developing technical taste, the value of optimism and risk-taking in tech, and the evolution of tech product development.
Embrace discomfort for innovative breakthroughs; Google Docs birthed from challenging tech limitations.
Anticipate cognitive surplus-driven tech evolution; AI reshaping personalized experiences.
Adopt adaptable problem-solving mindset; Engineer success through experimentation and continuous learning.
Deep dives
Exploring the Jazz Ensemble Approach to Innovation at Microsoft
At Microsoft, a prototyping team led by Sam Scolace operates like a jazz ensemble, focusing on experimentation over product delivery. Sam's background includes founding Rightly, the foundation for Google Docs, highlighting his innovative approach. The team explores AI and engineering limitations, emphasizing insight generation to guide the company's direction.
Uncomfortability and Timing in Pursuit of Innovation
Sam highlights the importance of embracing discomfort when pursuing groundbreaking ideas, exemplified by the challenging journey of creating Google Docs amid technological limitations. He emphasizes the significance of recognizing opportune moments for innovation, cautioning against waiting for ease, as true progress often arises from tackling tough problems.
The Shift Towards Cognitive Surplus and Personalized Experiences
Reflecting on historical technological shifts, Sam envisions a future where cognitive surplus, akin to the Industrial Revolution's energy surplus, transforms how we interact with technology. He anticipates personalized and customizable experiences driven by generative AI, revolutionizing applications and documents by harnessing an abundance of cognitive energy.
Navigating the Transition to Valuable Cognitive Energy
Amidst the dawn of AI advancements, Sam speculates on the companies and technologies likely to capitalize on the forthcoming shift to valuable cognitive energy. He underscores the significance of trustworthy personal data handling and efficient solutions, suggesting that organizations holding data securely and providing tailored experiences stand to gain considerable value in this transition.
The Evolution of Technology Adoption
The episode delves into the progression of technology adoption, drawing parallels between past skepticism towards cloud computing like Google Docs and the current skepticism towards large language model (LLM) AI technology. Emphasizing the initial resistance faced by cloud services, the discussion highlights how industry innovation and problem-solving eventually led to widespread acceptance and integration of cloud computing. Similarly, it anticipates a similar trajectory for LLM-based AI, acknowledging current challenges as stepping stones towards broader adoption and technological advancement.
Embracing Curiosity and Learning in Engineering
The conversation encourages a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning in engineering, particularly for young professionals entering the field. It stresses the importance of experimentation, playfulness, and skill development in navigating technological shifts. Reflecting on the characteristics of effective engineers, the episode underscores the significance of problem-solving abilities over technical proficiency, advocating for simplification and clarity in tackling challenges. Furthermore, it highlights the necessity of adaptability to modern tools and frameworks for future engineering success, emphasizing the evolving nature of skill requirements in the industry.
Sam Schillace is the CVP and Deputy CTO at Microsoft. Before Microsoft, Sam held prominent engineering roles at Google and Box. He has also founded six startups, including Writely, which was acquired by Google and became Google Docs.
