Teams at Work by BUNCH Episode 34: Risky Business: Why I left my corporate job for entrepreneurship
In this week’s episode, we chatted with Louie Bacaj, who shared his journey from starting his career as an engineer in big tech to ultimately becoming an engineering leader at companies like Jet, Walmart, and Bank of America, where he has built teams and lead teams through massive growth, crisis, and various transitions.
Transitioning from the corporate world, Louie is now pursuing his passion as an entrepreneur, building Nines, and a creator, mentoring companies and individuals, and helping engineers navigate and succeed in their careers.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How a learner mindset can enable you to pursue any passion despite the risks
What could be the future of big tech and what are the skills you need to acquire to succeed in it
Why Louie made the decision to leave the big tech and become an entrepreneur, and a creator (and how he overcame the imposter syndrome on his journey)
The principles of building lasting team relationships based on trust and transparency
3:00 - What inspired Louie’s transition from the corporate big tech world to entrepreneurship and creatorship
5:40 - Skills Louie had to learn as an engineer and engineering leader
6:00 - How does it feel to walk away from big money to chase your dreams as an entrepreneur
8:05 - Louie’s current projects and how he deals with imposter syndrome along the way
11:00 - What’s important for tech leaders now
14:15 - Why evolving technology caused trouble for big tech
16:30 - How to constantly stay in demand as an engineer
21:00 - Skills/traits people need to develop to succeed in the tech leadership roles
25:00 - How to grow in your career by always keeping the learner mindset
28:00 - How to stay on top of the relevant tech trends
Connect with Louie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiebacaj/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LBacaj
Connect with Darja:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/darjagutnick
Substack: https://weeklybriefing.substack.com/
Connect with Anthony:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyreo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anthonyareo
Follow Bunch:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bunch_HQ
Become a better leader in 2 minutes a day with BUNCH, the AI Leadership Coach. Download it for FREE on the App Store