Prashant Ramarao, SVP of Engineering & Head of AI at Yahoo, discusses his journey from technical contributor to engineering leader while retaining his tech expertise. He shares insights on scaling leadership and effectively communicating with non-technical stakeholders. Prashant emphasizes the importance of humility and adaptability in leadership and explores personal learning strategies, like podcasts and AI tools, for ongoing education. Additionally, he delves into the concept of 'ambient AI' and its transformative potential, particularly in healthcare.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
From IC to AI Leadership
Prashant transitioned from IC to managing a small team of distinguished engineers, then scaling to 120+ engineers.
He leveraged his early advocacy for AI to become the head of the AI team at Yahoo.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Communicate Effectively with Executives
When talking to non-technical GMs or executives, prepare a plan and speak in their language.
Focus on what matters to their priorities and avoid overly technical details.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Contact Plans for Meetings
Use a structured contact plan with clear objectives: what to teach, learn, and ask.
This framework ensures meetings achieve their purpose and build collaborative relationships.
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In *Good Strategy/Bad Strategy*, Richard Rumelt clarifies the distinction between effective and ineffective strategies. He argues that a good strategy is a specific and coherent response to overcoming obstacles, harnessing power where it will have the greatest effect. Rumelt debunks elements of 'bad strategy' such as equating goals, motivational slogans, and financial targets with actual strategy. He introduces the 'kernel' of strategy, which includes a diagnosis of the challenge, a guiding policy, and coherent action. The book uses diverse examples from business, nonprofit, and military contexts to illustrate these concepts and emphasizes the importance of analytical rigor and focused effort in strategy development.
Prashant is a hands-on technology executive with extensive experience in software engineering, leading large organizations, specializing in AI / ML, and large-scale systems architecture. With advanced degrees in computer science and engineering leadership, he excels at defining technical strategies that align with business goals, delivering results, and fostering high-performing, cross-functional teams. He cares about engineering excellence, leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve complex problems and scale operations for long-term growth. He has a lifelong passion for learning and looks for opportunities to challenge the status quo to drive change. He loves the outdoors and is a self-proclaimed podaholic - going on long hikes in Bay Area while listening to his podcasts is one of his favorite activities.
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