The Stack Overflow Podcast

One quality every engineering manager should have? Empathy.

9 snips
Feb 21, 2025
Caitlin Weaver, Senior Engineering Manager at Clear, discusses her fascinating journey from aspiring museum designer to tech leader. She shares insights on the vital role of empathy in engineering management and how it fosters effective communication. Caitlin recounts a dramatic Kafka cluster failure, emphasizing teamwork in crisis. She elaborates on the evolution of platform engineering, advocating for collaboration and open-source contributions to tackle complexity. Her unique path illustrates the blend of creativity and technology.
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ANECDOTE

Early Coding Adventures

  • Caitlin Weaver's path to software began at age 11, sparked by a fascination with the internet's creative potential.
  • She built websites, sold cat-themed games on floppy disks, and collaborated with her dad on inventions.
ANECDOTE

From Linguistics to Tech

  • Weaver pursued linguistics in college, inspired by her grandfather's multilingual Bible collection.
  • After graduation, she shifted to interactive telecommunications, focusing on physical computing and museum exhibit design.
ANECDOTE

Unexpected DevOps Journey

  • Weaver transitioned from a technical marketing role to DevOps by taking on a training opportunity.
  • Her initial interest in front-end and UX evolved due to company needs.
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