Scott and Wes talk with Topher Martini, a former Engineering Program Manager at Apple, about his extensive experience over two decades in the tech industry. Topher shares his journey at Apple, from starting as an intern in 2001 to working on groundbreaking products like iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro.

Show Notes

00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
00:40 What it was like working on the first iPhone
04:47 How Topher landed at Apple early in his career
08:40 How Apple’s culture has changed over time
11:03 What makes a great employee?
16:37 Tips for better communication
17:54 Are meetings a good means of communication?
20:05 What makes a bad employee?
22:21 What does it take to get hired at a company like Apple?
26:16 Brought to you by Sentry.io
26:55 The relationship between passion and career
29:08 Topher’s advice for growing in your career
31:50 What is a sabbatical?
33:36 Teaching tech to kids
35:49 Topher’s work on self-driving cars
- Aurora
39:33 AI’s impact on tech and the future
41:22 What can developers do to stand out and be relevant in a world of AI?
43:30 Topher’s thoughts on career development
- One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way
- Paul Copplestone
44:47 What is a light field camera?
46:47 Spatial media and Vision Pro
48:10 The nifty stuff in Topher’s background
49:53 Something wild that happened while Topher was at Apple
51:34 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

Topher:
- Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer
- Bento 3D

Shameless Plugs

Topher: Topher’s YouTube Channel

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