The Peterman Pod

Fiona Fung, an engineering leader at Anthropic and former Senior Director at Meta, brings her wealth of experience to the table. She explores the critical balance between impact and team health, sharing insights from her journey at Microsoft and Facebook. Discussion includes the importance of effective mentoring, the cultural contrasts she observed at Facebook, and why dogfooding is essential for empathy. Fiona also highlights the significance of feedback and kindness in leadership while encouraging younger listeners to embrace their career journeys.

In this insightful discussion, senior engineers share essential career advice for software developers. They warn against hastily pursuing titles, highlighting the importance of balance to avoid burnout. Trusting oneself and confronting imposter syndrome are emphasized as keys to taking on bolder projects. Building relationships outside work is deemed crucial for life fulfillment. Specializing in unique skills and focusing on decision-making over just coding can enhance career impact. The guests encourage courage, emotional awareness, and seeking environments that recognize one’s strengths.

Join Rong Yan, a senior engineering leader with a PhD in computer vision and a swift rise from frontline manager at Meta to senior director at Snapchat. He shares invaluable insights on transitioning to higher roles, identifying key skill gaps, and the importance of strategic thinking. Discover his perspective on the cultural differences between LA and the Bay Area and get the inside scoop on working closely with Evan Spiegel. Rong emphasizes the need to define your career North Star and adapt to challenges while prioritizing meaningful impact over titles.

Boris Cherny, the Creator of Claude Code and former Principal Engineer at Meta, shares insights from his prolific career in tech. He discusses his journey from early projects at Facebook, emphasizing the value of generalist engineering culture. Boris explains how Claude Code succeeded by enhancing productivity and adapting for non-developers. He also gives advice on finding impactful side projects and highlights the importance of building trust in organizations. His reflections on competition and user focus are enlightening for anyone in tech!

Marius Schulz, Senior Staff Engineer (IC7) at Meta, shares his journey in web engineering, from leading major projects at Instagram to being the first engineer for Threads Web. He discusses how he navigated a blocked promotion despite exceeding expectations and how he responded constructively to feedback. Marius reveals insights on the importance of ownership and adapting to high-pressure deadlines. He also reflects on career planning and gives advice to his younger self about balancing ambition with well-being.

Jayendra Jog is a software engineer turned founder and co-founder of Sei Labs, a crypto infrastructure startup, after leaving Robinhood. He shares insights about feeling jaded by promotion dynamics in tech and the challenges of career growth. Jayendra dives into his experience during the GameStop saga and how it influenced his entrepreneurial journey. He outlines lessons from raising $35 million in funding and highlights the unique value of crypto in transforming financial systems. His advice? Embrace risks and make decisions faster.

Brian Attwell, CTO at CloudKitchens and former senior engineer at Uber, shares captivating stories from his rapid rise in tech. He discusses the balance of luck and hard work, revealing the intense early efforts behind his success. Brian reflects on his biggest career regret—failing to speak up around Steve Jobs—and shares insights on prioritization and truth-seeking in team dynamics. His experiences with Travis Kalanick highlight the impact of strong leadership, while his journey emphasizes the importance of courage and continuous learning.

Joakim Recht, a Distinguished Engineer at Uber, shares insights from his engineering journey. He discusses the project that propelled his promotion and reveals the often unfair realities of promo committees. Joakim also emphasizes the importance of influence and mentorship, recommending an informal approach to mentoring others. He addresses the challenges of scaling technology and the politics that come with broader responsibilities. Finally, he reflects on lessons learned from his time at Uber and why he ultimately transitioned to a startup environment.

Ilya Grigorik, a Distinguished Engineer at Shopify with a rich history that includes founding PostRank, discusses his remarkable career trajectory. He shares insights into the acquisition by Google, emphasizing how company dynamics can shape integration processes. Ilya reflects on the importance of being a Principal Engineer, highlighting the value of a unique talent stack and the dangers of over-polishing work. He also advises young professionals to embrace their unique combinations of skills and to be brave in pursuing their passions.

Bobby Holley, the CTO of Firefox, shares his remarkable journey from intern to top engineer at Mozilla. He recounts gripping tales from the browser wars, highlighting the rise of Firefox against Internet Explorer and the shifting dynamics with Google. Bobby discusses vital projects like Slaughterhouse and Quantum CSS, as well as the importance of memory safety through Rust. He offers career advice on focusing on impactful work rather than promotions and emphasizes the need to protect the open web amidst rising AI browser competition.