The Engineering Leadership Podcast

In this discussion, guest James Tyack, an engineering manager with a decade of experience, shares insights from ELC's first hackathon, where 14 senior engineering leaders built functioning apps in just one weekend. The conversation explores hands-on learning and how tackling real challenges can mitigate imposter syndrome. James also emphasizes the need for problem-first thinking, effective collaboration, and the importance of psychological safety in leadership. He outlines plans for future hackathons, aiming for broader participation and innovation.

Bill Coughran, a partner at Sequoia Capital and former Google SVP, teams up with Bret Reckard, a talent partner and founder's coach, to explore the evolving landscape of leadership in the AI era. They discuss the importance of measurable business value amidst AI hype and the balance between servant leadership and decisive action. Bill shares insights on avoiding hiring mistakes, the necessity for leaders to return to their technical roots, and the implications of AI on job roles. He emphasizes mentorship through an apprenticeship model and offers practical advice for transitioning from big tech to startups.

In this engaging discussion, guests Sulman Choudhry and Samir Ahmed from OpenAI share insights into scaling ChatGPT from 100 million to 700 million users. They delve into the unique hiring of 'extreme generalists' and the impact of AI-native interns on productivity. The duo recalls their strategies for managing unexpected growth surges and how cross-discipline collaborations helped tackle challenges. They also discuss the integration of research and engineering, emphasizing the importance of adaptability in a rapid development environment.

Brian Balfour, Founder and CEO of Reforge, dives deep into AI's impact on product strategy and engineering workflows. He warns against the 'local maxima trap' that can mislead teams in their AI adoption. Balfour advocates for autonomous 'skunkworks' teams to drive high-risk innovations and compress product discovery from weeks to mere hours. He discusses the 'Great Distribution Shift' and explores how to reshape products to stay ahead in evolving ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of proprietary data and specialized workflows. Tune in for innovative insights!

Rajeev Rajan, CTO at Atlassian and a veteran from Meta and Microsoft, reveals how he transformed Atlassian's engineering culture to prioritize 'developer joy'. He discusses the incredible feat of reducing ship time from 120 days to zero for their new AI app, Rovo. Rajeev shares insights on empowering teams with autonomy, creating community productivity champions, and aligning on company-wide OKRs. He also hints at future innovations like better browser UX and the potential of AI for personalized applications.

Daniel Lereya, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at monday.com, dives into the future of engineering roles, emphasizing the evolution from developers to strategic builders and system designers. He shares how AI magnifies individual impacts and transforms team dynamics, requiring managers to treat AI agents like human team members. A fascinating case study showcases how AI can autonomously manage tasks and optimize workflows. Lereya also highlights the importance of transparency and ownership in their culture, predicting a shift towards work-execution platforms.

Jaime Lien, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Archetype AI, and Rashi Agrawal, Head of AI Engineering at GoodLeap, dive into the fascinating world of Physical AI. They discuss how machines can perceive the world through non-biological modalities, leading to unique understanding free from human biases. Jaime emphasizes the importance of augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them, while unveiling tech breakthroughs like self-supervised learning. They also highlight practical applications in fields like solar installation and pedestrian safety.

Ruslan Belkin, Head of Platform Engineering at Inflection AI and co-founder of Jelled.ai, discusses transformative shifts in engineering leadership. He highlights the pivot from code to specs as the new source of truth and shares a novel, sci-fi-inspired framework for product vision. Ruslan dives into the significance of emotional intelligence in AI and the evolving role of agents in UIs. He emphasizes the importance of data hygiene as a competitive edge and explores decision-making strategies by applying an investor-deck approach.

James Reggio, the CTO of Brex and a former engineer at Microsoft, Airbnb, and Stripe, dives into Brex 3.0—a bold operational evolution. He shares how a layoff sparked a rebirth, reshaping the company’s focus from a Series E to C mindset. Discover the innovative 'Hacker House' initiative, a startup within a startup aimed at AI disruption. Reggio discusses the introduction of seasonal initiatives for alignment and how shared roadmaps have boosted morale. His insights on balancing innovation within core operations are both enlightening and actionable.

Jonathan Raymond, founder and CEO of Ren and author of the award-winning book Good Authority, explores the complexities of modern management. He discusses the invisible cognitive load managers face and how AI can augment decision-making by enhancing field intelligence. Jonathan emphasizes the importance of human skills in leadership, highlighting how AI can support rather than replace these capabilities. He also offers actionable insights on fostering accountability and effective feedback, all while navigating team dynamics and performance levels.