Always an Engineer

Always an Engineer
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Whether you’re a seasoned software engineer or climbing up the corporate ladder, you’re always going to have questions. Asim Razzaq, founder and CEO of Yotascale and former head of platform engineering at PayPal and eBay, has lived them, survived them, and is here to share his insights to help you get where you want to go. Once an engineer, always an engineer... even when you’re a CEO.

  1. Ep. 28: The Future of Software Testing in the GenAI Era

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    Ep. 28: The Future of Software Testing in the GenAI Era

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Shailesh Kumar, the Senior Vice President of Engineering at ClickUp. Shailesh has over 18 years of experience in software engineering, architecture, and leadership, with a passion for scaling organizations, products, and processes. The duo breaks down the future of software testing with generative AI, why engineers are moving away from automation testing, and the evolving role of testers with Generative AI's rapid advancement. [00:00] Introduction [02:42] Shailesh's Journey to ClickUp [06:10] Generative AI's Role in Software Testing and Quality Assurance [08:31] Understand That We're Still Very Early in the Generative AI Era [09:30] Unit Testing Before and After Gen AI [13:14] The Future of Software Testing with Gen AI [15:46] Generative AI for LLMs and UI Testing [18:00] How to Uncover Which UI Testing Tool is Right For You [20:44] Where to Start with Software Testing Using Gen AI [24:18] Advice For Engineers Looking to Get Started with Gen AI [27:50] How Gen AI will Reshape the Engineering Workforce [30:57] Why You Must Be Open to Adopting New Technologies [33:17] Parting Thoughts   The Future of Software Testing in the Era of Gen AI Imagine a world where testing software isn't a tedious chore but a dynamic playground where creativity meets efficiency. Welcome Generative AI - the game-changer shaking things up in the software testing arena. Shailesh compares it to having a brilliant assistant who takes care of the boring stuff so that you can focus on the exciting challenges. With Gen AI, you can forget the tedious manual testing of yesteryears. Gen AI will anticipate issues, predict vulnerabilities, and optimize performance effortlessly.  While it's exciting, it also raises questions about ethics, accountability, and the role of human testers. Will they become AI's co-pilots or guardians? According to Shailesh, sure, generative AI in software QA is still in its early days, but it has superstar potential. With less manual testing, you can expect software quality to soar, time-to-market to reduce, and your budget to breathe easy.  Links and Resources: Asim’s LinkedIn Shailesh on LinkedIn

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  2. Ep. 27: 5X your Developer Productivity with Generative AI

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    Ep. 27: 5X your Developer Productivity with Generative AI

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Umair Akeel, a startup founder, passionate engineer, former distinguished engineer at Twilio Inc, and former VP of Engineering at Oracle. They discuss how to 5X your productivity with generative AI, the future of software development, and advice to engineers on using generative AI. [00:00] Introduction [02:05] Umair’s New Startup [03:09] The Future of Software Development [06:09] How Generative AI is Changing Code Development [08:31] Software Developers Using Generative AI [10:27] Productivity and Building Software Faster [12:00] How to Increase Your Speed and Efficacy of Writing Code [14:40] Rapid Iteration and Testing [17:10] Technology is Changing Too Fast [20:03] Advice to Early Career Engineers on Generative AI [24:44] Advice For Mid-Career and Late-Career Engineers [28:42] Where to Start with Generative AI [30:46] Parting Thoughts   How to 5X Your Developer Productivity Using Generative AI Are you a developer looking to supercharge your productivity? Then you’re in luck. Generative AI can be your new best friend. Tools like GPT-3 can help streamline your development process by writing code snippets, creating documentation, and even assisting in debugging. According to Umair, generative AI is like a friend that generates code templates based on your description. This can save you valuable time to become more productive. However, like all productivity tools, generative AI can take some getting used to. Plus, these tools are sometimes only useful for getting outcomes for known problems. For example, they only know how to produce code that they have seen in the past.  Links and Resources: Umar LinkedIn Umar on Twitter

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  3. Ep. 26: Radical Engineering Transformation through Inner Sourcing

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    Ep. 26: Radical Engineering Transformation through Inner Sourcing

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Arnold Goldberg, the VP/GM of Payments at Google. Over the last 30 years, Arnold has worked with four notable high-growth companies – PayPal, Box, LinkedIn, and eBay, primarily focusing on scaling people, processes, and technology. They discuss the what, why, and how of inner sourcing. They cover the inner source approach to engineering, how to get the most out of it, the mistakes to watch out for, and much more. [00:00] Introduction [02:29] What is Inner Sourcing? [04:55] Changing Company Culture to an Inner Sourcing Culture  [08:14] Engineers Control Their Own Destiny [12:10] Who is the True Owner of an Inner Source? [14:23] Inner Sourcing in Giant Companies Like PayPal [16:27] Engagement Models For Team Success [19:08] Talent Retention and Executive Buy-In [22:23] How Arnold Pilots and Scales Inner Sourcing in Teams  [23:20] Mistakes to Watch Out For with Inner Sourcing [25:41] Where to Find an Inner Sourcing Community [26:19] Teams and Organizations Where Inner Sourcing Cannot Work [28:05] Parting Thoughts   What is Inner Sourcing? Inner Sourcing is a software development strategy where companies adopt an open-source engineering culture that teams can use to collaborate more effectively. This growing trend is often found in high-performing teams. Engineers and developers create proprietary software and open the work internally so everyone can contribute to the source code.  According to Arnold, the best engineers use inner sourcing to build better software, faster. But how big or small should the organization be for an innersource to be effective? He explains that the strategy is effective for organizations of all types and sizes. As businesses grow and differentiate their products, they quickly realize that traditional development methods no longer work. The slow hierarchical practice of gathering information, holding daily meetings, and developing in silos is not what drives success for technology companies today. Arnold believes inner sourcing is the only way companies can keep pace with customer demands and guarantee speed, reliability, and functionality. Links and Resources: Arnold's LinkedIn Adopting InnerSource by Danese Cooper and Klaas-Jan Stol

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  4. Ep. 25: Sometimes the problem is to discover what the problem is

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    Ep. 25: Sometimes the problem is to discover what the problem is

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Joe Lynch, an experienced engineering leader and the VP of Engineering at Twilio. Joe boasts comprehensive experience in bringing scalable SaaS products and platforms to market and leading world-class Engineering organizations, with a focus on quality, efficiency, rapid delivery, and continuous improvement. They discuss the best way to frame an engineering problem, how to overcome the solutions-based way of thinking, and effective ways to highlight a problem statement.  [00:00] Introduction [01:45] Joe's Passion For Solving Problems [04:47] The Foundational Elements of Problem Framing [09:15] What is Prescriptive Problem-Solving? [10:30] How to Stop Reacting to Problems [14:11] Ways to Effectively Frame a Problem Statement [19:03] Analysis Paralysis When Solving Problems [22:13] Defining Problems is Subjective, Not Objective [25:50] Human Bias When Solving Problems [28:18] Parting Thoughts   The Critical Value of a Well-Framed Problem As engineers, we often talk about the solution space, but unfortunately, we don't spend as much time talking about the problem space and alternative ways of defining a problem. You see, the critical value of a well-defined problem cannot be understated. Because if you don't frame the problem properly, the solution will only be as good as the thinking that went into it. We are taught to tackle problems by looking at the idea of there being an implicit problem statement. And that the requirements document given to us by the product manager is somehow perfect.  According to Joe, it's better to spend some time exploring the problem space. The problem space is essential because it defines the problem that needs solving. It also helps to identify the scope of the problem and the constraints that need to be considered while solving it. This saves time and makes it possible for engineers to solve customer pain points, desires, jobs to be done, and needs. Links and Resources: Joe Lynch's LinkedIn Softwareonthebrain.com Just Enough Software Architecture: A Risk-Driven Approach by George H. Fairbanks Alwaysanengineer.org

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  5. Ep. 24: Seven habits of highly effective engineering teams with Mark Interrante

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    Ep. 24: Seven habits of highly effective engineering teams with Mark Interrante

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Mark Interrante, a technology leader who builds engineering and product development teams for companies ranging in size from startups to Fortune 100. He also enjoys getting involved in new technologies when they're going from early adoption to mainstream. They break down the seven habits of highly effective teams - and the outcomes you can expect from implementing these habits. [00:00] Introduction  [03:01] Building Habits in Engineering Teams [05:23] How to Deal with Distractions [08:40] Shutdown Habits and Why They're Important [10:58] Starting with the End in Mind [14:21] Behavior Prompts  [15:52] Why You Need to Make Doable Commitments [21:00] The Power of Having Clarity in Your Work [23:56] The Habit of Continuous Improvement [27:03] Essentials of an Effective Task Decomposition [29:43] How to Get into a Flow State Effortlessly [33:10] Seek to Understand Before Being Understood [35:10] How to Find Anchors That Slow Down Your Day [38:29] Parting Thoughts  Habits in Engineering Teams Habits are the building blocks of success for any engineering team. To create highly effective engineering teams, you must develop a culture of good habits. These habits range from effective communication to having clarity in tasks. Mark believes highly effective engineering teams also prioritize continuous learning and improvement. They are open to feedback, embrace change, and seek opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills. Mark explains that habits are essential because they allow us to automate actions and behaviors, freeing up mental energy for other tasks. By establishing good habits, we create consistent patterns of behavior that enable us to achieve our goals and improve our overall well-being. Habits also help us to develop discipline, which is crucial for success in any area of life. When engineers commit to good habits, they are more likely to make small, incremental improvements over time, leading to significant progress in the long run.  Links and Resources: Mark's LinkedIn Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg PhD Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

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  6. Ep. 23: Prioritizing prioritization with Harry Max

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    Ep. 23: Prioritizing prioritization with Harry Max

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Harry Max, an executive player-coach, consultant, and hands-on product design leader with vision and a solid grasp on operations. His experience includes being a founder/CEO, operational leader, and consultant with start-ups, innovators, and global brands, including Apple, Adobe, DreamWorks, Google, and PayPal. They discuss ways to make prioritization a habit, why Harry's Morning Boot Routine is so effective, and the fruits of proper prioritization. [00:00] Introduction  [01:40] Who is Harry Max? [03:00] Why Harry Chose to Write a Book on Prioritization [04:28] How to Make Prioritization a Habit [07:44] The Expected Outcome of Proper Prioritization [09:29] Why Prioritization is Important in an Organization [11:45] Steps You Can Take Today to Become Better at Prioritizing [13:34] Examples of People Prioritizing Effectively [15:53] The Morning Boot Routine  [19:37] Prioritization Hygiene and the Cost of Delay [21:21] Why Some People Fail at Prioritizing [23:45] The Benefits of Having an Accountability Partner  [25:26] Parting Thoughts  How to Make Prioritization a Habit We all know prioritization is important. The challenge is when people think of prioritizing, they immediately confuse it with personal productivity or time management. The easiest way to differentiate between the three is to remember that prioritization is not a one-and-done event. It's an ongoing process that demands regular updates and adjustments. As your tasks and deadlines change, so should your priorities. Making prioritization a habit is a matter of discipline and mindset. Firstly, it's important to understand what matters most to you and what you want to achieve in the short and long term. This can be done by developing a daily routine that includes time for reviewing tasks and adjusting priorities as necessary. It's also important to avoid distractions and focus on the task at hand. Always prioritize your highest-priority work around your most productive and high-energy hours. You are more likely to complete high-priority items when you have the most energy and focus. Links and Resources: Harry's LinkedIn Metamax.com

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    Ep. 22: The power of a technical insight with Ashmeet Sidana

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Ashmeet Sidana, the Founder and Chief Engineer at Engineering Capital. His experience includes managing venture capital funds, serving on multiple Boards of Directors, and helping build industry-leading products such as VMware ESX Server and WebFORCE. Before becoming a venture capitalist, Ashmeet was an executive with hands-on operating experience as a CEO and Entrepreneur. They discuss the incredible power of technical insights in engineering and how business opportunities form the core of engineering excellence. [00:00] Introduction [01:35] Ashmeet's Journey to Engineering [02:57] What are Technical Insights in Engineering? [05:38] You Don't Need a Ph.D. to Come up with Technical Insights [08:01] Things That Make vFunction a Unique Cloud Modernization Platform [12:20] How the Most Interesting Companies Come About [16:20] Why Engineers Should Interact with Customers From Day One [18:02] Business Insights Versus Technical Insights [21:10] People Operate in These Two Basic Modes [24:27] How to Assemble and Build Your First Founding Team [28:10] The Best Way to Build a Successful Engineering Company [29:54] Parting Thoughts What are Technical Insights and Why are They Important? A technical insight is an idea that if you tell a good engineer what you are doing, they wouldn't know how to do it. In other words, there is something unique about how you solve problems. If it's a very large technical insight, people will surely be surprised. For example, when Google started, there existed hundreds of search engines worldwide. But what made Google unique was its algorithm's ability to rank web pages. Revolutionary companies are created when people think about existing problems that could be solved better with technology. This is only possible when engineers work backward from a problem before coming up with a solution. However, it's not enough just to have technical insights. You have to spend enough time thinking about business problems that can be solved with technical insights. Only then can you start thinking about starting a company. And if you can find a big enough, interesting enough business problem, you can build a massive company. Links and Resources: Ashmeet's LinkedIn Engineeringcapital.com Follow Ashmeet on Twitter

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  8. Ep. 21: Authentic leadership with Troy Toman

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    Ep. 21: Authentic leadership with Troy Toman

    In today's episode, Asim sits down with Troy Toman, the Vice President of Engineering at Planet. He is a technology and services executive with an extensive background in systems and infrastructure solutions. His most recent focus is on agile development, continuous delivery, web-scale infrastructure, cloud computing and OpenStack. They discuss why authentic leadership matters and ways engineering leaders can build a more authentic leadership style based on trust. [00:38] Introduction [02:10] How Myers-Briggs Personality Test Shaped Troy's Leadership [04:42] Troy's Leadership Journey and Developing a Leadership Style [07:03] What Society Views as Great Leadership [10:14] Figuring Out Who You Really Are as a Leader [13:45] The Basics of Authentic Leadership [15:09] Spending Your Energy More Intentionally [16:42] Becoming More Comfortable with Not Having All the Answers [20:20] Why Vulnerability is the Key to Authentic Leadership [21:45] How to Motivate Your Team to be More Authentic [24:09] Improving the Entire Organization Starts with You [27:40] Parting Thoughts Authentic Leadership and Why It's Important Success in leadership starts with authenticity. Great leaders do their jobs without compromising on values and beliefs. Why is this important? Well, because people trust leaders when they are true to themselves - and that trust is the easiest path to getting things done. If you are a leader and would like to develop authentic leadership, you first need to develop a healthy alignment between your internal values and external behavior. This stems from finding your way of leading and making decisions that reflect your values, ethics, and personality. According to Troy, a great aspect of authentic leadership is asking for and giving feedback. Great leaders create a feedback-rich environment with a strong foundation of safety and trust. It's clear that work environments would be a much better place if we were all authentic and treated each other as humans. Links and Resources: Troy's LinkedIn Gallup CliftonStrengths Myers Briggs Personality Type The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

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Whether you’re a seasoned software engineer or climbing up the corporate ladder, you’re always going to have questions. Asim Razzaq, founder and CEO of Yotascale and former head of platform engineering at PayPal and eBay, has lived them, survived them, and is here to share his insights to help you get where you want to go. Once an engineer, always an engineer... even when you’re a CEO.

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