The Engineering Leadership Podcast

ABOUT ELIOT HOROWITZ

Eliot Horowitz is the Founder and CEO of Viam, an engineering platform unlocking AI, automation, and data for devices in the physical world. With a deep commitment to advancing technology, Eliot leads Viam in helping companies build solutions across robotics, food and beverage, climate, marine, industrial manufacturing, and more.

A career software developer and technology leader, Eliot co-founded MongoDB in 2007, writing the core code base for the pioneering database and leading the engineering and product teams for 13 years as CTO. MongoDB, which went public in 2017, has since reached a market cap of over $20 billion. Before MongoDB, he co-founded the ecommerce company ShopWiki and served as CTO, and he began his career in software development in the R&D group of adtech firm DoubleClick.

Eliot is passionate about using technology to address pressing societal issues, including working with WAVS to protect marine life in the North Atlantic and supporting Billion Oyster Project’s work to help restore New York Harbor’s ecosystem.

SHOW NOTES:

• The origin story of founding Viam (2:56)
• How Viam can be a game-changing platform, accelerating robotics software & hardware 10x to 100x (4:33)
• The ideation journey behind Viam: Building a platform that simplifies the integration of hardware and software development (6:11)
• Solving challenges with seamless APIs, a modular system, the right abstraction layers, and a comprehensive platform (9:54)
• Key questions for identifying the right abstraction layers at Viam (11:32)
• Optimizing your platform for flexibility and ease of use (13:32)
• The evolution of product building, from first-hand experience to customer-driven (16:33)
• How Eliot’s MongoDB Experience shaped Viam’s user-centric approach, open-source strategy, business model & ecosystem approach (18:48)
• Cultivating developer communities & leveraging community insights at MongoDB & Viam (23:01)
• Frameworks for deciding on your business model & pricing (24:52)
• Eliot’s approach to building developer tools & products used by engineers (26:23)
• Aligning your eng team & stakeholders on the product vision (29:51)
• What it means to deeply understand engineers and how they interact with your product (31:10)
• Strategies for eng leaders to better connect with customers (34:38)
• Viam’s real-world applications & what’s next (36:31)
• Rapid fire questions (39:31)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Viam - At Viam, we believe in the power of technology to make our world smarter, happier, and more sustainable. We're building a revolutionary engineering platform for problem-solving in the physical world, so that innovators from all disciplines can address humanity's most complex challenges with practical solutions. Together with our partners, we're committed to making a lasting positive impact on industries, communities, and the planet.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT KEVIN STEWART

Kevin Stewart is an engineering executive focused on building teams to build products. He has helped shape the engineering culture at a number of startups, digital agencies and cloud companies. Kevin is particularly experienced in leading remote and distributed teams to consistently deliver quality products. Although he currently resides in Seattle, Kevin is a lifelong New Yorker with dreams of relocating to a sunny island in the Caribbean.

SHOW NOTES:

• Determining what you think is broken vs. what is actually broken (2:57)
• Focusing on the root issues around leadership & decision-making (4:46)
• Strategies for identifying the root cause of what is broken (9:08)
• A framework for diagnosing issues, making a compelling case to stakeholders, and driving high-impact change (10:59)
• Factors that impact decision making authority on your teams (13:53)
• Signals that your org faces learned helplessness & how to override it (16:13)
• Kevin’s advice for leaders who realize they contribute to a fearful environment (18:26)
• Kevin’s journey @ Splice and aligning personal values with the company mission (21:02)
• Challenges behind new strategy rollouts and the need for a customer-centric “north star” (26:26)
• Witnessing the emotional impact of your product on customers (29:44)
• Repetition is key when it comes to reinforcing your org’s vision (30:48)
• Prioritizing your time & resources between strategic and tactical work (32:32)
• Frameworks for aggressively auditing your calendar (35:47)
• How to empower your team and delegate. so they can operate autonomously and you can shift your focus to strategy and business objectives (37:37)
• Rapid fire questions (41:38)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant - Tae Kim’s deeply reported business history of the chip-designer Nvidia—from its founding in 1993 to its recent emergence as one of the most valuable corporations in the world—explaining how the company’s culture, overseen by cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang, has powered its incredible success.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT MAHER HANAFI

Maher Hanafi is a seasoned technology engineering leader, driving digital transformation and delivering impactful SaaS solutions. As Senior Vice President of Engineering at Betterworks, he leads the AI vision and applications for their AI-powered performance management software, overseeing the integration of AI tools that enhance HR functions like performance reviews, goal setting and employee development.

Maher's passion for technology centers on the transformative potential of AI, particularly Generative AI. He views it as a powerful tool capable of learning, adapting and solving real-world problems, and champions its responsible development to empower individuals.

Maher's vision extends beyond technology, aiming to revolutionize tech workplaces by fostering human potential alongside cutting-edge solutions. He employs a people-centric leadership style, building collaborative environments that empower teams to excel. This commitment to empowerment extends to mentoring fellow engineering leaders and sharing his knowledge through public speaking.

ABOUT COREY COTO

Corey Coto is a creative, data-driven, and innovative executive. He founded Kaizen Insights to help enterprises create business intelligence with their people. Corey was SVP of Product, Design and Engineering at a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company and held engineering leadership roles at Amazon, CoStar Group, and Liberty Mutual. He is a Founder Institute Mentor, an ELC Seattle Chapter Lead, and a startup advisor. Software is his favorite artistic medium because of its power to quickly move the needle on big ideas that can benefit people and the planet. He believes there has never been a better time to build. The future is bright!

SHOW NOTES:

• When Maher realized he needed to rethink his approach to AI & upskill quickly (3:38)
• Milestones across Maher’s AI knowledge progression (7:42)
• Set aside time for your eng team to experiment & apply AI learnings (11:09)
• Why intentionally building different use cases leads to better outcomes (14:22)
• The importance of revisiting AI decisions as a team (16:53)
• Frameworks for determining how deep to go into each learning area (19:37)
• How to navigate the challenges of going from proof of concept to production (22:43)
• Evaluating the ROI of AI applications (26:47)
• Strategies for deciding which resources / operating expenses go toward AI use cases (29:24)
• Tips for developing stakeholder confidence in your AI strategy (32:36)
• How non-technical experts can build AI awareness & confidence (36:22)
• Betterworks’ AI roadmap for 2025 (38:48)
• Rapid fire questions (40:58)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Daniel H. Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT JIM PALMER

Jim Palmer is the Chief AI Officer at Dialpad. Previously he was CTO and Co-Founder of TalkIQ, a conversational intelligence start-up with expertise in real-time speech recognition and natural language processing, acquired by Dialpad in May of 2018. Prior to TalkIQ, he was the founding engineer on the eBay Now local delivery service.

SHOW NOTES:

• Tips and cheat codes for navigating AI governance (3:30)
• Breaking down red teaming & adversarial testing in AI governance (8:02)
• Launching and scaling adversarial testing efforts (11:27)
• Unexpected benefits unlocked with adversarial testing (13:43)
• Understanding data governance and strategic AI investments (15:38)
• Building resilient AI from concept to customer validation (19:28)
• Exploring early feature validation and pattern recognition in AI (22:38)
• Adaptability in data management and ensuring safe, ethical data use while adapting to evolving legal and governance requirements (26:51)
• How to prepare data for safe and sustainable long-term use (30:02)
• Strategies for compliant data practices in a regulated world (32:43)
• Building data deletion systems with model training in mind (35:14)
• Current events and trends shaping adaptability and durability in the AI ecosystem (38:38)
• The role of a Chief AI Officer (41:20)
• Rapid fire questions (44:35)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World - With deep and exclusive reporting, across hundreds of interviews, New York Times Silicon Valley journalist Cade Metz brings you into the rooms where these questions are being answered. Where an extraordinarily powerful new artificial intelligence has been built into our biggest companies, our social discourse, and our daily lives, with few of us even noticing.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT JAMES CAMPBELL

James Campbell is the co-founder and CTO at Great Expectations, the leading open-source data quality product. Prior to his life at a startup, James spent nearly 15 years working across a variety of quantitative and qualitative analytic roles in the US intelligence community, ultimately serving as Chief Data Scientist at CIA. He studied Math and Philosophy at Yale, and international security at Georgetown. He is passionate about creating tools that help communicate uncertainty and build intuition about complex systems.

This episode is brought to you by Clipboard Health

Clipboard Health is looking for the next generation of exceptional software engineering leaders, not just managers. They’re a profitable unicorn, backed by top-tier investors, and they take the craft of engineering management seriously.

Clipboard Health matches highly qualified healthcare workers with nearby facilities to fulfill millions of shifts a year - revolutionizing healthcare staffing with a fast, flexible, and user-friendly platform.

Learn more & browse their open roles at clipboardhealth.com/engineering

SHOW NOTES:

• The origin story of Great Expectations & James’ founding journey (3:28)
• Pitching / validating your idea through community (6:24)
• Transitioning from federal government to co-founder of a company (9:20)
• Recommendations when considering the founder / collaboration path (11:30)
• James’ experience starting with open source & getting 10k stars on GitHub (13:15)
• Engaging with your audience to drive growth & share your product’s message (15:17)
• How open source impacts Great Expectations’ marketing / communication (16:58)
• Navigating the tension between product vision & product roadmap (19:21)
• Where that tension showed up in Great Expectations’ early days (22:11)
• Capturing & synthesizing insights from your users (23:54)
• Strategies for removing biases from product-related decisions (25:37)
• Finding the balance between your perspective & community insights (27:13)
• James’ perspective on different levels of product analysis (29:54)
• Lessons learned from Great Expectations’ phase changes (31:22)
• Takeaways from the org’s latest experience / transition (34:51)
• Defining the “Heilmeier Catechism” & how it impacts James’ leadership style (37:07)
• Rapid fire questions (40:40)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• CIA Guide to Analytic Tradecraft - Primer published by the CIA to assist analysts in dealing with the perennial problems of intelligence.
• American Prometheus - Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s definitive biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb for his country in a time of war, and who later found himself confronting the moral consequences of scientific progress.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT COLLEEN TARTOW

Colleen Tartow, Ph.D. is Field CTO and Head of Strategy at VAST Data and has 20+ years of experience in data, analytics, engineering, and consulting. Adept at assisting organizations in deriving value from a data-driven culture, she has successfully led diverse data, engineering, and analytics teams through the development of complex global data management solutions and architecting enterprise data systems. Her demonstrated excellence in data, engineering, analytics, and diversity leadership makes her a trusted senior advisor among executives. An experienced speaker, author, valued mentor and startup advisor, Colleen holds degrees in astrophysics and lives in Massachusetts.

ABOUT JIM LIU

Jim Liu is an accomplished engineering leader with a track record of driving business outcomes at companies like StockX and Nordstrom. He is also an active community builder with Engineering Leader Community and Angel Investor communities. Jim and his family reside in Seattle, WA.

ABOUT DIVYA ALAVARTHI

Divya Alavarthi is an experienced engineering and business leader with 14+ years of expertise in architecture, engineering, product delivery, pre-sales, professional services, and organizational leadership. She developed Salesforce Platform architecture standards, best practices, and minimal viable architectures. She supported a talent pool of 5000+ architects and developers resulting in improved strategic agility, speed to market, and business value in large-scale multi-cloud implementations.

This episode is brought to you by Clipboard Health

Clipboard Health is looking for the next generation of exceptional software engineering leaders, not just managers. They’re a profitable unicorn, backed by top-tier investors, and they take the craft of engineering management seriously.

Clipboard Health matches highly qualified healthcare workers with nearby facilities to fulfill millions of shifts a year - revolutionizing healthcare staffing with a fast, flexible, and user-friendly platform.

Learn more & browse their open roles at clipboardhealth.com/engineering

SHOW NOTES:

• The importance of leadership in hiring (1:29)
• The Tartow Method Explained: Key aspects of a successful hiring practice (3:57)
• How to build out the interview process & ask the right questions (6:14)
• Behavioral Interviews and good responses: Tips for gaining clarity from interviewees on abstract skills (7:52)
• Where eng leaders can start building their hiring skill set (9:16)
• Colleen’s experience co-leading ELC Boston & advice for 1st time event attendees (10:36)
• Understanding how to model problems as engineering challenges (14:41)
• How to use an engineering mindset to tackle personal problems (16:35)
• Jim’s process for deconstructing problems & solving them like an engineer (18:38)
• Tips for building / applying your skill set around abstracting problems (21:27)
• Jim’s perspective on getting involved with a local ELC community (24:36)
• Ways to help make the most out of your first ELC local experience (27:05)
• Divya shares about the power of storytelling in engineering leadership (30:07)
• Build the narrative about your product’s business impact (32:24)
• An example of bringing different demos & storytelling together (34:09)
• Frameworks for effective storytelling: build a narrative around a product / demo (36:16)
• How to start improving your storytelling today (37:35)
• Divya’s favorite moments with the ELC Seattle chapter & how to get involved (39:42)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Check out all of our local chapters & get involved here: elc.community/home/clubs

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT DAVID MYTTON

A dynamic approach to tech innovation, security, sustainability, and developer empowerment can be seen in everything David Mytton touches. As co-founder of Console and host of the Console DevTools Podcast, he delights in keeping developers ahead of the curve with the tools they need the most. As the founder of Server Density (acquired by StackPath), he created a product that helped organizations manage mission-critical IT environments. As a sustainable computing researcher at Oxford and a global green tech speaker, he’s brought much-needed attention to the impact of cloud emissions and the water and energy consumption of the data centers that fuel our online lives. Now, as founder and CEO of Arcjet, he’s helping developers and businesses protect their apps with just a few lines of code. His professional career is a direct reflection of his relentless pursuit of making tech smarter and greener. How he invests his spare time showcases his unwavering commitment to mentoring developers and building the communities they need to succeed.

SHOW NOTES:

• David’s founder journey, starting with Server Density (3:20)
• Behind the early decision to start a company & start building a product (4:50)
• Key lessons from bootstrapping, raising funding, and being acquired (8:30)
• How those early lessons shaped Arcjet & Console (10:30)
• Why VC money can make finding experienced engineers easier (13:16)
• Strategies to help early teams build their first product / prototype (14:56)
• Considering company outcomes: Should you build a company just to sell it? (16:23)
• Signals that it’s the right time for a sale / acquisition (18:14)
• The story behind Arcjet (20:30)
• “What makes a great DevTool company” & strategic insights that shaped Arcjet (23:37)
• Key practices that helped shape Arcjet’s GTM plan (25:36)
• David’s approach to experimentation and discovery (27:36)
• The impact of documentation on dev tool companies (31:35)
• How discovery pathways for dev tools impact sales (33:28)
• Making the decision-making process easier for users & buyers (35:01)
• Translating dev tool benefits for finance teams vs. developers (39:56)
• The impact of design on dev tool companies (42:37)
• Rapid fire questions (46:02)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• David’s reading list
• a16z Blog
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz, a leading venture capitalist, modern management expert, and New York Times bestselling author, combines lessons both from history and from modern organizational practice with practical and often surprising advice to help executives build cultures that can weather both good and bad times.
• The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World - Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance.
• The Lessons of History - In this illuminating and thoughtful book, Will and Ariel Durant have succeeded in distilling for the reader the accumulated store of knowledge and experience from their four decades of work on the ten monumental volumes of "The Story of Civilization." The result is a survey of human history, full of dazzling insights into the nature of human experience, the evolution of civilization, the culture of man.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT MELODY MECKFESSEL

Melody Meckfessel is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Jasper.ai, the world’s leading AI marketing platform. In her role, Melody shapes the technical vision of the company, oversees product delivery, and spearheads AI research to develop new capabilities that accelerate business outcomes for enterprise marketers.

Before joining Jasper.ai, Melody co-founded and served as CEO of Observable, a data visualization platform that empowers teams to understand their businesses through data. She also spent over a decade at Google as Vice President of Engineering, where she led core infrastructure, Search, and DevOps teams for Google and Google Cloud Platform, impacting millions of users worldwide.

Melody is recognized for her hands-on approach to engineering leadership and her expertise in building large-scale distributed systems. Her work is crucial in solving complex problems at scale for enterprise companies. She is passionate about defining the future of work with AI, where humans come first.

This episode is brought to you by Clipboard Health

Clipboard Health is looking for the next generation of exceptional software engineering leaders, not just managers. They’re a profitable unicorn, backed by top-tier investors, and they take the craft of engineering management seriously.

Clipboard Health matches highly qualified healthcare workers with nearby facilities to fulfill millions of shifts a year - revolutionizing healthcare staffing with a fast, flexible, and user-friendly platform.

Learn more & browse their open roles at clipboardhealth.com/engineering

SHOW NOTES:

• Melody’s perspective on the tech industry’s rapid rate of change right now (2:53)
• Critical questions to guide investment decisions on “what to build & how“ in a rapidly evolving market (5:57)
• Strategies for navigating rapid change internally within eng teams (10:07)
• What it means to be an AI-first engineering organization (12:30)
• Changes in goals, metrics, and processes to shape your org and guide you through rapid change (15:33)
• Developing agile communication processes (18:39)
• Navigating ambiguity as a learned skill - practical ways to strengthen your ability to navigate uncertainty (20:09)
• Implementing a framework of curiosity & openness within eng teams (22:40)
• Why great things can’t be planned (26:21)
• Becoming dynamic and resilient - how to thrive amid uncertainty and constant industry shifts (28:57)
• How to shift from prescriptive to inspirational - using illustrated inspiration to empower teams (32:00)
• Breaking through self-imposed limitations - understanding where eng leaders may limit themselves (33:48)
• Melody’s perspective on fostering a culture of creativity within eng teams (35:06)
• Rapid fire questions (37:13)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• The Qualified Sales Leader: Proven Lessons from a Five Time CRO - John McMahon shares valuable lessons for sales leaders and sales reps selling enterprise software solutions. In a conversational and easy to read narrative style, this must-read book provides learnings on how sales leaders can help their reps sell more for higher average deal sizes to executive level buyers.

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/

ABOUT ANDY KORTZ

Andy Kortz is currently the Chief Technology Officer at Integra Testing, where he leads technology transformation and drives operational efficiency in aggressive growth organizations. Andy also is a co-lead for the ELC Local Chapter initiative in Chicago. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise architecture and software development, Andy has consistently delivered innovative solutions while reducing IT expenses and improving application value. Drawing on his expertise in cloud technologies, data solutions, and integrations, Andy focuses on fostering a culture of continuous learning, building and empowering high-performing teams, and delivering customer-centric solutions in fast-paced environments.

ABOUT JAMES TYACK

James Tyack leads the Learner Success team at Coursera, creating engaging and personalized learning experiences for millions of learners worldwide. An avid user of Coursera and a lifelong learner himself, James is passionate about leveraging technology, including AI, to transform lives through education. Prior to Coursera, he led integration and growth teams at PagerDuty, driving innovation and adoption of incident response tools and best practices.

Beyond his professional work, James is the chapter lead for the South Bay Engineering Leadership Community (ELC) group, fostering collaboration among tech leaders. He is also a proud dad to a one-year-old, balancing his career and personal life with a deep commitment to growth and connection.

ABOUT JOHN ROSS

John Ross is the Director of Infrastructure and Cloud at KUBRA, expertly navigating IT infrastructure and cloud solutions. Based in Toronto, John's career showcases a diverse range of experiences from large corporations to dynamic startups. He has a knack for aligning technology with business objectives, building robust teams, and managing platform migrations to the cloud. With experience in leading industry names like Ingram Micro and Symantec, as well as in the telecommunications sector, John combines strategic insight with a personable approach. His passion for sailing mirrors his love for innovation and precision in professional pursuits.

This episode is brought to you by Clipboard Health

Clipboard Health is looking for the next generation of exceptional software engineering leaders, not just managers. They’re a profitable unicorn, backed by top-tier investors, and they take the craft of engineering management seriously.

Clipboard Health matches highly qualified healthcare workers with nearby facilities to fulfill millions of shifts a year - revolutionizing healthcare staffing with a fast, flexible, and user-friendly platform.

Learn more & browse their open roles at clipboardhealth.com/engineering

SHOW NOTES:

• Scaling communication practices in parallel with scaling your org with Andy Kortz (1:18)
• Tools for bridging communication gaps between groups & building trust (2:49)
• Use humor strategically to break tension / build trust (5:16)
• Andy’s introduction to ELC Chicago & the best parts of that community (8:57)
• Engineering challenges / conversations from ELC Chicago (10:24)
• What engineering leaders can learn from the best online courses - making a “Day One” commitment with James Tyack (12:28)
• Frameworks for putting the “Day One” commitment into practice (14:49)
• What making a “Day One” commitment looks like @ Coursera (17:59)
• Why the commitment needs to be made explicit (19:25)
• Practical exercises to encourage innovation & foster creativity (21:06)
• Strategies for getting hands-on with your learning (23:10)
• James’s experience with ELC South Bay & connecting with leaders in a specific space (25:05)
• How to make the most out of attending your first ELC event (26:27)
• How to level up your teams through servant leadership with John Ross (27:52)
• Realizing you’re the bottleneck & tips for stepping back / increasing team trust (30:49)
• John’s experience with ELC Toronto & what ELC means to him (33:12)

LINKS AND RESOURCES

• Check out all of our local chapters & get involved here: elc.community/home/clubs

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/