Discover the collection of The Work Item podcast episodes with the career tag. Go to the Episodes page to listen to the latest releases, find interesting guests, or navigate through the history of the show.
career Podcast Episodes
#83 - Don't Take The Easy Path - Jennifer Wong (Engineering Leader)
August 8, 2024
Jennifer Wong is a seasoned engineering manager who started her journey in civil engineering. The fast pace of the tech industry drew her in, and she stuck with it for years since making that call. In this episode, I chat with Jennifer about her transition from a non-traditional career path into software, reasons to take on management instead of being an individual contributor, and why taking the road less traveled in terms of career progression might just be the recipe for long-term growth and success.
#79 - How To Get Promoted To Tech Executive - Lena Reinhard (VP Engineering, CircleCI, Travis CI)
May 28, 2024
We often talk about promotions and growth, but the moment the conversation shifts towards paths to staff or executive positions, the advice goes blank. There is very little actionable information out there that can tell you how you can get to the highest echelons of leadership. To get a clearer picture on this topic, I sat down with Lena Reinhard, a seasoned executive with an extensive track record at CircleCI, Travis CI, and more.
#78 - I Left Hawai'i To Work In Startups, With Katie Fujihara
May 14, 2024
One's journey from their early career to working at startups in Silicon Valley can take many forms. Some folks take the more traditional route of joining a company right after college. Others get tired of their corporate life and decide to try something different. Katie Fujihara, an engineer and a technical program manager amalgam, decided that her journey to the heart of "startup land," San Francisco, would be an impromptu one - she just packed up her bags and set out on an adventure.
#76 - Be OK Talking About Money, With Saron Yitbarek
April 8, 2024
One of the things that is a bit taboo to talk about, both in the tech industry and outside of it is money. People just aren't comfortable discussing openly the hard decisions that go into things like seeking funding, investing money into things that save you time, and scaling your own abilities with the help of, you guessed it, cold, hard, cash. Saron Yitbarek, entrepreneur extraordinaire behind CodeNewbie and podcasts such as Command Line Heroes, generously accepted my invitation to chat and talk about all these things, and more. And of course, we talk about Saron's latest project - Big Cash Money 2024, something for folks that want to max out their income beyond just their salary.
#74 - Books, Remote Work, and Q&A, with Adrienne Tacke
March 15, 2024
Welcome back to The Work Item. Today we're exploring the ins and outs of remote work, writing, and community engagement with a show veteran, Adrienne Tacke. I'm delighted to welcome Adrienne back to the show, especially considering that since our last recording we received quite a few follow-up questions. Just like last time, Adrienne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our discussion, especially when it comes to remote work culture. And today, we're adding a new twist: a dedicated Q&A segment where Adrienne will be addressing your burning questions directly.
#73 - Put The Passion Aside And Go For The Market, with Rob Walling
February 12, 2024
If you’ve ever listened to Startups For The Rest Of Us (which, by the way, is approaching seven hundred episodes), you might already be familiar with the energetic host of the show - entrepreneur, bootstrapper, and podcaster extraordinaire Rob Walling. Rob and I chat about his early days as an employee, the transition from the more traditional path of working for someone to starting his own business, building MicroConf, and how the trifecta of skill, hard work, and luck can help folks be on a more predictable path to success.
#70 - Building a Career In Developer Tools, with Kenneth Auchenberg
December 31, 2023
Today, you're in for a treat as I sit down with Kenneth Auchenberg, a seasoned product manager - you might know him from his work at Microsoft on Visual Studio Code as well as on developer tools at Stripe. He is also a developer and overall a very nice person to know.
#69 - Product Management In The Era Of Generative AI, with Shyvee Shi
December 30, 2023
In today's episode, I sat down with Shyvee Shi, a seasoned product leader with a wealth of experience in steering products from conception to market success. Shyvee has been at the forefront of industry trends, contributing significantly to the evolution of product management practices.
#68 - Why You Need An Executive Coach, with Eric Nehrlich
December 29, 2023
In this episode, we're exploring the nuances of executive coaching, demystifying the process and shedding light on how individuals can break through the barriers that often hinder their career growth.
#65 - Data, Impact, and Sustainability, with Jane Yang
December 18, 2023
Learn about finding the balance between your passions and incentives in the tech industry, career seasonality, positive community impact, and recipes on measuring your growth and sustainability.