In this episode of 99 Dev Problems, Tessa Kriesel chats with Sean Falconer, AI Entrepreneur in Residence at Confluent, about his diverse career journey from academia to entrepreneurship and leadership in the tech industry. Sean shares insights into his unique role at Confluent, where he focuses on innovation and strategy in AI, and reflects on his transition from being a hands-on engineer to taking on broader leadership responsibilities.

Sean dives into his experiences founding a two-sided marketplace for blue-collar workers, the lessons learned, and why it’s vital to understand your strengths when scaling a business. He also recounts his "accidental" journey into becoming a CMO, emphasizing the importance of scrappiness and first-principles thinking in marketing and business growth.

The conversation explores the impact of AI on IT and software engineering roles, debunking fears of job loss while highlighting AI’s potential to enhance productivity and create opportunities for entrepreneurship. Sean also shares his go-to strategies for overcoming challenges, including rubber-duck debugging, fresh perspectives, and the importance of stepping away to rethink problems.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a developer curious about AI’s future, or someone navigating their career in tech, this episode is packed with relatable stories and practical advice.

Connect with Sean on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanf.