The Dear Tech Podcast

In this episode of Dear Tech, Shubho sits down with Taylor, co-founder of Ambient, to explore his journey through startups, AI, and the importance of mental fitness. Taylor shares insights from his experiences in event tech, pivoting businesses in the face of adversity, and how his passion for sailing has shaped his leadership approach. Whether you're a startup founder, a tech enthusiast, or someone looking to improve resilience and adaptability, this episode has something for you.

• How Taylor discovered sailing and its impact on his personal growth.
• The endurance, teamwork, and adaptability required for offshore racing.
• The connection between sailing and startup leadership—navigating changing conditions, team dynamics, and goal setting.

• The origin of Ambient from a pre-pandemic startup focused on live events.
• Pivoting to virtual event networking during COVID-19.
• Identifying the shift in remote work trends and transitioning towards AI-powered workflow automation.
• How Ambient supports chiefs of staff, founders, and operations leaders with AI-driven insights.

• Differentiating Ambient by focusing on a specific persona: the Chief of Staff.
• Understanding the balance between AI capabilities, user expectations, and reliability.
• How AI is reshaping the SaaS industry and pricing models.

• Taylor’s journey from a temporary contract at a tech company to becoming a startup co-founder.
• The importance of curiosity, ownership, and building a strong network.
• How non-technical professionals can successfully transition into tech roles.

• Understanding psychological flexibility and its role in decision-making and resilience.
• The connection between physical and mental fitness in high-pressure environments.
• Taylor’s personal strategies for preventing burnout, including sailing, breathwork, and slowing down.
• The importance of modeling work-life balance as a leader.

• Balancing flexibility with in-person collaboration.
• Why remote work benefits some roles but not others.
• The impact of company culture on remote and hybrid work success.

Best advice ever received?

• "Slow down." Taking a breath and avoiding knee-jerk reactions helps in high-pressure situations.

Best investment?

• Teaching others how to sail—it’s about passing on knowledge and building relationships.

Best gift ever received?

• A love for music, instilled by his father.

One message for a billboard?

• "Just breathe."

Most recommended book?

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

• Scaling Ambient and continuing to develop AI-driven solutions for operations leaders.
• Upcoming sailing races, including the Aegean 600 in Greece.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorsmac/

Check out Ambient:

• Website: https://www.ambient.us/

Taylor’s journey is a testament to adaptability, resilience, and curiosity. From pivoting startups to embracing AI and championing mental fitness, his insights offer valuable lessons for anyone navigating the tech world.

Tune in to Dear Tech for more conversations at the intersection of technology, leadership, and personal growth.

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• Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram @DearTechPodcast

Until next time, stay curious and keep building!

Fran and Shubho speak with Tahmid about is journey from dead end job all the way to leading a team in a IT environment. They start with Tahmid's weight loss which was the spring board to him changing his life and taking on new challenges, the biggest of which was Technology.

Fran and Shubho have an in depth conversation with Dev about his journey from student in India to Product Manager in the United States. They discuss the navigating the transition of going to school in the US after studying in India and then securing an internship; and from internship to securing a full-time job.

00:00 - Intro

00:20 - Kicking off - how do Sanjit and Shubho know each other

05:16 - the love of tech is generational

8:35 - Sanjit is not a coder

11:42 - what Sanjit does today

12:58 - What got Sanjit to where he is today (motivation & Path)

17:42 - Working at a start up vs working at a large enterprise

20:28 - Motivations going into the MBA program

23:31 - Coming from tech, who would you recommend and MBA program to, who would you dissuade?

28:45 - Education vs Work experience when looking to hire

33:30 - Deep dive into Sanjit's time consulting

39:20 - Sanjit's thoughts on being a Startup founder one day

43:06 - How Sanjit views work and career to his Identity as a person

50:03 - Whats Sanjit's work life balance like right now? (hobbies)

56:07 - Chief of Staff network

58:50 - The value of networking

01:02:50 - How to plan for a job in consulting

1:09:56 - Work experience before getting an MBA

01:13:17 - What would 15 year old Sanjit think of where you are and your journey?

01:14:39 - Dear Tech FAQs

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This production may contain views and opinions which are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other author, agency, organization, employer or company.

Elle Anderson Joins our host Fran & Shubho to give the perspective of Human Resources on the Great Resignation in tech and the current market and the changes since then. The Great resignation being the topic of Elle's Masters thesis we are able to get an in depth perspective of what was happening at that time; getting perspectives of both HR and the exiting employees.

00:20 - Welcome

01:55 - What is LinkedIn

07:43 - Utilization from a company perspective

08:07 - How is LinkedIn best utilized?

14:48 - Candidate Profiles

15:01 - Profile Picture

22:29 - LinkedIn Headline

29:40 - How much detail do you put into your work history?

33:23 - What experience can you add to your profile besides work experience?

35:46 - Remove dates from education!!!

38:18 - Certifications on LinkedIn

40:11 - Engagement on the platfrom

43:13 - Use LinkedIn to educate yourself

44:20 - Shubho might be a linkedIn snob lol

49:45 - Shubho's rant - advice on what not to do when making a sales call

51:49 - Three templates of reaching out to people on LinkedIn.

52:34 - (Template 1) Candidates looking for jobs

56:40 - (Template 2) Sales people trying to get new business

59:21 - (Template 3) Recruiters reaching out to candidates.

01:01:47 - Fran's take

01:19:10 - How companies can best utilize and leverage the LinkedIn Platform

01:14:28 - If you have nothing nice to say dont say anything at all

01:18:33 - Wrap up

Fran and Shubho discuss compensation negotiation from the perspectives of the candidate, employer, and the (current) employee. They dive into what can be expected during negotiations and how to improve over all negotiation tactics.

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00:20 - Welcome

01:27 - how does Shubho Negotiate  

01:44 - book recommendation 

Never Split the Difference, by Chris Voss

09:43 - How does Fran negotiate

17:38 - Negotiating with recruiters 

25:05 - talking to multiple companies/multiple 

28:40 - What good tools and resources when going into a negotiation?

33:27 - the recruiter can be your ally

37:11 - Closed mouths don’t get fed

47:15 - Negotiating inside your current company

49:56 - Negotiating Severance?!

52:58 - Take your time signing paperwork

54:56 - Negotiate from a position of strength

56:43 - What should companies be mindful of when extending offers? 

01:06:43 - Shubho’s two’s pieces of advice

01:10:56 - Frans take 

01:12:09 - Wrapping up

00:20 - Welcome

09:39 - RTO vs WFH from a employee perspective

18:44 - RTO vs WFH from a leadership perspective

23:00 - Articles Fran referenced

https://news.bloombergtax.com/tax-insights-and-commentary/tax-considerations-of-remote-work-arrangements-around-the-world

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-02-21/another-threat-to-work-from-home-tax-breaks31:56 - Fran's Personal experience with remote work and her health

33:32 - Frans take on what to do first when making a change to remote work policy for a company.

35:33 - Shubho's hot take

39:02 - What would get Shubho in the office?

46:05 - Finding a company that fits the life you want

47:56 - Wrap up

Fran and Shubho discuss the steps to recovery after being impacted by layoffs.

00:00 - Welcome

02:39 - Effects of LinkedIn on the overall tech workforce

07:17 - Shubho's experience with being laid off

15:23- Shubho shares what helped him get through the time, shares advice

21:07 - Processing your situation

22:34 -Taking action

26:42 - Being able to stay flexible and transition

31:47 - The importance of networking

39:30 - Is going back to school a good idea if you get laid off

47:16 - Being confident and having a support system

Fran and Shubho Discuss Perks vs. Benefits in today's job market and how companies can lean into their strengths when it comes to what they can offer.

00:39 Intro

00:56 Fran & Shubho's experience with Perks

03:43 Defining Perks vs Benefits

13:10 Companies utilizing perks when they can't pay large salaries

20:41 Change over the years

29:57 Effects of COVID on Perks and Benefits - and remote work

36:28 "If a company is doing it right what are they doing today?" - Shubho's take

45:06 Fran's take

48:19 How generational norms have affected Perks and benefits

59:55 The evolution of supply and demand in the tech industry has affected, if at all, workplace perks.

01:04:00 Potential effects of supply and demand

01:06:13 Stats on perks and benefits

01:09:57 Fran's Top Perks & Benefits

01:12:20 Shubho's top perks & Benefits

01:15:12 Shubho's takeaways

01:16:59 Fran's takeaways

01:18:51 Wrap up