The Ventellect podcast

Delighted to be joined by Josep Carner who is the Senior Director of ML at Smadex. He has a great perspective of European and US Tech, and their approach to AI. We discuss the shift in Tech hiring in Software and ML in the last 12 months, and also the limitations of AI

An in person recording! A rare one for us but we travelled to Berlin to speak with Nikolai Kabatsikov - who Heads up the TA function at HelloFresh and previously scaled Bolt.

We really wanted to dig into a certain topic, and we chose "Quality of Hire"

It is a huge focus for companies right now - as they want each hire to have maximum impact.

So how do we get there?

*We had some sounds issues, but tried to iron them out as much as possible

A classic!

This week we sit down with Lutz Hühnken, a seasoned technology leader with over two decades of experience, to discuss the intricacies of engineering leadership, his personal career journey, and his comprehensive approach to fostering high-performing software engineering teams. From his early fascination with computing to his current role overseeing engineering at a dynamic fintech startup Upvest, Lutz shares invaluable insights into what it takes to build, lead, and evolve cutting-edge engineering organizations in today's fast-paced tech landscape.

Key Highlights:

Early Beginnings: Lutz recounts his initial foray into the world of technology during the home computer era, marking the start of a lifelong passion for programming and engineering.

Career Journey: From software development in the ecommerce boom to pioneering digital transformations and integrating legacy systems, Lutz's career trajectory showcases his adaptability and foresight in navigating the evolving tech industry.

Philosophy on High-Performing Teams: Lutz delves into his approach to creating effective software engineering teams, emphasizing the importance of domain understanding, ownership, and decision-making autonomy. He advocates for a performance measure that goes beyond speed to include value delivery and business impact.

Hiring and Leadership: Insights into Lutz's hiring philosophy reveal a focus on diversity, potential, and a product mindset among engineers. He stresses the significance of building a culture that values contributions to the team's success over mere cultural fit.

Future of Engineering Leadership: Lutz discusses trends in tech leadership, including the shift towards hands-on engineering managers and the strategic role of leadership in fostering autonomy and strategic foresight within teams.

Strategic Thinking and Organizational Growth: Highlighting the balance between ambition and practicality, Lutz talks about aiming for significant goals while anticipating future challenges, especially around scalability and regulatory compliance, to ensure smart and organic organizational growth.

Platform Engineering and Its Evolution: Addressing the buzz around platform engineering, Lutz views platform teams as crucial enablers that multiply the engineering team's productivity. He counters the notion of platform teams as mere cost centers, highlighting the challenging and attractive aspects of platform engineering.

Berlin's Tech Ecosystem: Lutz shares his perspective on Berlin as a vibrant hub for startups, venture capital, and tech innovation in Germany, praising the city's dynamic energy and its appeal to tech professionals worldwide.

Future Perspectives and Personal Goals: Looking ahead, Lutz expresses contentment with his current role and enthusiasm for the potential growth and impact of his work. While open to future opportunities, his commitment to contributing to his company's culture and success remains paramount.

Closing Thoughts: This episode offers a deep dive into the principles of effective engineering leadership, the challenges and opportunities of building software engineering organizations, and the continuous evolution required to stay at the forefront of technology. Lutz Hühnken's journey and insights provide valuable lessons for anyone looking to lead or be part of innovative engineering teams.

Today we host the great Wojciech Duda, an experienced engineering leader currently with Zalando, to dive deep into what it is like joining a company as a new Engineering Lead with an already existing team.

We then get into Wojciech's perspective on hiring practices in tech, where he shares his preference for interactive systems design exercises over traditional take-home coding assignments, emphasizing the comprehensive evaluation of a candidate's technical and collaborative skills.

Wojciech offers his insights into the Berlin tech scene, noting a general wariness among engineers about changing jobs amidst market fluctuations, while also acknowledging the industry's resilience in absorbing talent during layoffs.

Key Highlights:

Gianluca's Early Interests and Career Decisions: Discover how Gianluca's passion for people and communication shaped his career, leading him from considering architecture and culinary arts to diving into human resources.

Evolution of the HR and Recruiting Field: Gianluca reflects on how the industry has evolved over the years, emphasizing the impact of economic cycles and technological advancements.

The Role of Personal Branding: Learn why Gianluca decided to build a personal brand focused on the future of work, embracing innovation, and positioning himself at the forefront of new labor models.

Insights on Labor Models and the Gig Economy:

Advice on Building a Personal Brand:

Navigating LinkedIn and Content Creation: .

Impact on Career:

Building a Recognizable Personal Brand in Recruitment:

The Future of Work and AI Integration:

AI in Recruitment: Practical Applications and Market Trends:

Consulting Focus Areas:

Insights into the Tech Scene in Spain:

Growth of Tech in Spain:

The Bureaucratic Landscape:

Language Barriers and Tech Segments:

AI in Recruitment:

Predictions for Tech Hiring:

**Adapting to Market Realities:

Delighted to have Alexandra Meyer on the podcast this week who Heads up the Talent function at fast growing Enpal in Berlin.

Introduction to High-Growth Companies & First Recruitment Role: Alexandra shares her start in the startup world, emphasizing scaling companies from scratch and her initial role in recruitment that involved significant growth achievements.

Early Days in Berlin's Startup Scene & Quality vs. Quantity in Hiring: Reflects on the evolution of Berlin's startup environment and the challenges of balancing high recruitment targets with ensuring quality hires.

Data-Driven Recruitment Approach & From Individual Contributor to Talent Leader: Advocates for KPIs and SLAs in recruitment, detailing her journey from an individual contributor to a leadership role and the importance of data in guiding recruitment strategies.

Empowering Recruiters with Data Insights & The Importance of Competencies and Resilience: Discusses empowering her team with data insights, highlighting the significance of specific competencies and resilience in recruitment.

Adapting to Leadership and Managing Pressure & The Role of Office Collaboration: Shares insights on adapting to leadership, managing pressure within the team, and the value of office collaboration in fostering learning and flexibility in work arrangements.

This week we were joined by Amanda Hippe, the Director of Talent at Rippling and comes with a huge experience in Tech recruiting over the years both in agency and in-house at such companies like Uber during times of hyper growth.

We discuss:

Falling into Recruitment

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The great Jessie Lajoie joined me on the podcast this week someone who has now risen to Chief People Officer and done and achieved a lot during her time.

We get into:

Anna McDougall has made waves in the tech industry, having entered software engineering following a professional career as an opera singer. As a technical speaker and a Google Women Techmakers Ambassador, Anna prides herself in taking technical topics and making them easy to understand for people from all walks of life: be it for her own colleagues; at events and conferences; or for corporate clients. From software engineering and generative AI, to technical careers and DEI, Anna brings high-quality information to life with her quirky style and friendly personality.

Her book "You Belong in Tech: How to Go From Zero Programming Experience to Hired" was published in June 2022, and quickly became a #1 Bestselling New Release Career Guide on Amazon. In 2023, she delivered her talk "Finding and Proving Your Value as a Career Changer" for TEDx TU Berlin (YouTube release coming late 2023).

To the podcast:

Introduction to Anna J McDougall

Career Transition to Software Engineering

Rapid Career Progression in Tech

Natural Affinity with Programming

Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) in Tech

The State of D&I in the Tech Industry

Challenges in Hiring and Diversity

Initiatives to Improve Diversity

Role of Men in Promoting D&I

Listening and Addressing Sexism

Downplaying Knowledge Based on Gender

Creating Space for Women in Meetings

Perceptions in Group Dynamics

Individual vs. Gender Representation

Berlin as a Tech Hub

Initiatives to Promote Diversity

Role of Men in Diversity Efforts

Future Plans and Aspirations

It's here! The first episode of 2024, and what a treat we have.

This week, we are joined by Philipp Schilling, a seasoned Engineering Leader with a 20+ year career, who was most notably at the heart of Personio's immense hypergrowth in Engineering.

We talk basically about everything,

Including:

Programming languages.

Thank you so much for listening, and if you like it, then please hit that follow button!