The way software companies operate and develop software has changed dramatically in the last decades. Lisa Reeves, Senior Vice President of Product at Zenefits, started her career in technology in the early 90s. We talked about her time at SAP, a company that builds enterprise software since the 1970s and how software was developed at the time Lisa was there. Lisa also talked about her role as CEO of GridCraft, a software company that was acquired by Workday. At the end we discussed software solutions in Human Resources, and how she operates as SVP at Zenefits.

Cloud computing technologies are changing how network services are developed. These services had been traditionally deployed in physical boxes and required more maintenance. Heather Kirksey, VP of Community and Ecosystem for the LFNetworking, explains how network services moved from hardware to virtual machines and now to containers. We talked about how this is implemented and the benefits of this approach.

Learning from data is something that is being used to improve processes across different industries. Kelley Rivoire, Engineering Manager at Stripe, explained how machine learning is used for payment processing applications. We talked about what machine learning is, and about Stripe’s real-time machine learning based system to evaluate user risk. Kelley also explained the process of deploying machine learning systems to production and the challenges.

Running software at scale comes with its own challenges. Deepthi Sigireddi, Software Engineer at PlanetScale explained what database scaling consists of. We talked about different types of databases, horizontal and vertical scaling, and how to reason about what to choose. Deepthi also talked about her experience working across companies of different sizes.

Technical marketing is an area that has changed a lot with the development of new technologies. Kim McMahon, Marketing Strategies and Communications for McMahon consulting, explained different marketing strategies. We also talked about the importance of the message and how that can affect your market strategy. Kim also explained how social media and messaging tools are being used in technical marketing.

Starting a technology company and leading product development is a process that is constantly evolving. Christine Spang, CTO of Nylas explained various stages of leading a tech company. We talked about developing software in areas like Email, finding initial clients, and evaluating the product. Christine also talked about the importance of wellness and gave advice on things that she does that have allowed her to focus and succeed in a digital world.

There are many paths to working on technology and software development. Some people get exposure when their young, others through high school or college, and others learn after they worked in other industries. Leah Petersen, Engineer at Two Sigma explained her trajectory from professional motorcycle stunt rider to software development. We also talked about cloud computing and Kubernetes, which is what Leah is currently working on. Leah also explained what Two Sigma is and how technology is being used in investment management.

Virtual Reality allows us to experience simulated environments. Mar Gonzalez Franco, Researcher at Microsoft Research explained what Virtual Reality is. We talked about the role of human perception and how sensors create and enhance simulated environments. Mar also explained various brain mechanisms that enable users to believe that a computer generated world is effectively real.

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The combination of art and technology can lead to interesting innovations. Kitty Yeung, Manager of the Microsoft Garage at Silicon Valley, talked about how she infuses technology in fashion. Kitty explained how to embed technology in clothing and the challenges faced by the fashion industry. We also talked about tools and open source projects in hardware.