The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly (Blind)

Charles Beadnall, Chief Technology Officer at GoDaddy

Charles was one of the early builders of the Internet. We learn how Turner Broadcasting, Yahoo!, and other tech companies influenced how he leads his engineering teams and the experimental and innovation-focused culture at GoDaddy today.

Charles shares his insights into how technologists can use their problem-solving skills to hack faster promotions. He emphasizes the importance of understanding business goals and problems and matching skill sets, mentors and drive to overcome each challenge to drive impact at the company and your career.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen break down the advent of AI bots that apply for jobs while you sleep. We discuss Job GPT and other similar services that claim to guarantee job interviews with their indiscriminate job applications.

Rick thinks through the potential repercussions professionals could face for using these tools and AI technology. Jack shares his insights from his reporting about how employers are using AI and moving too slowly when hiring. After all, maybe employers have brought this upon themselves!

⁠https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://wired.com/story/this-ai-bot-fills-out-job-applications-for-you-while-you-sleep/

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to the viral social media video of a Waymo driverless car getting stopped and tagged with graffiti in the streets of San Francisco. We look into how it happened, including how driverless cars work and their safety record, and whether the incident might be part of an anti-tech movement and sentiment.

Jack and Rick then talk about how fast they adopted new technology and compare and contrast today's startups and the startups and businesses from the not-so-distant past. We then debate whether tech like driverless cars and the gig economy might cause more layoffs or job losses or if they are a net positive for the world like Silicon Valley suggests they are.

⁠https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://www.ktvu.com/news/taggers-target-waymo-autonomous-vehicle

https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/cruise-sf-collision-timeline/

Amanda Richardson, CEO of CoderPad

Amanda says her career has been a windy journey. She admits that, at times, she didn't have a clear career path and has primarily created opportunities for herself. It's paid off, as she was hired to become the CEO of a high-performing startup she didn't start.

We learn how she became CEO and how a frank conversation with a recruiter proved to be a significant catalyst. Amanda also explains what it's like to interview to become a CEO and even how it feels to lay off your entire team because the startup is shutting down.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/r39xf01y

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen explore what happened with Google's well-publicized blunders with its Gemini AI model. Rick explains what likely happened behind the scenes that resulted in the image generator creating odd illustrations and distorting the reality of historical events.

Next, Jack asks if Big Tech and the "Magnificent Seven" group of stocks—Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla—might be in a stage of complacency as growth in their share prices continues. Rick shares how some verified Nvidia professionals on Blind are getting paid and why some are already coasting.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq⁠

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/22/google-gemini-ai-image-generation-pause/

https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-employees-rich-happy-problem-insiders-say-2023-12

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/booming-stock-and-sky-high-pay-nvidia-is-silicon-valleys-hot-employer-e4fb6c20

Michelle Gonzalez, Corporate Vice President and Global Head of M12, Microsoft's Venture Capital Fund

Michelle explains how to really network and why most people think it's so artificial, transactional, or even cringe-inducing. She tells us about the cold emails she would send to entrepreneurs, investors, professors and other notable figures and what it was like to have dinner with Sam Altman and the founders of Lyft before they became household names.

Michelle then teaches us the importance of taking risks to develop professionally. She shares how to get on the radar of some of the busiest and most influential people and how building relationships and seeking regular feedback, even from people you've just met, can pay off.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/qfyopjuj

Brad Porter, Founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics

Until recently, Brad was a vice president and distinguished engineer at Amazon, working on some of the internet giant's most ambitious projects like Amazon Prime Air, Amazon Prime Now and Amazon Robotics. We ask Brad to walk us through his career arc and how he became one of the few technologists in the tech industry to crack the "L10" distinguished engineer job level. After he shares his advice about how to reach the next step in your career, we look into what it's like to be a founder on the cutting-edge of technology, including the future of robotics and being a startup founder that has to raise venture capital, create a product roadmap from scratch, and build the foundations of a multi-generation business.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/esldqiw8

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on the "hidden job market." 

Jack explores why some jobs are never posted on job boards or a company's career page. He explains what some companies are doing to get around New York City and some states' pay transparency laws, which require salary listings to be included in job descriptions. Finally, Jack outlines why it's best to work with a recruiter who specializes in your job function or industry and why internal referrals are still crucial to getting the fast track in the interview process.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

Jeanniey Walden, Former Global Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer at DailyPay

Jeanniey breaks down personal branding and how to build one to advance your career. She also explains why applying for a job on LinkedIn or a jobs board isn't the best thing to do. We also ask her how to use personal and professional networks the right way. Finally, she shares some financial tips about making the most of your stock options and RSUs after you leave a startup or tech company.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/50473111

The Department of Justice (DOJ) called for a breakup of Google, divesting its Chrome browser and potentially Anthe droid operating system. This move comes after a federal judge ruled in August that Google illegally monopolized the online search and advertising markets. The DOJ argues that forcing Google to sell Chrome would eliminate its dominance. Things will be changing quickly in 2025!

Marta Munk de Alba, Former Director, Talent Acquisition EMEA at Netflix

Marta takes us to a world where people haven't heard of Netflix. She recalls what it was like to recruit for Netflix in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, when the streaming giant was first expanding outside of the U.S.

We also ask Marta to reveal everything you might want to know about how Netflix hires and what the company culture is really like. She explains the types of professionals and job candidates Netflix prefers to hire, whether their compensation really is among the best in every geography or market they hire, and how she convinced people to accept the job offer. Marta also explains whether the company culture is as "cutthroat" as people claim and how the "keeper test" works in practice. (Hint: There aren't any surprise firings!)

Finally, Marta gives her best tips for those seeking an international career and which job markets worldwide have been quickest to rebound after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by Hims, MobSquad and BetterHelp.

Get access to affordable and discrete sexual health treatments with a free online visit at hims.com/blind.

If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at ⁠⁠mobsquad.io/blindambition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Christine Deputy, Chief People Officer at Pinterest

Christine reveals how employers and company executives think about employee retention and turnover. We look into how executives and managers are evaluated at some of the top companies and how to think about promotions. Finally, we dig deep into the weeds to learn what professionals should know about their total compensation and how pay connects to career development.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/9780e977

Michal Pechoucek, Chief Technology Officer at Gen

Before his career in cybersecurity, with stints at Cisco, Avast and NortonLifeLock, Michal was one of the first academics to study AI. We ask the founder of the Artificial Intelligence Center everything from the hottest opportunities in AI to the intersection of cybersecurity and AI and the dangers many people still need to consider.

https://bit.ly/blindambitionpodcast

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on why you didn't get the job despite acing the interview.

Jack explains how interview cycles are set up at most companies and why a hiring manager, recruiter or HR team might take their sweet time with the process and the decision. He also takes us into the minds of the hiring manager and the behind-the-scenes work they might have to do to get approval for a job offer and things like benefits or pay packages. Finally, Jack gives us a script of what to say in the job interview, which might unlock the job offer and make the decision easier for everyone involved.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Eugene Zhang, Founding Partner at TSVC

Eugene has seen it all in Silicon Valley from his vantage point as an engineer-turned-venture capitalist. We get him to break down the last 30 years of the tech industry, everything from the different boom-and-bust cycles to the latest new trends he's excited about as an investor. He would know, too, as he was an angel investor in Zoom long before the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent work-from-home trend.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/1fbc7b97

Jack Kelly, Founder and CEO of Compliance Search Group

In this episode, we flip the script and interview our co-host, Jack Kelly!

Jack did not always know he wanted to be a recruiter. Instead, he stumbled upon it after visiting a recruiting agency and having a friend recommend he meet someone in the business.

We look into the economics of recruiting and how many recruiters get their jobs. Then, we explore how Jack started recruiting for Wall Street banks, hedge funds and investment management firms when it was not always obvious it would be lucrative to do so and the work needed to start your own business. Finally, he shares his best tips on how you should approach your pay and why demonstrating passion in your next job interview might be what you need to land the offer.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/8buc7blo

Gillian French, Expert in Residence - Employee Experience at Workvivo

Gillian answers all of our questions about layoffs, from who makes the decision, how companies decide who to lay off, and even what they're like from the chief people officer's perspective. She also reveals the different strategies companies can take to cut costs and why layoffs and rescinded job offers might be one of the worst things a company could do.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ptcu9cvw

Maryanne Caughey, Chief People Officer at Notion

Maryanne explains how the company’s values actually work in practice, including an engineering rotation program that sends technologists abroad and management that tells you to go on vacation if you haven’t used your PTO. She also shared an in-depth look into the entire hiring process, including their three-part decision process, how they expanded internationally, and why the CEO still interviews every candidate personally.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/r39xf01y

Jost Capito, Former CEO and Team Principal of Williams Racing

Formula One is as much a business as it is a sport. Jost took over the reins of Williams Racing, tasked with leading a turnaround story for a struggling team. He walks us through his first days on the job, including how he incorporated feedback from each team member and the pressure involved. We also explore the workplace culture of a sports team and the incentives and initiatives required to keep everyone motivated. Finally, Jost shares the leadership principles he learned in motorsport and how we can drive positive milestones in our careers.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/1e89de37

Jake Leach, Chief Operating Officer at Dexcom

Today, Jake is the COO at one of the top medical technology companies in the world. But, before he became responsible for all things product, research and development, and the like, Jake got his start in the industry as an intern. We explore Jake's career journey, including how he learned to apply his studies as an electrical engineer to the health sciences and what gave him the confidence to take a chance on a startup called Dexcom early in his career.

Jake also shares his top tips for career growth and leadership. Notably, he explains why one of the most impactful things for his career growth was when he turned down a high-profile leadership role.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/3pz372ts

Lia Garvin, Former Team Operations and Organizational Effectiveness Lead at Google

Lia gives us an in-depth look into Google's program management and team operations. We explore how she became a program manager and what program managers do at Google and other Big Tech companies, including how they work with software engineers, product managers, designers and executives to map risks, ship regularly to meet deadlines, and help people perform at their best.

Lia explains why imposter syndrome can be so common in the tech industry and how she recommends getting over it. We also got her to reveal what she did at Google to improve team performance and the communication and feedback tooling and frameworks they used so that you can use them to level up your career, build relationships, and land your next, better role.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/y39nyrco

Christoph Fleischmann, Founder and CEO at Arthur Technologies

Christoph founded his metaverse startup to create a mixed reality for enterprise. He breaks down how he got started working on augmented and virtual reality and admits that the early days of building and fundraising involved a lot of inelegant brute force. Finally, Christoph shares the mental biases everyone should watch out for, especially as an entrepreneur or startup founder.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/s0q9hmxx

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen explore Google's decision to discount stays at its on-campus hotels to $99/night. We explore why Google has an on-campus hotel and if the hotel rate is a good deal if you can no longer work from home.

Jack and Rick also explain why some companies like Zoom are all announcing return-to-office policies and getting stricter with in-office work. Finally, Rick reveals the nefarious things that some executives and HR teams are doing to justify their company policies, including the end of remote work or slowdowns in hiring.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.businessinsider.com/google-campus-hotel-touts-special-price-return-office-hybrid-2023-8

⁠https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/zoom-return-to-office-announcement-18283831.php

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to Wall Street's 100-hour-plus workweeks and its culture of grinding out employees, especially in the junior ranks. We explore the compensation available and whether the money is worth the sacrificed weekends, social relationships and mental health.

Jack also walks through all of the available functions and roles in the finance industry and why tech professionals might want to make the switch.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://wsj.com/finance/banking/bank-of-america-worker-death-policies-89eff5f6

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/05/30/the-dark-side-of-investment-banking-stress-pressure-and-100-hour-workweeks/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/03/19/the-price-to-pay-for-success-and-wealth-young-goldman-sachs-bankers-complain-of-100-hour-workweeks-sleep-deprivation-and-micromanagement/

CJ Jouhal, Head of Engineering at Anchorage Digital

CJ has led engineering teams as a CTO or head of engineering for more than 20 years. In this episode, we get vulnerable and dig into the major decisions in his life that made him the technical leader he is today, diving into nearly every high and low point in his career.

CJ recalls how he decided to give up his comfortable job as a programmer at Lockheed Martin to join a startup. He then explains why it can be a curse when your startup gets acquired by a larger, more well-funded company and how a major promotion, which led him to manage a team of 400 engineers, was not as great as it might have seemed at the time. We explore what it means to be a leader, an executive, and a mentor to others and how it might differ as a software developer or technologist. Finally, CJ shares his advice about how to choose your career path and what it takes to become a CTO or c-suite executive.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ahseop15

Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer at 1Password

Katya gives us a sneak peek into how recent mass layoffs in the tech, banking and finance industries have impacted the job market. She reveals that 1Password receives as many as 12,000 resumes every month and job postings for internships can add another 20,000.

We ask Katya to break down how to polish your resume and improve your candidacy to stand out in the hiring process and land the job offer. Notably, we dig into whether it's necessary to have domain experience in an industry like cybersecurity and why the secret just might be listening in a job interview.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/39uiaz33

Pato O'Ward, IndyCar Racer at The Arrow McLaren Team

Pato O'Ward is one of the youngest motorsport athletes in the world at 23 years old. In this exclusive interview for Blind, he recalls how he became a professional race-car driver and what it was like getting started on a world stage at a young age. We then take a deep dive with Pato into the business of motorsport, including how drivers fund their travel, get hired by a motorsport team, find sponsors, and what the total compensation of a motorsport athlete is really like.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/4d8bj50n

Michael Kascsak, Former Head of Software Engineering Sourcing, North America at Google

Michael has been a recruiter for more than 20 years, connecting professionals with leading companies like Bank of America, Capital One, CBRE, and, most recently, Google. We compare and contrast what it takes to get a high-powered, high-paying job in the finance, real estate and tech industries and get into the nuts and bolts of what it takes to stand out as a job candidate.

Jack and Rick also push Michael into sharing the internal workings of recruiting and job placement at Google. We explore everything from how recruiters are incentivized, whether they are told to lowball candidates, what they say about you to a hiring manager or the hiring committee, and if it's better to work with a recruiter at the company or an external agency recruiter. Finally, Michael explains why ghosting happens during the job interview and how to beat the heat and get a callback.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/dljbe416

George Bezerra, Senior Vice President, Head of Data

George explains how he transitioned from academia to industry and why earning a master's or PhD can help you unlock a career in data science or machine learning.

We also get George to explain the difference between analytics, data science, machine learning and AI roles and why even companies and hiring managers get it wrong so often. He also shares why everyone suddenly wants to become a data scientist and how much analysts and data scientists can expect to earn. Finally, we get him to reveal what heads of data actually look for when hiring.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by Hims and BetterHelp.

Get access to affordable and discrete sexual health treatments with a free online visit at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hims.com/blind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Dan Westgarth, Chief Operating Officer at Deel

Dan shares how remote and international hiring is changing work. He walks through how hiring differs in each country, why you might want to get paid in a different currency or crypto, and how remote work has changed employee benefits. Finally, he also gives Blind a sneak peek into the interview panel and company culture at Deel.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/qfyopjuj

Jonathan Salama, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Transfix

Jonathan reflects on his time as a lead software engineer working on internal tools. He knows it isn't sexy work, but it proved pivotal in his career, helping him find a $700-billion opportunity. (Talk about impact!) Plus, find out why he turned down an acqui-hire job offer from Lyft. 

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ephglajw

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on bouncing back after a layoff.

Jack shares what you should do if you've been laid off. He explains how you can get leads for a new job or a job referral. Jack also outlines how you can start a plan for a new job.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen dive into the growing popularity of ayahuasca, ketamine and other mind-altering substances in the tech industry. We look into why tech CEOs are becoming more outspoken about their drug use and how some telehealth-style startups are cashing in on the craze for psychedelics.

Jack takes an inventory of all the reasons Silicon Valley might find ayahuasca so appealing, including California's general openness and risk-taking culture. Rick wonders if it's all just an escape, as young people increasingly find themselves lost without community, meaning or purpose.

⁠https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/09/26/why-tech-ceos-are-drawn-to-ayahuasca-and-other-psychedelic-drugs/

https://fortune.com/well/article/psychedelic-leadership-retreat-magic-mushrooms-mdma-ayahuasca/

https://www.wsj.com/business/elon-musk-illegal-drugs-e826a9e1

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/young-american-men-lost-c1d799f7

Liz Young, Head of Investment Strategy at SoFi

Liz's investment strategies and insights are sought the world over from CNBC, where she is a regular contributor on TV, to SoFi, where she leads the financial technology company's strategy function. We get the tactical low-down into how someone can break into a career on Wall Street, the experience needed to become an investment strategist, and how she became a go-to woman in the finance industry.

Notably, Liz reveals how to achieve professional success, especially if you have to create your own opportunities. We dig into how to diversify your resume and avoid getting pigeonholed into a specialty, especially earlier on in your career, and how to find your unique "it" factor and stand out.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by BetterHelp.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

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Jack Kelly and Rick Chen look into what happened with the cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its enigmatic founder and CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried. We tackle the crypto high-flyer's rise and sudden fall and discuss the red flags that might have been there all along. As a bonus, Jack shares his opinion steeped in working with hundreds of Wall Street and financial-technology compliance professionals for decades. Finally, Jack and Rick discuss how competitors and crypto firms dealt with FTX's bankruptcy filing and what this means for the industry and the thousands of professionals it employs.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackkellywecruitr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenrick

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/11/14/the-swift-ascension-of-ftx-and-its-sudden-demise-the-sec-needs-to-take-action/

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen explore whether pay packages have decreased in the tech industry because of the recent high-profile layoffs at Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce and more. Notably, new, exclusive research from Blind shows that a majority of job-seeking software engineers in the U.S. are now willing to accept the same or lower pay in a new role. We dive into the data, run some numbers and explain how tech professionals can fight back against employers to improve their work life. Finally, Rick outlines the impact of the volatile stock market and economy on professionals' total compensation, and Jack shares some personal finance tips that could help professionals whose pay is now lower because of declining share prices or smaller restricted stock unit grants.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.teamblind.com/blog/index.php/2023/05/22/2023-engineering-salary-expectations-report/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/05/22/why-white-collar-workers-are-losing-out-in-the-job-market/

Gianna Scorsone, General Manager and Head of North America at Aircall

Gianna starts from the first principles, and her top rule might go against everything we know about Silicon Valley culture. She shares her best tips, including how to sell yourself in the interview, what it really means to be authentic at work, and what people get wrong about competition.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/8buc7blo

Sean Kim, President and Chief Product Officer at Kajabi

Sean explains what he learned from his failures as the head of product at TikTok and Amazon. He breaks down how to get recruited as an executive and what most product leaders at Amazon had in common. (Hint: It's not an MBA or coding.) Finally, he shares his foolproof method for becoming a product manager or owner.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ftpus17i

Ben Morss, Product Manager at Zocdoc

Ben shares his nontraditional career path, from studying computer science and music to working as a software engineer, developer advocate, and now product manager.

Ben also reveals that many of his colleagues at Google had nontraditional work experience or had to apply multiple times before landing a role at the Internet giant. He shares their common traits and professional experiences. Next, we also explore how to get matched to different teams and business units at Google and how he practiced to pass the Google product manager interview.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsors, MobSquad and BetterHelp.

If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠mobsquad.io/blindambition⁠⁠⁠.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Ravi Swaminathan, Founder and CEO at TaskHuman

Ravi has been programming since he was seven years old. While coding had always come naturally, he doesn't do much of it anymore. We explore his pivots from programmer to project management, product marketing and corporate strategy before settling on being a CEO.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/1zhwur04

Cai GoGwilt, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Ironclad

Cai explains why professionals need to demonstrate integrity at work. He outlines how engineers and technologists can earn the trust of their teammates and how entrepreneurs can create better, more successful businesses through trust. We also explore how Cai and Ironclad discover a job seeker's integrity in the job interview process and how they wove it into Ironclad's company culture and business practices.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/omgz5dru

Melanie Quandt, Former Recruiting Manager at Salesforce

Melanie has spent more than 10 years as a recruiter placing software engineers, developers, scrum managers, and more at Salesforce. We get the inside scoop into what sets Salesforce apart and how they hire engineers and other experienced professionals.

Melanie reveals the performance metrics and key performance indicators she was held to as a recruiter and what that means for job candidates. She also shares the "hack" to get in front of recruiters and hiring managers. Finally, we explore Salesforce's total rewards philosophy and how they competed for talent when their total compensation offer might not be as competitive as other companies.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/h3z5bvlm

Jason Birmingham, Chief Technology Officer at Broadridge Financial

Jason openly admits that he doesn't have the traditional resume of a CTO or a financial-technology executive. For one, he's a software engineer with finance degrees and a client-facing management consulting background. We dig into how he broke the mold and earned each promotion until he landed in the c-suite. He shares how he learned the value of mentorship and professional sponsorship and how he's been able to count on others to get over career roadblocks. Finally, we look candidly into the importance of having a solid personal and professional network and how anyone can build the skills to influence others and demonstrate leadership.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/7wb8jl6k

Aaron Terrazas is an economist who has worked for the U.S. Treasury, Zillow and was most recently, the chief economist at Glassdoor. He spent his career providing research, analysis and commentary on today’s evolving workplace and fast-changing labor market. 
Aaron discusses how there are two different job markets concurrently happening, and delves into the undercurrent beneath the headline numbers we are seeing in the economy and job market, primarily the erosion of the quality of work for white-collar workers.
Aaron talks about the cloud of uncertainty heading into 2025 and the importance of nuance when talking about issues such as illegal immigration and labor supply. We speak about the shift of demographics in the workforce, with the exodus of Baby Boomers and the implications that has on the job market and upward mobility, as well as intergenerational wealth transfers. Lastly, we talk about the impact of inflation in the near and long term, and how high interest rates alter the calculus of capital and startup investments.

Mark Dixon, Founder and CEO of IWG

When Mark founded Regus, now known as IWG, he was the first to offer co-working space on a large scale. We explore how workplaces, offices, and even commercial real estate have changed since he started in the company in 1989.

Mark explains how companies are increasingly choosing hybrid or flexible work schedules, which mix working from home and in-office time, resulting in a $2 trillion total addressable market opportunity. We look into how trends like remote work and urban policy are impacting what it's like to work in major cities around the world and why on-premise or in-office work will never go away, even with the latest trends and changes in tech.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/qgieaq5h

Amit Bendov, Founder and CEO of Gong

Amit is now the founder of a startup last publicly valued at more than $7 billion, but fundraising and getting the attention of investors and customers weren't always easy. We dig into the inspiration for Gong and how he persevered through the venture capitalists' many rejections in the early days.

Amit also shares how Gong stood out in a crowded market and how to land a job at the sales-intelligence software company.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by Hims, MobSquad and BetterHelp.

Get access to affordable and discrete sexual health treatments with a free online visit at ⁠⁠⁠⁠hims.com/blind⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mobsquad.io/blindambition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on how to work with recruiters.

Jack pulls back the curtain on recruiters and how they get hired and paid by companies. He explains why they might go from nagging to ghosting you and what their messages and phone calls actually mean. Finally, he shares how you can take advantage of working with a recruiter or headhunter and what you can do to find one that can level up your career.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.  

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

Bonnie Dilber, Manager, Business Recruiting at Zapier

Bonnie leads the business recruiting team at Zapier, focusing on roles in the finance, sales, marketing, people, operations, support, legal and leadership teams. We dig into her untraditional background and why teachers might make the best recruiters and business leaders.

Bonnie also shares her hot takes and best tips about how to get hired at some of the leading companies, even in a tough job market. She explains that sometimes it's best to apply for jobs when others aren't, like around holidays or the end of the year. We also get her to reveal some "red flags," which you might want to look out for when reading a job description or talking to a recruiter to ensure that the opportunity doesn't turn out to be a bad one.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/bhp05pp8

Radhika Malik, Principal at Dell Technologies Capital

Radhika lets us into the world of corporate venture capital. She explains how to look beyond the hype in AI, why starting an enterprise startup may be the best thing you can do, and what it takes to get an investment from Dell Technologies Capital.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/bhp05pp8

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen respond to Brittany Pietsch's viral LinkedIn status, revealing that she is still looking for a job nearly six months after recording herself as CloudFlare laid her off. We look into why HR and management teams like the impersonal layoff by video and how hiring managers and executives can do better.

We also take on the hundreds of people who wished her well on social media after she uploaded her layoff video and the perils of social media posts on your career. Finally, Rick explains why he is frustrated by the performative nature of LinkedIn and shares how you can take a more active role to land your next role if you're currently job-hunting.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by BetterHelp.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7212149110898896896/

https://nypost.com/2024/01/17/business/tech-worker-brittany-pietsch-who-went-viral-after-posting-herself-getting-fired-on-tiktok-speaks-out-i-dont-regret-sharing-that/

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to Amazon's layoffs before Black Friday and the holidays. We put the 10,000 job cuts in context, compared it against the Twitter and Meta layoffs, and dug into whether Amazon might cut even more jobs later. Rick shines a spotlight on what the Blind community says about Amazon's company culture and how HR terms like unregretted attrition or performance improvement plans can help us understand the world's largest online retailer. Finally, Jack gives his best advice on navigating the workplace amid the whiplash of company return-to-office and layoff plans.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackkellywecruitr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenrick

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/technology/amazon-layoffs.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/11/16/lyft-meta-salesforce-and-other-tech-companies-are-downsizing-their-real-estate-why-this-is-good-news-for-remote-workers/

Gal Josefsberg, Vice President, Product and Operations - Cloud Platform at Guidewire Software

Gal has seen it all as a product management executive. He walks us through what it is like to be a product owner at an early-stage startup, a more mature startup, and how an IPO or acquisition changes the role. We explore how to work with startup founders and CEOs, navigate egos and micromanagement, and why many product managers might have impostor syndrome.

Gal also gives us his best interview advice, including how to tell if a startup is serious about its product and what you can learn from its investors. Finally, he explains how you can land your first product manager role and even the best questions to ask in a job interview. As a bonus, Gal also tells us how to ace the case study.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by BetterHelp.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Ariella Steinhorn, Co-Founder of Lioness and Amber Scorah, Co-Founder and President of Lioness

Ariella and Amber explain what it means to be a whistleblower and why someone might decide to take something public. If you ever asked yourself, "What is a whistleblower?" you must listen to this episode.

We explore whistleblower rights and protections and the most common abuses, incidents and events which might lead to someone coming forward. Ariella and Amber also share how Lioness advocates for professionals by providing free resources, such as vetting and validation, referrals to lawyers, media training and more. Finally, we dig into why we hear about some whistleblowers and workplace misbehavior and not others and how to navigate the corporate lawyers and public relations teams that companies hire.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/luk1pr0u

Cosmin Nicolaescu, Chief Technology Officer at Brex

Cosmin has enjoyed a meteoric rise as a software engineer. In less than 10 years, he's led global engineering teams at two multibillion-dollar startups. We explore his career trajectory and how a Microsoft software engineer intern becomes the CTO of a more than $12-billion valuation financial-technology juggernaut. Finally, in an exclusive for the Blind community, Cosmin shares how someone can impress him in a job interview at Brex.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/535c9081

Dan Black, Global Leader, Talent Attraction and Acquisition at EY

Dan leads talent attraction and acquisition at EY and is responsible for the "Big Four" firm's recruiting strategy. We get the inside details into what he and his recruiters look for when hiring and how somebody can get on their radar. Notably, we dig into the diverse roles and backgrounds EY considers and hires, including mechanical engineers, software developers, lawyers, blockchain experts and more.

Dan also shares his top tips for job seekers, including the mistakes professionals make in today's job market, where AI-enabled recruiting processes and video interviews are now more common. We also get a sneak peek into how EY promotes its staff, decides project assignments and rotational programs, finds mentors for folks, and even how executives get rewarded and rise up through the ranks.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by MobSquad and BetterHelp.

If you were unsuccessful in the H-1B visa lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at ⁠mobsquad.io/blindambition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Garima Sahai, Former Director, Engineering, Google Local and Google Map Ads at Google

Garima was one of the earliest employees at Google. She reflects on how the company has changed from its startup days nearly 20 years ago to becoming the internet giant it is today. We tackle everything from being one of the first female engineers in Silicon Valley, how Google co-founder Larry Page approached problems, and what it was like to build from zero to 1 billion and beyond.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ba917238

Michael Griffiths, Workforce Transformation Offering Leader at Deloitte

Michael didn't always know he wanted to get into consulting. Before he rose through the ranks of strategy and management consulting, he was a London school teacher. We explore why developing skills has become more important than job titles and the promotions that make up the traditional career ladder in today's job market. Michael also breaks down some research to explain how the economy shifted to become so skills-based and focused. Finally, we look into the human condition and whether we really want to work.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ue7qcrya

Naveen Rao, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence at Databricks

Naveen recalls his journey to become a trained neuroscientist and how his PhD studies at Brown University informed his entrepreneurism in AI. We explore how he convinced venture capitalists to invest in hardware startups when it was out of fashion and why the first AI startup founders were often computational neuroscientists. We also learn how he became a serial entrepreneur after successfully selling multiple AI startups.

Finally, Naveen takes us on a deep dive into how AI has evolved and whether the current interest has any signs of a dot-com era bust.

⁠⁠https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Fredrick "Flee" Lee, Chief Security Officer at Gusto

Flee explains how the road to becoming a chief security officer is like a sine wave, what it was like working at a startup in Oklahoma during the Dot-Com boom, and why he credits his time at a big bank to his becoming a Silicon Valley executive. He also dives into how he knows when to move to another job, how to face fears at work, and why he will help a team member leave if they ask. Finally, Flee shares how to get a job at Gusto, why company values are important, and how Gusto's no-title company culture works. 

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

Tim Armandpour, Chief Technology Officer at PagerDuty

Tim is a rare CTO: Before leading engineering and tech teams, he was responsible for product development at YapStone and then PagerDuty. The duo-role experience informed his leadership today, helping him understand how a tech company operates from soup to nuts. He explains how professionals earlier in their careers, especially software engineers, can apply the lessons he learned and level up faster. Finally, we ask Tim why being on call sucks and why it doesn't have to be that way.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/39324712

Sagi Gidali, Chief Growth Officer at Perimeter 81

Sagi is a veteran of the Israel Defense Force's elite visual intelligence unit. Unit 9900, as it is called, has incubated dozens of startups and public companies valued at $1 billion or more, especially in cybersecurity. We get the "411" on why that has been the case and how security has evolved after the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid work schedules. He also reveals what it takes to make a career in security and how Perimeter 81 hires its engineers and technologists.

https://bit.ly/blindambitionpod

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen take on Andy Jassy's memo, which, among other things, ends remote work and calls for Amazon to "operate like the world's largest startup." We break down what that means, including Jassy's decision to create a "bureaucracy mailbox" for people to snitch on bureaucratic processes, a companywide reorganization to cut management layers, and a five-day-a-week in-office work schedule beginning January 2025.

Rick explains how CEO and leadership memos are drafted and why Amazon might have feared the memo might leak before it was released. He dissects how Amazon's PR team likely planned the memo's release and why reporters quickly covered the announcement.

Jack and Rick also look into how this might have impacted Amazon's share price and the downstream impacts of Amazon's new management and remote work policies. Jack shares some potential winners and losers in the stock market, and Rick speculates how the job market might react.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-16/amazon-ceo-wants-workers-in-five-days-a-week-leaner-management

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/ceo-andy-jassy-latest-update-on-amazon-return-to-office-manager-team-ratio

https://www.teamblind.com/post/Amazon-manager-mass-layoff-fNgYBCEA

Larry Gadea, Founder and CEO of Envoy

Larry has an untraditional background for a Silicon Valley CEO, including getting smuggled out of Romania to Germany before settling in Canada at the age of 3. We explore how his experience growing up led him to work at Google while a full-time student and how open-source projects opened doors for him. Next, we dive into the a-ha moment behind Envoy and its ubiquitous tablets seemingly in every startup and tech company's reception area. Jack and Rick then get a behind-the-scenes look into Envoy's culture and what Larry looks for when he's hiring. Don't miss our conversation about everything from what CEOs and managers mean when they say they like ambition to whether working in-office actually impacts your career and professional development prospects.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/xzg9q4h2

Matt McLarty, Global Field CTO & Vice President of the Digital Transformation Office

A globally recognized expert in APIs, Matt has seen it all in the tech industry. He explains the secret to a long-lasting career in tech, why you shouldn't get caught up with specific languages or technology, and why the best tech jobs might be outside the tech industry.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/d2qia9ct

Donna Helphrey, Vice President, Talent at Go1

Like many recruiters, Donna didn't have her heart set on helping others find their dream job. Instead, she grew into the profession and became a current executive at a multibillion-dollar "unicorn" startup. We look back at her start as a recruiter, from working at a staffing agency to hiring 1,800 people worldwide in a single year at Groupon.

As we explore Donna's career, we dig into how to stand out as a job candidate at a foreign-based company and what it's like as a recruiter and hiring manager responsible for international roles. We tackle the different professional cultures worldwide, like how Australian professionals might be more active in the job search than Americans or Europeans. As a talent and HR executive today, she reveals the incentive structures and KPIs that she has for external recruiting agencies and her own in-house recruiters and how you might negotiate unique benefits or one-of-a-kind total compensation packages in a job search.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/3v1fvlog

Abakar Saidov, Founder and CEO of Beamery

Abakar is not a typical founder. He didn't have a lifelong interest in computers or coding, and he had never worked in tech before starting his multi-billion-dollar startup. Instead, curiosity led him down the paths of AI and HR. We explore the founding story of Beamery and Abakar's perseverance that made it all possible.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ccf26d43

Rick Chen, Senior Director, Head of Public Relations at Blind

Rick never set out to work in public relations or communications. Instead, he took his teachers' feedback about disrupting class and combined it with a willingness to take on the tasks and jobs few others want to do.

We explore how Rick became a PR executive from the very beginning when he taught himself how to write a press release for the first time to build trust with CEOs, executives, and other principals in his coaching. He also shares why a humble approach and willingness to defer gratification can pay off in your career. Finally, we find out how executives and the busiest people might respond to your cold email asking for advice, an informational interview, or even a sale.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by our sponsor, MobSquad. If you're unsuccessful in the upcoming H-1B lottery, MobSquad can help. Learn more at mobsquad.io/blindambition.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/d2qia9ct

Gordon Wintrob, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Newfront

Gordon co-founded Newfront, an insurance-technology startup and brokerage firm last publicly valued at $2.2 billion, but he did not start his career in insurance. We dig into his career from his days in college and how he pivoted from his electrical engineering and computer science studies to investment banking and then to the world of startups.

Gordon credits shadowing for a lot of his success. We explore how he and his co-founder got the idea for Newfront, how they found an insurance broker to let them observe his work and the aha moments along the way. He even shares some of the startup ideas they left behind, how shadowing is still part of Newfront's culture today and a unique part of the startup's job interviews.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen chase down the labor agreement between UPS and the Teamsters Union to figure out if UPS drivers will really start to earn $170,000 in pay. We look into how the total compensation was calculated and if the reporters got their news headlines wrong.

Jack and Rick then discuss the evolution of the job market and how some professions are changing in response to new technology like autonomous vehicles and machine learning. Finally, we debate whether UPS will even have to pay these headline totals to drivers after all.

⁠https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://fortune.com/2023/08/08/ups-drivers-170000-union-agreement-teamsters-middle-class-bidenomics/

https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-workers-comments-170k-ups-driver-deal-anger-admiration-2023-8

Heather Inocencio, Founder and CEO of The Product Consult

Heather is a sought-after product management consultant with more than 30 years of product management experience at large public companies and high-growth consumer startups, including The RealReal and HauteLook. We got her to share the details about how the product management discipline has evolved and what it was like to be a product manager as the internet blew up to what it is today.

Heather shares what many CEOs and startup founders get wrong about product management and what it really takes to succeed as a product manager. She explains how to find product manager-company fit and why a company with product-market fit might not have one. We also explore the common reasons product managers fail or leave companies and the secret that the best product managers have that can take them to the c-suite.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/cwmx8fu5

Max Tagher, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mercury

Max had never worked at a bank, financial services company or even a financial-technology startup before starting Mercury. Instead, he drew from his firsthand experience as a customer of Silicon Valley Bank, the once-popular bank with many startups, and noticed others like him were also dissatisfied. Max explains how he entered the field without having prior professional experience.

We explore the challenges of co-founding a fintech startup and working with banking partners who often aren't used to operating the same way as a startup founder or technologist. He also outlines why startup founders shouldn't necessarily focus on the technology or engineering first and why a multi-disciplined and user-focused approach was key to Mercury's early success.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/emzrwxp9

Terence Bennett, CEO of DreamFactory Software

Terence has long known he would join the U.S. Navy, but it was unclear what he might do after leaving the armed services. We explore his remarkable career journey, marked by different transitions: specialties within the Navy, military life to civilian life, and going from an individual contributor to becoming a startup COO and then CEO.

Terence also shares how he stood out when applying for a job at Google, including the tip he tells every veteran to ace their job interviews. (Hint: Hardly anyone ever takes the time to do it!)

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Donald Knight, Chief People Officer at Greenhouse

Donald breaks down the questions that professionals should be asking in job interviews. We explore how to uncover a company's real culture, including their leadership team's approach to layoffs and other difficult decisions in tough times, what types of actions and behaviors they reward, and how people get promoted or recognized. Next, Donald explains how to be business-focused and demonstrate experience and impact like you're an executive. Finally, he outlines what job seekers should do to drive their careers forward.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/u8gfaswh

Justin Zhu, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Stand with Asian Americans

Michelle Lee, Counsel at Stand with Asian Americans

Asian Americans make up a large proportion of the U.S. professional workforce, but often, they are one of the least represented groups at every leadership level. Justin and Michelle describe how Stand with Asian Americans is fighting back and advocating for Asian Americans in the workforce and daily life.

We also explore how Justin and Michelle transitioned to political advocacy from their prestigious jobs as a unicorn founder and CEO and Big Law attorney, respectively, and how their experiences with racial discrimination shaped their work today.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/gd91j9u0

Joe Apprendi, Founder and General Partner at Revel Partners

Joe reveals the metrics that he uses to invest and how we should use them to gauge a startup's prospects before we interview. He explains how startup valuations got so high, what happens when a company's share price drops below $1, and what we should ask the recruiter or CEO the next time we interview.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/rlnpulgl

The Honorable Mark Takano of the U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Mark Takano recently introduced a bill called the Thirty-Two-Hour Workweek Act, which would amend the definition of the workweek in the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. If passed into law, it would require overtime pay for anyone who works more than 32 hours in one week, down from the current 40.

Congressman Takano explains why we might have AI, the COVID-19 pandemic and JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon to thank for the U.S. being closer than ever to a four-day workweek.

The Democrat from California also shares how a 32-hour workweek might work in practice and how it could lead to the creation of more jobs, higher pay, and unexpected economic activity. Finally, he outlines what's needed for everything to become a reality.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Erika Voss, Vice President, Engineering Platforms at Capital One Software

Erika doesn't have the typical background of a technical executive at a large enterprise software company. She began her career as a corrections officer at a maximum-security prison. We explore how she transitioned from becoming a public servant, which she admits she would have been happy spending her entire life doing, to breaking into the tech industry with an untraditional, non-technical background.

Erika explains how she learned the technical skills, including finding a mentor that encouraged her to get trained, and bridged the gap with her communications and leadership skills. She outlines how to sell yourself in a job interview and best highlight your transferable skills across industries and professions. Finally, we dig into the challenges of becoming a technical executive and what it takes to get promoted to a director, senior director, and finally, a vice president of engineering at some of the most influential financial services and tech companies.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/4gorzood

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to the "prestige" meme on Blind, or how many professionals seem to be obsessed with whether a certain company, industry or job role is more prestigious than another.

We dive into whether recruiters and hiring managers care about your educational background and which university you attended, your past employers or roles, and even if your industry or ZIP Code matter. Then, Jack and Rick detail how to create your own prestige and share how they have built their brands and reputations in their respective industries of recruiting and communications.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/08/01/should-you-accept-a-job-with-a-high-status-company-or-the-one-that-pays-more-money/

Angie Hicks, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Officer of Angi

Angie shares the unlikely story of how she became an entrepreneur as a 22-year-old right out of college. We explore the origins of Angie's List, including how they created a marketplace startup before it became popular, why the company bears her name and the marketing tactics the company used to grow to attract venture capital funding and eventual acquisition.

We learn how anyone can be an entrepreneur or startup founder, even if you don't consider yourself a risk-taker. Angie provides a rare glimpse into her leadership approach and how the company maintains a people-first and adaptable culture.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Amit Matani, CEO at AngelList Talent

Amit reflects on being one of Apple's first featured iPhone apps, experiencing two startup acquisitions, and whether tech salaries can continue to grow. He also shares his hot takes on whether hybrid work will last and whether you should raise venture capital for your startup idea.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/b39wxd28

Frank Calderoni, CEO of Velocity Global

Frank has been an executive at some of the most high-profile tech companies in the world, including IBM, SanDisk, QLogic, Cisco, Red Hat, Anaplan and Velocity Global. We get the inside track into his career progression, starting from IBM and its legendary internship and leadership development programs. He shares why he decided to go into tech instead of working at one of the Big Four accounting firms and what it was like working all around the world.

Frank then gives us a good look into what it's like being a c-suite executive, CEO and board member of some public companies. We explore whether the adage "it's lonely at the top" rings true, which promotions were most challenging to earn in his career, and the most valuable skills he credits to his success today. You don't want to miss Frank's master class on c-suite roles, people management and leadership development.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/9emoyqui

Awa Kone, Global Head of Operations at Flutterwave

Awa is a go-to expert for multinational corporations and multi-billion-dollar startups looking to expand worldwide, especially on the continent of Africa. In this exclusive episode, she reveals the top three secrets she's used to develop her career and the businesses she's scaled on a global stage. We dive into Swiss Re and Flutterwave's tactics and expansion strategy and how the two giants think about new countries, markets and verticals.

Awa also shares the lessons she's learned from her experiences as a former actuary and how you can level up your career similarly, even if you don't plan on a career in actuarial sciences or risk. Plus, she explains how to deal with interpersonal or company politics and real-life politics.

This episode of "The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly" is brought to you by Hims and BetterHelp.

Get access to affordable and discrete sexual health treatments with a free online visit at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hims.com/blind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

BetterHelp offers affordable online therapy on a flexible schedule. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠betterhelp.com/teamblind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 20% off your first month.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Christine Tao, Founder and CEO of Sounding Board

Christine's career has been marked by some challenging economic climates. We look into how she persevered and ultimately landed an executive role at a startup. Christine generously shares the step-by-step process of how she identified and seized opportunities, how she developed into a leader along the way, and how her experience might be a good roadmap if you're looking to become a manager or executive.

We also dig into how she got access to a one-on-one executive coach and how it changed her career. Christine explains how executive coaches and why it's a shame that everyone doesn't get one, given how much potential they can unlock. Finally, we learn how her experience led her to start Sounding Board with her actual coach and how the company has built a personalized coaching and leadership program at scale with technology.

Get access to Sounding Board's world-class coaching and mentoring software at www.soundingboardinc.com. Use the promo code BLIND10 to get 10% off one-on-one coaching individual plans. Sounding Board may be reimbursable or covered by your company's leadership and development or training benefit.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Shanee Ben-Zur, Chief Growth Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Crunchbase

Shanee shares how everyone can use marketing best practices to land their next job, even if they're not a marketer. We dive into the weeds to learn how to stand out in a tough job market and in your current role. Finally, we explore why it doesn't make sense that some of the largest tech companies have decided to cut their marketing budgets and teams in a potential economic downturn.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ba9f8ba4

Lynne Oldham, Chief People Officer at Stash

Lynne made it as an HR executive through a circuitous route across companies, industries, and even countries. We tackle all of the different HR tropes out there, including whether HR is your enemy, how they might only serve executives or the companies, and how mass layoffs might happen.

Lynne gives us a sneak peek into what it's like working in HR as we tackle and dispel each of these myths one by one and through the lens of her time as the chief people officer at Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and her transition to Stash, a purpose-focused company.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Jonathan Heiliger, Founder and General Partner at Vertex Ventures

If you've read "The Hard Things About Hard Things," you're already familiar with Jonathan and his work. We ask the prolific B2B operator and investor how to pick startups and industries in a down market. He explains how to look at public comparables, determine whether you're a profit center or a cost center, and why the cloud may be your best bet.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/43ia43kr

Andrew Seaman, Managing Editor for Jobs and Career Development at LinkedIn

Andrew leads job search and career development content for LinkedIn News and is one of our go-to experts on the job market. We break down the latest trends as we see them, from the incredible competition for remote jobs, the return-to-office movement of many companies, and the decreasing pay and total compensation in some industries to the mass layoffs that are becoming more common. Andrew, Jack and Rick fact-check some of the news headlines and commonly cited statistics and explore what professionals can do now to future-proof their careers and advance in a tough economy.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/88397ac4

Neil Dhar, Vice Chairman, Co-Head of Consulting at PwC

We explore the secrets and advantages of longevity in the professional services industry, focusing on the advisory and consulting profession.

Neil has spent more than 30 years at PwC and has held various leadership roles across the firm's different service lines—everything from M&A deals, risk assurance, advisory and consulting. We learn why he's stayed and how the "Big Four" firm keeps things fresh for its more than 364,000 professionals worldwide.

Neil shares his framework for career growth, including how to stay intellectually curious, the value of keeping an open mind and the role of mentorship. Notably, we look into how anyone can build a network of mentors, sponsors and advocates and take a behind-the-scenes look into Neil's own network and the feedback they gave him.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/b39wxd28

Rod Barlow, Chief Technology Officer at Sidecar Health

Rod thinks a career as an engineer or technologist is like a jungle gym. It’s why he says it’s important to make career pivots and place big bets on yourself and others. He also outlines the importance of having a growth mindset and gives a roadmap to engineering leadership. As a bonus, Rod even explains how much coding a tech lead or engineering manager should do.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/39uiaz33

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to a viral Blind poll that found that 76% of Nvidia professionals claim to be millionaires, and 33% may have a net worth of $20 million or more as a result of Nvidia's incredible stock price appreciation since 2019. Rick reveals how much stock you might have gotten depending on when you joined Nvidia.

Rick explains how stock-based compensation works and why employers have set up stock grants to unlock over long periods of time. We look into how companies purposefully try to create golden handcuffs and lock in their employees. Jack explores what it might be like when many of your coworkers are millionaires and what Nvidia's work culture is like.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://x.com/FilledWithMoney/status/1807020496677957931

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/09/04/nvidia-employees-become-multi-millionaires-but-at-what-price/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-26/what-s-it-like-working-at-nvidia-you-may-get-rich-but-work-remains-stressful

Wayne Hu, Managing Director, Early Stage Venture at SignalFire

It seems like everyone is a venture capitalist these days. Wayne outlines what it really takes to be a venture capitalist. He breaks down the VC career path from entry-level to becoming a prolific investor, what his day-to-day is like, and the business model behind investing with other people's money.

https://teamblind.onelink.me/6Ubn/b1ecb098

Josh Owen, Chief Technology Officer at Flourish

Before he became a two-time CTO in the tech industry, Josh worked at some of the largest banks. He explains what he learned from his time on the business side of software engineering at Citi and Goldman Sachs, including the day-to-day work of developers and technologists on Wall Street. We also explore how the smallest seeming things can be one of the most impactful things you can do for a business and your career. (You won't guess what the software he built does to save traders worldwide 45 minutes every day!) Finally, we explore Josh's transition from finance to the tech industry and how being an executive changes before and after a startup gets acquired by a larger company.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/8fgnkp3k

Mahe Bayireddi, Co-Founder and CEO of Phenom

Mahe spells out how employers use artificial intelligence, machine learning and data to hire employees. He explains that job-seekers and other professionals should focus on highlighting their core competencies, skills and behaviors and dives into the tactics to stand out in the job application and job interview processes. We explore how some companies and industries are using automated interviews and what the deal is with video interviews.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/63osz4kh

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen break down Alphabet's layoff of 12,000 people worldwide. We compare and contrast the job cuts at Google's parent company with others this month, including Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce and more. We explore whether Google and Microsoft played follow-the-leader with their job cuts and if this means a recession is likely. Jack and Rick also react to how professionals reacted to the news on Blind today. Finally, we share some lessons about what you can do if you have been laid off and why the job market isn't as bad as you might think.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/business/google-alphabet-layoffs.html

Fredrik Johnsson, Owner and President of Race of Champions

Fredrik has never shied away from big, audacious goals. We explore how he conceptualized the Race of Champions, recruited the first athletes and secured the first venues for the first-of-its-kind motorsport event. Race of Champions pits the best racing and rally drivers from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, the World Rally Championship and more in a head-to-head race. Along the way, we dig into the turning points and decisions from his childhood to his early career that led to his present-day success as an entrepreneur and sports innovator.

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/f79inztx

Arvind Jain, Founder and CEO of Glean

Arvind spent more than 10 years at Google, going from one of the company's first engineers when it was a startup to becoming a distinguished engineer. We find out just how he earned the promotions and what it took to land the title fewer than 1% of all engineers ever earn, including the tips and tricks many senior engineers try to take and why they might not work.

We also explore why Arvind decided to leave Google and start different companies. Arvind shares his best advice on when to leave a comfortable job and the necessary insight you might need to launch a startup and lead it to a successful exit or meaningful business as its founder.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/5f1uzgkp

Trent Henry, Global Vice Chair, Talent at EY

Before becoming the global vice chair of talent at EY, Trent was the CEO of EY Canada. He's seen how the economy has changed and why so many employers and professionals haven't yet caught up. We get Trent to teach a masterclass about how professionals can invest in themselves and develop the in-demand skills that EY, the Big Four accounting and consulting firms, and some top tech companies demand.

We dig deep into how professionals can pivot from skills to experience and impact, as the latter is what employers have now focused on in the age of AI, machine learning and new technology. Finally, Trent and Jack share their top advice for people who are job searching and looking to advance their careers. (Hint: It might involve ignoring the traditional career ladder and finding your own opportunities for growth.)

http://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/q1a4hj0o

Kyle Elliott, Founder of Kyle Elliott Consulting

Kyle helps senior professionals and executives land their dream jobs at some of the hottest companies in Silicon Valley.

We get Kyle to coach us on how to network—even when you feel like you have to start from zero—optimize your resume so that you can better compete against AI and the tens of thousands of other applicants, and how you can package your experience into standout stories to wow recruiters, hiring managers and executives.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to Intel's decision to cut the pay of the CEO, leadership team and middle management by 5% to 25% after its layoffs. We look into what might be the catalyst for these decisions and why high-profile pay cuts like Apple's Tim Cook might not be anything more than a PR play. Notably, Jack explores how job-cut announcements affect the stock market and the job market. Finally, Jack and Rick discuss the history of company reductions in force and why layoffs might be the worst thing a company can do.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2023/02/intel-slashes-wages-bonuses-after-disastrous-quarterly-results.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/02/01/ceos-of-apple-goldman-sachs-jpmorgan-and-other-top-companies-are-taking-pay-cuts/

Nick Bushak, Chief Technology Officer and President at Gem

Nick explains that being a CTO is really all about recruiting and retaining tech talent. He breaks down everything from managing a new team in a new country, insider tips to attract the first engineering hires, and how company culture changes after an acquisition.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/gd91j9u0