Yelp’s Post

When I first became a tech lead at Google many years ago, I was given my first big project and 3 other engineers to lead. With the enthusiasm of a naive first-timer, I got to work. I architected the solution, scoped out the work, and assigned the tasks. I thought my newfound TL title would give me the authority I needed to just tell people what to do, and that they would simply listen. News flash: they didn’t. As it turns out, the type of authority I thought would allow me to just tell people what to do was not the one I had. I couldn’t hire, fire, and decide people’s performance scores and bonuses. I had no positional power. The only power I had was my personal power, which was built over time with my expertise and reputation. Even when I eventually got into a role that had positional authority, I still couldn’t simply tell people what to do and expect them to wholeheartedly comply. Sure, they’ll do what I ask, but they might also become secretly resentful. With or without positional authority, to be effective and make people 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 listen to me and be excited about it, I needed to learn to influence without authority. Furthermore, now after 14 years in the industry, I believe influencing without authority to be a vital skill for everyone, regardless of their level. In this week's edition of “The Caring Techie Newsletter” I share 5 reasons why influencing without authority is a vital skill, not just for Tech Leads, but for absolutely everyone from Individual Contributors to the C-suite. Join 15000+ other subscribers here: https://lnkd.in/gS7VCeAp What are some examples of situations where you need influence without authority in your day-to-day? ♻️ Please repost if you found this useful #softwareengineering #leadership #emotionalintelligence #influencewithoutauthority

My profile says I work at Yelp, but I actually left once! Storytime :) I don't regret my decision, I got to work at Boosted.ai and help build out their tech stack! It was super exciting to help build a business from scratch with an amazing team. I loved it! However part of my motivation for leaving was faulty. One thing that really frustrated me was that I felt like nobody challenged me anymore. I had a ton of implied authority on my team. I was a rank and file software engineer like everyone else, but I was the last remaining engineer who helped found the Core Android team. I did the quarterly planning, and project management for the team. I helped mentor and train the new folks. My manager was managing another team, so I was given a ton of free reign to run things the way I liked, and he took care of the people side of things. It was a great setup, but everyone just... did what I said. I'd spend time putting together a detailed tech spec for something I thought we should build, and people would thumbs up and go "cool, when do we start!?" instead of giving any feedback. There was no way I nailed it on the first go... My mistake was making a false narrative and not validating it. I told myself that everyone trusted me because of my seniority, and wouldn't push back on me no matter what I did. I never validated whether this was true, and I never talked to my team about it, or my manager. Heck, I never even mentioned it to a mentor! I let it fester into a problem where I said I needed a change. We tried moving me to another team where I didn't have expertise, but by then I was already looking at Boosted. The stories we tell ourselves are incredibly powerful. They can build you up, but they can ruin your career, your relationships, or get you seriously hurt. In this case it took me down a different path, that helped me grow and evolve, but I would have been better served to deal with that issue head on. Talk to people, find ways to be challenged. Maybe I made it unsafe for folks to challenge me. Maybe a million other possibilities. I wonder what other stories I'm telling myself that I should validate?

If you've just stepped into the Software Engineering world as a new grad, getting a grip on this could really speed up your journey to the next level Joining Meta as a new grad, I felt hesitant to ask questions. Not just shyness, but unsure how to seek help. I feared asking would seem weak, believing independence was key among the brilliant minds around me With that mindset, whenever I got a project, I'd dive straight into coding, stressing over piecing it together. This pressure made me code non-stop until I hit a wall. Only then I would pause to look back on what are we trying to build—a big mistake In my early days, while developing key features for Business Messaging in ads, I followed the same old mindset and didn't question the product enough. Midway, I realized we were missing two crucial components requiring extra content. This might seem like a minor oversight, but it led me to align more closely with the product designer and my product manager. However, that's not where the tale ends! At Facebook, with their intense focus on privacy, especially for ads products, Most contents must be reviewed by the privacy team. Here's where it got tricky for me: this triggered a privacy review, extending my timeline by 2-3 weeks 😳. For a new grad, this was quite intimidating. Yet, it was a valuable lesson. Not asking "why" and "what are we trying to achieve" turned into one of my biggest roadblocks! This experience taught me a crucial lesson: if you're technically stuck, you can dive into the code base to find a way out, affecting only you. But if you're unclear about the product's purpose, oh man, it consumes both time and effort, and sadly, it's your results that bear the brunt I learned that people value impact above all. Nobody keeps score of how you overcame obstacles. Asking "Why are we doing this?" is the key to moving forward without dropping the ball. Asking ‘why’ will keep you ‘high’🙌 #seekinghelp #whywedowhatwedo #newgrads

You’re not lucky at a company because: - You’re surrounded by people better than you - You’re encouraged to “think big, real big” - You get amazing food and coffee You’re lucky at a company when: - Your group wins and loses together - The culture is customer centric - The leader leaves real impact At Google when engineers were asked to observe customer sessions, everyone’s hand went up. That’s what I call being lucky. Everyone wants (and loves) to work.

🔍 Behind the Scenes at Company🚀 Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Company? Here's a sneak peek into the magic that fuels our passion for Amazon! ✨ 👥 Meet the Team: Our talented team members are the heart and soul of our operation. From brainstorming sessions to coffee-fueled coding marathons, each day brings new challenges and victories. 📈 Innovation Hub:Step into our innovation hub where ideas come to life. Whiteboards filled with plans, prototypes taking shape, and the hum of creativity – this is where the magic happens! 🌐 Global Connections:Take a virtual trip around our workspace, showcasing the global connections that drive our success. It's not just about desks; it's about weaving a network that spans borders and cultures. 📸 Visual Delights:From concept sketches to the final product, witness the evolution of our creations. Behind every product, there's a story, and we're excited to share ours with you. 🤝 Team Bonding: It's not all about work; we believe in creating a vibrant and collaborative culture. Check out snippets of our team bonding activities, because a happy team is a productive team! 🌈 Colorful Culture:Explore the vibrant culture that defines us. Whether it's casual Fridays, celebrations, or impromptu brainstorming in cozy corners, our culture is as diverse as our team. Join us on this virtual tour, and get to know the faces and spaces that make Company tick. Drop a comment with your questions or share your own behind-the-scenes moments! 🚀🔧 #BehindTheScenes #TeamCulture #InnovationJourney

When people ask how I got my start in tech, they're often surprised to learn it wasn't because of my degree. Instead, my journey began at an Apple retail store. Apple was known for their rigorous hiring standards for retail employees and tech companies found a lot of value in Apple's employees. My time at Apple was the reason I was able to score my interview at Airbnb for a Customer Support Rep. I'll never forget interviewing with Brian Chesky and telling him about my day-to-day at good ol' R001. When I was hired, I was one of the first 50 employees, and over the past 13 years, I've climbed the ladder, learning and growing with each step. Here's the truth: you don't need a tech degree to succeed in the tech industry. If you're new to tech, don't shy away from user-facing roles. My career foundation was built on these roles, and they've been instrumental in my success as a leader. Understanding customers and their needs first-hand has given me deep product knowledge and a unique user perspective that's invaluable. I've seen many others thrive in their tech careers by starting in Customer Support. It's a fantastic way to gain insight into the product and build strong customer relationships. Remember, every role is an opportunity to learn and grow. So, if you're looking to break into tech, embrace those user-facing roles! They might just be the launchpad for an amazing career. 🚀 Lastly, shout out to my R001 family. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for all those lovely years I got to learn and grow alongside all of you! #TechCareer #CustomerSupport #CareerGrowth #Leadership #TechIndustry #BreakingIntoTech

"Asking for help is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness" That's one of the first things my manager, Vish Agashe, told me when I joined Facebook back in 2017. I was the only Data Engineering Manager in London at the time. Vish and I were about 5,400 miles and 8 time zones apart. This meant that he is not there to observe what I do and make sure I'm on track. These words immediately stuck with me. It was the most reassuring thing to know that he was expecting me to need help, and wanted me to ask for it. So: - Everyone: ask for help, there is no shame in that. We all need help - Managers: that's honestly one of the most comforting things you can say to your teammates, especially the newer ones. This small sentence can make a massive difference to someone's onboarding

In 2022, the average tenure at Google was about 1.1 years. Even if you don't switch that often, you'll have to ramp up many times in your career. After helping many engineers onboard successfully there's two things I'd keep in mind: 1. "A Career Cold Start Algorithm" - Andrew Bosworth, Meta's CTO, shared a great algorithm for onboarding effectively: https://lnkd.in/ga8-FFGM 2. Land Code Fast - This will help tie your high-level understanding to the codebase. Also, it's the fastest to start having an impact If you plan to start a new role soon, I suggest some tweaks to the cold start algorithm for software engineers and share more here: https://lnkd.in/gq6mTNsT

#Trustandsafetyjobs Weekly Roundup 💡 As the winter months approach, it's a great time to prepare for January and February when more job opportunities tend to become available. Start by enhancing your resume and persistently expanding your professional network. Job searching demands a full-time commitment and can be tiring, but maintaining hope is crucial because there's always a chance that someone will recognize your unique qualities and potential. Once again, most of the roles I found this week were reposted. If I missed any 🌟NEW🌟 roles in the Trust & Safety ecosystem, please feel free to add them to the comments. If you want me to highlight any roles that I have been posted within 1 week, DM or tag me in your post. UNTIED STATES ✨ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children – Counsel, Child Sex Trafficking Support (Alexandria, VA) https://lnkd.in/gwPWgRsn ✨ Uber – Trust & Safety Specialist  (Phoenix, AZ) https://lnkd.in/grEWBbGw ✨ Uber – Council, Product Delivery (San Francisco, CA) https://lnkd.in/g3wnZyep ✨ Ancestry - Staff Product Manager, Trust & Safety (Lehi, UT) https://lnkd.in/gU57gw5v ✨ Anthropic - Policy Manager, Trust & Safety (San Francisco, CA) https://lnkd.in/gheBcHFX ✨ Anthropic – Data Analyst, Trust & Safety (San Francisco, CA) https://lnkd.in/gKM5aFjJ ✨ Peerspace – Associate Investigator, Trust & Safety (Remote/US) https://lnkd.in/gnGfMsTu ✨ Epic Games – Privacy & Operations Program Manager (Cary, NC) https://lnkd.in/gXp7BcMN ✨ Patreon – Global Product Policy Lead (San Francisco, CA) https://lnkd.in/g6yB8NYk ✨ Cash App – Principal Product Designer (San Francisco, CA) https://lnkd.in/gMa7V8wM ✨ Rover.com – Manager I, Content Program Manager (US/Remote) https://lnkd.in/gTXMueZw ✨ Etsy – Sr. Product Manager, Seller Onboarding (Brooklyn, NY) https://lnkd.in/gMYURqp8 INTERNATIONAL ✨ Grammarly – T&S Support Specialist Lead (Tarnow, Poland) https://lnkd.in/gKYD8R8k ✨  Discord – Teen Safety Expert, EU (Netherlands) https://lnkd.in/gv7iZPM5 ✨ Amnesty International – Investigative Researcher on Technology & Human Rights (London, UK) https://lnkd.in/gM63qmyY ✨ Rover.com – Manager I, Content Program Manager (Barcelona, Spain) https://lnkd.in/gyzTHQu6 ✨ Etsy – Policy Enforcement Specialist (Mexico City, MX) https://lnkd.in/gH7ETnHd