Abstract
In an early-stage startup, the lines between roles blur, and engineering can become less about building and more about what makes the company attractive. Drawing from my experience as both a founder (multiple times) and engineer at various-sized companies, this talk will cover lessons learned and explore why the smaller the team you join, the more it helps to think beyond engineering. We will delve into the realities of how nebulous runways, company priorities, and the ever-present influence of venture funding impact engineering priorities. This session is for engineers who want to understand the non-technical forces that surround them.
Key Takeaways:
- What's driving engineering roadmaps: from securing the next funding round to closing key customers.
- The responsibilities that come with being a critical knowledge holder on a small team.
- Understanding side-effects of the venture capital landscape and how it impacts the realities of your career.
Speaker
Aiyesha Ma
Founding CTO @Nureon, Previously Founding CEO @FluidCloth, Technical Lead @Cisco Tetration, Data Science @OpsClarity & ModCloth
Aiyesha Ma is a three-time founder, data scientist, and engineering leader who has worn many hats, from individual contributor to founding CTO, across startups from incubation through Series C. Her ventures include an NSF-funded attention detection platform and Nureon, while her roles have included engineering lead at Cisco Tetration and data scientist software engineer at OpsClarity (acquired by Lightbend) and ModCloth. With experience spanning founding, engineering management, and individual contributor roles, Aiyesha brings practical insight into the blurred boundaries of early-stage roles and how venture capital, customer deadlines, and technical realities collide in startup environments.
Find Aiyesha Ma at:
Date
Monday Nov 17 / 05:05PM PST ( 50 minutes )
Location
Pacific DEKJ
Slides
Slides are not available
