Hi friends, Since the pandemic, I've heard this exact sentence from people in Big Tech. High salaries, good benefits, prestigious companies — and they feel completely empty inside. Is work-life balance the answer? One person I know rage-quitfor a "better culture" job. Three months later: "Still feel empty. Just with less money now." You know the feeling, don't you? You used to jump on Slack messages. Now you just stare at the notification. You open your laptop and think, "What am I even doing...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, My mentee recently shared that she received great feedback from her most challenging manager — someone who is too busy to provide sufficient context or answer her questions. She was left with a lot of ambiguity, but the challenge is an opportunity for her to demonstrate her value. Turn ambiguity into clarity and move things forward. That's when she started treating her manager like a child, a toddler, and that's how everything changed. Let me break down why this worked. Think...
10 days ago • 3 min read
Hi friends, As I write this post, OpenAI has just launched GPT-5. AI is becoming increasingly intelligent in a way that I don't know what else will be impossible. And I recently had a debate with a friend about whether AI is creating more jobs (net count). So, next week, I'm doing a virtual fireside chat with my friend, Ben Rogojan, aka Seattle Data Guy, on "Big Tech vs Freelance Data Consulting, which one is right for you". If you are a senior IC or a leader in data science/AI, wondering...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello friends, Last week, my friend John working in finance told me about his incompetent colleague G. This guy doesn’t have the finance skills, and says no to a lot of work. But while John pulls all-nighters creating presentations, G is the one presenting them to stakeholders and winning them over. Wide shoulders, good looks, perfectly timed jokes. G is the type of person who walks into a room and somehow you just trust him more. Many people in his organization hate him. But a few key...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friends, Last night, I was invited to a small dinner party with AI leaders in New York. I found myself walking into a room with Yann LeCun (yes, the Yann LeCun) and other leaders shaping our industry. We had great conversations on AI, our hobbies, things we are obsessed with, and let me share what I learned: 1. On AI Leadership: The future needs fractional Chief AI/Data Officers. From a CEO who helps companies hire Chief AI Officers, he told me something interesting: the best candidates...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Let's talk about a question many mentees asked me - let me start with my own story. When I first joined Amazon’s machine learning team, I faced a challenge many of us know well: imposter syndrome. Our team organized a knowledge-sharing session where everyone could present on topics they were passionate about. As proposals for advanced ML topics flooded in, I glanced at my own past machine learning models and felt a familiar sinking feeling. My work suddenly seemed basic,...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, If you struggle to get stakeholder buy-in, the “effective stakeholder communication” framework I teach has been a game-changer for many students, and it might help you, too. Unlike traditional online courses that involve passive learning, Data Science & ML Career Accelerator has both self-paced lessons and interactive coaching sessions. I give students specific workbooks and guidelines to help them practice high-impact conversations with stakeholders. Check it out:...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Greetings from Shanghai! I just reconnected with 3 friends after 11+ years. The only in common is we all studied math in college, and let's take a look at their lives now. 1. The Introverted "Tech Celebrity" Wei was in my math program during undergrad. His first job was a software engineer, then he joined a database startup where he became a developer advocate/tech evangelist – giving talks and supporting open-source communities. Despite being deeply introverted, his passion for...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Access the replay here after you sign up. So, we covered the fundamentals of personal branding. What’s next? I’m excited to share something with you. I’m launching a Personal Branding Accelerator this month. Our goal is simple: Create a trustworthy personal brand that opens doors to career-defining opportunities in just four weeks. Here’s your early invite: Launching: Personal Branding Accelerator (April 22 - May 22) This April, I’m helping 10 professionals build personal brands...
7 months ago • 1 min read