Outnumbered & Outgunned
Eddie and Morgan dive into a challenging listener's question about navigating a reverse merger opportunity amidst failing technology due diligence in a small FinTech startup.
Special guest Robin Atwood, a seasoned engineering leader at Nuro, joins to shed light on technology due diligence, touching on critical topics like security, operational resilience, and compliance. They discuss prioritization and leadership strategies to balance immediate business needs with long-term technical improvements. The episode dives deep into managing external contractors, leveraging AI, organizational alignment, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders in high-stress situations.
Special guest Robin Atwood, a seasoned engineering leader at Nuro, joins to shed light on technology due diligence, touching on critical topics like security, operational resilience, and compliance. They discuss prioritization and leadership strategies to balance immediate business needs with long-term technical improvements. The episode dives deep into managing external contractors, leveraging AI, organizational alignment, and maintaining transparency with stakeholders in high-stress situations.
- (00:00) - Welcome and Introduction
- (00:08) - Meet Robin Atwood: Engineering Leader at Nuro
- (01:49) - Listener's Dilemma: FinTech Startup Struggles
- (04:10) - The Importance of Technology Due Diligence
- (05:28) - Robin's Advice on Operational Resilience
- (09:27) - Leadership and Prioritization in Startups
- (11:57) - The Role of Compliance and Security
- (23:09) - Collaboration and Context in Engineering
- (32:02) - API Frustrations and Workarounds
- (33:22) - Empathy in Leadership
- (33:44) - Importance of Buy-In and Alignment
- (35:44) - Simplifying and Prioritizing in Startups
- (39:18) - Operating Models and Organizational Maturity
- (51:17) - Managing External Help
- (55:57) - Handling Urgency and Stakeholder Expectations
- (59:48) - AI in IT and Innovation
- (01:03:20) - Conclusion and Listener Engagement
Creators and Guests
Host
Eddie Flaisler
Eddie is a classically-trained computer scientist born in Romania and raised in Israel. His experience ranges from implementing security systems to scaling up simulation infrastructure for Uber’s autonomous vehicles, and his passion lies in building strong teams and fostering a healthy engineering culture.
Host
Morgan VanDerLeest
Trying to make software engineering + leadership a better place to work. Dad. Book nerd. Pleasant human being.
Guest
Robin Atwood
Robin in is an engineer, visionary, creator, builder of teams and careers, and a champion for inclusivity! Robin is the director of IT for Nuro.
