From architect to AI exec: Scaling leadership, maintaining credibility & effective communication to non-technical execs w/ Prashant Ramarao #222

Episode notes

How do you go from deeply technical IC to leading 100+ engineers - and still stay close to the tech? Prashant Ramarao , SVP of Engineering & Head of AI @ Yahoo shares lessons from his unconventional leadership journey, exploring the mindset shift from expert IC to executive! We cover how to scale your leadership while maintaining technical credibility and how to effectively communicate with GMs & other non-technical stakeholders. Plus, Prashant shares personal AI projects that enhanced his technical credibility, leadership skills & understanding of how to integrate AI into products If you’re navigating the leap from technical to strategic, or scaling your leadership, this one’s for you. ABOUT PRASHANT RAMARAO Prashant is a hands-on technology executive with extensive experience in software engineering, leading large organizations, specializing in AI / ML, and large-scale systems architecture. With advanced degrees in computer science and engineering leadership, he excels at defining technical strategies that align with business goals, delivering results, and fostering high-performing, cross-functional teams.

• The Product Paradigm Shift: How Livekit Navigated High Stakes Scaling Challenges to Build the Future of Voice-First AI Interfaces w/ Russ d’Sa #26256 / 100
• Building an empowered career w/ Jean Hsu & Cate Huston #26143 / 100
• Redefining profit, centering human flourishing, and building an incorruptible mission-driven roadmap w/ Eric Ries #26055 / 100
• Affirm’s AI-native transformation & how it’s driving operational excellence w/ Geddes Munson #259
• Building reliable and proactive agentic systems at scale: how Shopify’s reflexive AI culture was instrumental in their development of Sidekick w/ Andrew McNamara #258