Leading across technical domains, strategic deep-dives & applying your skills in new industries w/ Simone Kalmakis #231

Episode notes

How do you apply your leadership skills to a new, mission-driven industry and effectively lead teams across multiple technical domains? In this episode, Simone Kalmakis (VPE @ Viam) shares her playbook for successfully transitioning between industries from health-tech and climate to her current work in robotics and AI. We deconstruct the leadership models she uses to prioritize her time, manage multiple technical experts, and why she focuses on "depth with 1-2 teams > breadth". Plus, her framework for onboarding in a new domain, the lifecycle of a leadership "deep dive," and communication practices that build trust and empower your entire organization to stay aligned and motivated. ABOUT SIMONE KALMAKIS Simone Kalmakis is the VP of Engineering at Viam, a platform unlocking AI, data, and automation for devices in the physical world. She has deep experience applying AI and machine learning to big data and big missions, and is known for building healthy engineering organizations that drive business value and real-world progress.

Related episodes across the Index

Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.

• Hiring top-tier talent, the importance of adopting an evolutionary mindset, and taking critical feedback to solve technical problems w/ Sergiy Nesterenko @ QuilterEngineering Founders · on Engineering management88 / 100
• What Marketers Can Control When AI Changes Everything with Nick Wedewer, VP of Growth Marketing at Hims & HersThe Partnership Economy · on generative AI87 / 100
• Code Review Is a Taste Problem | David Poll ⁨@GitHub⁩Hangar DX Podcast · on engineering leadership81 / 100
• Inside Target’s approach to enterprise AI deployment with Sowmya PodilaThe Ecommerce Toolbox: AI in Retail · on generative AI79 / 100
• Navigating AI Risks with Trevor Horwitz from TrustNetB2B Automation Spotlight · on generative AI79 / 100
• SIG Summit Opening Keynote: Kevin Surace on How the Joy Success Cycle Improves the Workplace in an AI RevolutionSourcing Industry Landscape · on generative AI65 / 100

• Hiring top-tier talent, leveraging open source models, and staying competitive in the age of AI w/ Benny Chen #26786 / 100
• Determining bets, using customer insights to pivot, and gaining developer buy-in & trust w/ Tomas Reimers #26483 / 100
• Utilizing AI internally to iterate faster and empower smaller teams to upskill w/ Vivek Raghunathan #26396 / 100
• The Product Paradigm Shift: How Livekit Navigated High Stakes Scaling Challenges to Build the Future of Voice-First AI Interfaces w/ Russ d’Sa #26276 / 100
• Building an empowered career w/ Jean Hsu & Cate Huston #26163 / 100