The Blind Ambition with Jack Kelly – Details, episodes & analysis

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen react to a viral Blind poll that found that 76% of Nvidia professionals claim to be millionaires, and 33% may have a net worth of $20 million or more as a result of Nvidia's incredible stock price appreciation since 2019. Rick reveals how much stock you might have gotten depending on when you joined Nvidia.

Rick explains how stock-based compensation works and why employers have set up stock grants to unlock over long periods of time. We look into how companies purposefully try to create golden handcuffs and lock in their employees. Jack explores what it might be like when many of your coworkers are millionaires and what Nvidia's work culture is like.

https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://x.com/FilledWithMoney/status/1807020496677957931

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/09/04/nvidia-employees-become-multi-millionaires-but-at-what-price/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-26/what-s-it-like-working-at-nvidia-you-may-get-rich-but-work-remains-stressful

Jack Kelly and Rick Chen break down Goldman Sachs' latest planned layoffs of 1,300 to 1,800 people as part of its annual performance review process. We react to the mega investment bank's plans to "cull" its workforce and why so many Wall Street firms and banks have annual layoffs. Jack reflects on how the situation is exacerbated by the stigma associated with being labeled a so-called "low performer" and how it typically impacts someone's job prospects in the future.

Rick compares the pay packages common on Wall Street and the finance industry with what you might earn at Nvidia, Meta or a startup in the tech industry. He also explains how stock options and restricted stock unit grants work and whether people really earn $500,000 or more in tech. Jack contrasts the tech industry's stock-based compensation with Wall Street's cash bonuses and explains which might be the better bet for your career.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/blind-podcast

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/09/03/goldman-sachs-plans-to-lay-off-around-1300-employees/

Gal Josefsberg, Vice President, Product and Operations - Cloud Platform at Guidewire Software

Gal has seen it all as a product management executive. He walks us through what it is like to be a product owner at an early-stage startup, a more mature startup, and how an IPO or acquisition changes the role. We explore how to work with startup founders and CEOs, navigate egos and micromanagement, and why many product managers might have impostor syndrome.

Gal also gives us his best interview advice, including how to tell if a startup is serious about its product and what you can learn from its investors. Finally, he explains how you can land your first product manager role and even the best questions to ask in a job interview. As a bonus, Gal also tells us how to ace the case study.

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Michal Pechoucek, Chief Technology Officer at Gen

Before his career in cybersecurity, with stints at Cisco, Avast and NortonLifeLock, Michal was one of the first academics to study AI. We ask the founder of the Artificial Intelligence Center everything from the hottest opportunities in AI to the intersection of cybersecurity and AI and the dangers many people still need to consider.

https://bit.ly/blindambitionpodcast

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on how to work with recruiters.

Jack pulls back the curtain on recruiters and how they get hired and paid by companies. He explains why they might go from nagging to ghosting you and what their messages and phone calls actually mean. Finally, he shares how you can take advantage of working with a recruiter or headhunter and what you can do to find one that can level up your career.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.  

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

Sagi Gidali, Chief Growth Officer at Perimeter 81

Sagi is a veteran of the Israel Defense Force's elite visual intelligence unit. Unit 9900, as it is called, has incubated dozens of startups and public companies valued at $1 billion or more, especially in cybersecurity. We get the "411" on why that has been the case and how security has evolved after the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of remote and hybrid work schedules. He also reveals what it takes to make a career in security and how Perimeter 81 hires its engineers and technologists.

https://bit.ly/blindambitionpod

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on bouncing back after a layoff.

Jack shares what you should do if you've been laid off. He explains how you can get leads for a new job or a job referral. Jack also outlines how you can start a plan for a new job.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

Matt Spitz, Vice President, Engineering at Vanta

Matt was previously one of the founding engineers at Dropbox New York. He reflects on how the office grew from zero to 160 employees. We touch on how he helped hire 90 engineers, whether geography or job-hopping matters for your career and how Silicon Valley engineering culture might differ from New York and elsewhere. Finally, he explains what it's like to be an engineer at Vanta, the tech challenges in security and compliance, and what he looks for before he makes a job offer to his team.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/ba2qbznm

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on "career cushioning."

Jack explains what so-called career experts and media pundits mean when they talk about career cushioning. In short, it's the plan that professionals should have to protect their futures and perhaps even survive a layoff or reduction in force. He breaks down the trend and provides actual things you can do to get started. Finally, Jack tackles the future of quiet quitting amid concerns about a recession and all the layoffs, hiring freezes and job offers getting rescinded.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact. 

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/

With Blind Bytes, Jack Kelly and Rick Chen reveal insider tips about professional life, which you can use immediately to level up your career. In this episode, we take on the "hidden job market." 

Jack explores why some jobs are never posted on job boards or a company's career page. He explains what some companies are doing to get around New York City and some states' pay transparency laws, which require salary listings to be included in job descriptions. Finally, Jack outlines why it's best to work with a recruiter who specializes in your job function or industry and why internal referrals are still crucial to getting the fast track in the interview process.

With the onslaught of layoff announcements, this is understandably a difficult time for many people. If you need someone to talk to or have any questions pertaining to the job search, please feel free to reach out to Jack at jack@wecruitr.com.

Talent by Blind helps software engineers and technologists land job offers with some of the fastest-growing companies. Our recruiters work directly with you (for free!) to get you on the inside track with hiring managers and roles with better total compensation packages or impact.

https://blindap.onelink.me/ttCg/mhe5kscq

https://www.talentbyblind.com/