Engineering Leadership NYC

Yesterday, we hosted an incredible event at Squarespace HQ, our 13th meetup, bringing together eng. leaders from across NYC to discuss one of the most challenging aspects of leadership: leading teams through reorgs and business pivots. We kicked off the evening with insightful talks from Janani SriGuha (Squarespace) - where she shared a systematic 6-step framework for executing successful reorgs, emphasizing that reorgs are fundamentally "a human process first." - and Elmahdi Nahro “Mehdi” (Amex) - explored "The Ripple Effect" diving deep into the human and strategic ramifications of organizational change. After that, we had our panel discussion, moderated by Thiago Ghisi, featuring additional perspectives from Anish Parikh (DoorDash) & Jonathan Swyers (Block), alongside our speakers. 🔑 Key Insights: 1. Communication Under Uncertainty: When you can't reveal what's coming in terms of reorgs, frame discussions within the boundaries of what has historically happened in the organization. This provides context without compromising confidential information while still giving teams a reference point. 2. Timeline Discipline: A major recipe for disaster in reorgs is trying to rush things through overnight. 2-3 months is usually the necessary timeline to execute a solid reorganization. This includes not just ownership boundaries, but transition timelines for knowledge transfer, on-call responsibilities, and support handoffs. 3. Trust as the Foundation: Nothing replaces trust and relationships when navigating tough organizational changes. The quality of existing relationships often determines how smoothly teams adapt to new structures and priorities. 4. Senior/Staff+ Engineers are Leadership: Staff & Senior engineers are leadership and should be communicating the same messages as managers, directors, and VPs—not opposing viewpoints. They become crucial amplifiers and emotional load balancers during transitions. 5. Resilient Culture: To create change-resilient cultures, give space for people to vent and express concerns, then bring it home with "What should/could we do about it?" This two-phase approach acknowledges emotions while driving action. 👏 Thank You! A massive thank you to our speakers Janani and Mehdi for their vulnerable insights and practical frameworks. To our panelists Anish and Jonathan for sharing their experiences navigating organizational transformations. Special gratitude to Squarespace for hosting us in their incredible office and to John Colton (CTO) for the warm welcome and insights into Squarespace's engineering culture. Also big kudos to the Squarespace team that helped us with all the logistics, especially Courtney Naughton and Jon Thornton. Finally, thank you to our organizing team: Benjamin Y., Mykola Kurutin, 👾Phil Calçado, Siri Kostanyan, Francisco Trindade & Thiago Ghisi. Follow Engineering Leadership NYC to stay updated on future events. We're already planning our next one for October at Doordash.

Another great night at Engineering Leadership NYC — hosted at one of the top 10 offices in NYC: Squarespace. Hint, hint: if you’re an engineering leader in NYC, don’t miss the next one. What stood out most for me was the AI convo around job security. There’s a growing divide in tech: people who are fully adopting AI into their work and life vs. people just scratching the surface. And honestly? I’m seeing it firsthand. Two weeks ago I competed in my first-ever powerlifting competition. I used AI for nutrition prep, mental prep, and comp-day strategy. It pulled from past conversations, remembered details, and even acted like a sideline coach before I went on platform. I vetted everything with my coach — then went out and blew past all my personal records. Those who look like high performers right now? They’re the ones weaving AI into their process, not just scratching the surface with emails. Configured right, with long-term memory, AI becomes a real co-pilot — one that can push your career, your health, and your life forward. (GitHub Co-Pilot though? Still not a fan — but that’s an off-the-record convo.)

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲, but it gets better when we talk about it. Join us for an evening of real talk and sharp insights at the Squarespace NYC Office. 🗓️ Wednesday, August 20 ⏰ 6:00–8:30 PM RSVP: https://lu.ma/x6jy8ah5

Sign up for our next Engineering Leadership NYC event at Squarespace NYC office! 🗓️ Wednesday, August 20 ⏰ 6:00–8:30 PM   Expect honest stories, practical strategies, and a chance to connect with peers navigating the same challenges. This community continues to grow because of thoughtful people like you. Come for the insights, stay for the connections.    RSVP: https://lu.ma/x6jy8ah5   #EngineeringLeadership #TechEvents #Reorgs #NYCTech #ChangeManagement #ELNYC #Squarespace

This week, during NYC Tech Week, we brought together our community of engineering leaders at LinkedIn’s NYC office in one of the city’s landmarks, the Empire State Building, for an evening focused on one of the most essential, and often overlooked, aspects of leadership: 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲. In collaboration with LinkedIn, our latest Engineering Leadership NYC event welcomed attendees who came ready to learn, reflect, and connect. The conversations centered on how leaders at every level can build credibility, advocate for themselves and others, and create lasting impact in their organizations. The evening began with two powerful lightning talks. - Nitya Shekar, JD shared a clear and actionable framework for cultivating the network every leader needs, mentors, sponsors, coaches, challengers, and collaborators. - 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢 showed how principles from data science can strengthen leadership influence, from telling compelling stories to navigating complexity and pushback. Our panel discussion, moderated by Siri Kostanyan, featured insightful perspectives from Jin Zhang, Yannie Y., Christine Choi, and Nitya Shekar, JD. Each panelist brought experience and tactical wisdom to the conversation, reminding us that advocacy isn’t just a skill, it’s a mindset. A heartfelt thank you to Alegria Baquero, our MC for the evening, for guiding the event with warmth, presence, and clarity. And to everyone who joined us, asked questions, stayed to network, and contributed by being a part of this vibrant community of professionals, thank you. Finally, a big thank you to our incredible organizing team: Pratheeksha K Seetharama, Anita Desai, Benjamin Y., Mykola Kurutin, 🟣 Phil Calçado, Francisco Trindade, Thiago Ghisi, Alegria Baquero, and Siri Kostanyan. Your work continues to grow this thoughtful, inclusive space for engineering leadership in NYC. Follow Engineering Leadership NYC to stay updated on future events. #NYTechWeek TECH WEEK by a16z #EngineeringLeadership #WomenInTech #ELNYC #LinkedIn #TechLeadership #Advocacy #LeadershipCommunity #NYCTech

🚨 Just 1 week to go! Don’t miss our next in-person meetup — a great opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with like-minded engineering leaders. 🎟️ RSVP now to secure your place: https://lu.ma/zz7hlwc4

We’re excited to announce our next Engineering Leadership NYC in-person event, in collaboration with LinkedIn and part of 𝗡𝗬 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸. 📅 Tuesday, 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟯𝗿𝗱, 2025 at 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm ET 📍 LinkedIn NYC Office, Empire State Building This time, we’re diving into Influence and Advocacy for Engineering Leaders, with a focus on how women engineering leaders create impact, advocate for themselves and others, and drive meaningful change across teams and organizations. The evening will feature lightning talks and a panel discussion with inspiring leaders. 🎟️ RSVP here: https://lu.ma/zz7hlwc4 𝗼𝗿 https://lnkd.in/erdUimAu We welcome 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 to join the event, connect, and grow together! #NYTechWeek TECH WEEK by a16z

Thrilled to be hosting an event at LinkedIn New York on a topic I care deeply about—influence and advocacy for engineering leaders. Hope to see you there! RSVP to join. https://lu.ma/zz7hlwc4 or https://lnkd.in/erdUimAu