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Introducing: Lookahead - The Product
Lookahead.bio is our attempt to improve the developer hiring process.
Are you tired of completing a long technical screening round for every job application? Wish you could do it once and do it well? With our help, you'll showcase the very best of what you’re good at. This goes into a profile that you can use - and adapt - for every job you apply for.
This first release, out now, involves helping developers showcase their abilities in a way that’s relevant to employers.
For hiring managers, you can create employer profiles that contain information specific to developers. Think engineering environment, an honest discussion about tradeoffs and tech stack broken down according to products. It’ll help you stand out and we’ll be collecting anonymised data on candidate sentiment so employers get insights into who is not applying, and why.
We’d love to show you a demo and help you create a profile! Hit reply, contact our founder Steve Gilles, or register on lookahead.bio.
Coming up
SydCSS - First event for 2023!
Thursday, June 8 (2 Locomotive St, Eveleigh NSW & online)
Two incredible speakers, including a presentation on Native view transitions - an experimental browser API that helps build engaging user experiences b/w page loads in MPAs (Multi Page Applications)
Web Directions Code - Melbourne
Thursday, June 8 & Friday, June 9
Australia's conference for JavaScript Developers and Front End Engineers. If you build and deliver websites and apps, Code is for you. Happening both in-person and streaming online.
ROROSyd - Ruby on Rails User Group Sydney
Tuesday, June 13 (online & IRL)
If you're interested in speaking, they'd love to hear from you, drop an issue on the Github repo.
SydJS
Wednesday, June 21 (L6, 341 George St, Sydney)
The SydJS community has returned in 2023 and is celebrating its 14th year. Introducing you to great Developers, Companies, and Topics.
Friends
Let us introduce you to Huanhuan Huang:
Introduce yourself
Ex-SaftyCulture, ex-Atlassian & ex-Thoughtworker. Love movies and food. A mum of two kids and a cat. Wanted to be a policewoman but ended up becoming a CTO - watched too much CSI or 24.
Any podcast you are currently listening to, or a book you are reading?
I enjoy listening to audiobooks because it allows me to multitask and make the most of my limited time. Recently, I've been listening to "Nine Lies About Work," but I'm still in the process of forming my opinions on it. Some other great books I've come across lately include "Obviously Awesome," "Pitch Anything," "The Hard Thing About Hard
Things," and "Atomic Habits." I find it inspiring when a book provokes deep thought and provides techniques that can be applied to real-life situations.
What do you do outside work?
Outside of work, my two kids are the main culprits behind my packed schedule. I make it a point to spend quality time with them after work. Apart from that, I'm a movie aficionado! I recently enjoyed watching John Wick 4, which left me pumped up. It's astonishing how he survives a 10+ story fall and tumbles down a thousand stairs without a scratch. In reality, that's impossible, but the magic of cinema makes anything possible. John Wick won't rest in peace until he's accomplished his mission, and I admire his unwavering commitment.
What do you do for work?
At my current company, Super Obvious, we're on a mission to create an investment app that makes it simple for next-gen investors to align their money with their values and reach their financial goals. I serve as a board director and CTO, but I also oversee the product side of things, acting as the CPO. In a startup environment, it's common to wear multiple hats, and that's a challenge I genuinely enjoy. It allows me to engage in strategic thinking, influence the company and product direction, and see the bigger picture. Working at lightning speed can be exhilarating rather than exhausting, as it's fulfilling to get things done and make a meaningful impact.
What is your favourite tool or resource, and why?
You know, there are a few tools that have really made a difference in my productivity: Calendly, Spark, and ChatGPT. Calendly has been a game changer for scheduling meetings and appointments. Instead
of going back and forth trying to find the perfect time, people can just pick from my available slots. It's a real time-saver and keeps everything neat and tidy in my calendar. Then there's Spark. It's this awesome email client that helps me stay on top of my inbox like a pro. With smart sorting, quick replies, and even the option to snooze emails for later, I can focus on what matters and not drown in an email avalanche. And ChatGPT? It's been a lifesaver when it comes to writing and editing content, brainstorming, or even breaking through writer's block. As an AI language model, it helps me whip up text based on what I need, making writing tasks a breeze. It's like
having a super-smart writing buddy on standby whenever I need a hand. All of these tools have been fantastic for boosting my productivity. They help me keep things running smoothly and make my work life a whole lot easier.
Toughest work moment?
There have been plenty of challenging moments in my work, but I usually find them manageable. I'm drawn to tasks that push me out of my comfort zone and make me feel challenged. However, there was a particularly tough period in my previous job that left me feeling helpless. I was responsible for managing multiple teams, with 14+ direct reports. On the surface, it might have seemed like a great position since I was overseeing many core teams in the company, but in reality, it was exhausting. I didn't feel fulfilled because I couldn't dedicate enough time to each team or provide proper guidance to team members. Eventually, I learned to delegate and unload some
responsibilities, but for a long time, I was trying to do too much and ended up burnt out. It's definitely not an experience I'd want to relive.
Most rewarding work moment?
One of the most rewarding experiences I've had was leading a team that was struggling and guiding them toward success. The transformation required more than just collaboration; it called for fearlessness in the face of failure, continuous iteration, unwavering commitment, and a shared vision of our goals. Working together, we managed to turn things around and elevate the team to one of the
highest-performing in the company. This remarkable turnaround became an inspiring example for other teams, showcasing the power of overcoming adversity through a combination of ownership, determination, and a clear focus on shared objectives. The sense of fulfillment that came from steering the team through these challenges was truly special. We made a lasting impact on the company's trajectory, and as the team reached new heights, I felt a deep sense of pride in our collective success. This experience not only enriched my professional journey but also highlighted the importance of embracing challenges, fostering a culture of learning, and nurturing an environment where everyone is committed to achieving shared goals.
Your one sentence work-related advice
Adopt a growth mindset by continuously striving for improvement in every aspect of your work, never hesitating to constructively challenge ideas, processes, and norms within your role and beyond.
Your one sentence hiring-related advice
When hiring, emphasize selecting candidates who possess strong potential and concentrate on recruiting exceptional leaders before filling out the rest of the team.
Featured Jobs
Help us get ready to scale by breaking up our Ruby on Rails monolith into a services-based architecture and then adding new features to our web platform. You enjoy collaborating but can also work autonomously. And you're on board with our mission of a sustainable future.
Join a high-performing team that's shaping the future of AI acceleration in the fields of self-driving, aerial and medical. You'll work with engineers at the top of their game, helping customers around the world by optimizing performance speeds and removing bottlenecks in machine learning training pipelines.
For more opportunities head to our website or sign up for our job alerts.
Reads & listens
Debbie shared this article on AI & tech interviews, "ChatGPT Killed the Tech Interview: I tested 11 methods and here's what survived"
Can a marketer pass a senior engineering interview? Can a junior engineer? I scored the results based on the seniority of their response from total failure through senior-level. I’m sharing the data so that you can prioritize what to keep and what to kill in your interview process.
Steve shared this article on interviewer preparation, "7 Questions Tough Job Candidates Will Ask. Be Prepared" from Inc Australia.
Remember, an interview is a two-way conversation and candidates are coming prepared to interogate you, as they should. The days of people accepting a job–any job–are long past. People have options and don’t want to join companies that don’t match their goals and values.
JP finished the audiobook "Think Like a Monk", by Jay Shetty. It's a great listen and a past winner of the Audiobook of the Year award!
The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and Be Happy Now. Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the number one podcast ‘On Purpose’, distils the timeless wisdom he learned as a practising monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life.
Before we go
What does your work from home (WFH) setup look like?
Here's Huanhuan Huang's animal-friendly desk.
