Heather


is a tech lead at Google who has a passion for distributed systems. She’s a lifelong learner with a knack for seeing relationships and analogies between different topics. Lately, she’s been exploring how tech can teach us a lot about our own psychology and human relationships.

In this episode, you’ll learn about how she went from religious studies major → tech, how she taught herself to code, what passion for tech looks like, what working in tech taught her about relationships, and a different mindset around Imposter Syndrome.

👋 Connect with Heather!

• LinkedIn: heather-nakama

Books Mentioned:

 • How To Win Friends And Influence People: https://amzn.to/3McH39u

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Auto-generated timestamps:

0:12 : 🎙️ Heather's journey from religious studies to technology, using work for self-improvement, and her passion for technology.
5:17 : 🎮 The speaker's parents were supportive of their decision to pursue art and tech, which was refreshing to hear.
10:20 : 👫 Having supportive friends who recognize your potential can lead to seizing life opportunities.
15:21 : 😔 The speaker initially had low ambitions and faced doubt when job hunting, but eventually landed a coding job at Microsoft.
20:20 : 🎓 The speaker expresses gratitude and humility for their current situation compared to their past experiences during college.
25:56 : ! The speaker discusses the concept of reliability and communication in systems, comparing it to how our bodies function.
31:01 : 💼 Commitment is an action, not just a feeling, and is crucial for success in both work and personal life.
35:56 : 🗣️ The speaker suggests starting a conflict resolution with an affirmation of love and respect.
41:01 : 👧👦 Volunteering with kids is important to show girls and boys that women exist in tech.
45:58 : 👍 The speaker has no regrets about leaving Facebook and is enjoying working with the kernel and Linux.
51:05 : 🤔 Asking questions and seeking knowledge is important in learning and growth.
56:09 : 🗓️ The speaker discusses their yearly planning process and reflects on the previous year.
1:01:23 : 🌟 The speaker reflects on the role of luck and control in their life and acknowledges the support of friends.
Recap by Tammy AI

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