In this episode, Cameron Balahan, the Product Lead for the Go programming language at Google, shares his unique career journey from law school to leading one of the most popular programming languages. Cameron reflects on his early passion for programming, building websites as a teenager, and the turning points in his life that led him from being a lawyer to a product manager at Google. He discusses the challenges he faced in electrical engineering, his experience in high-frequency trading, and the importance of public speaking in his current role. Cameron also provides insights into the vibrant Go community and the future of the language. Whether you’re interested in career transitions, programming, or the world of law and technology, this episode offers valuable lessons from an inspiring story.

00:00 Introduction

03:43 The Go Programming Language and its Community

9:50 First Memory of a Computer

16:10 Early Interest in Programming and Website Building

24:02 Balancing AP Classes and Pursuing Interests

28:38 Following His Passion for Computer Science  

37:30 Internships During University

43:05 Selling His Website to e-front

48:00 Becoming a Lawyer

01:03:11 Exploring a New Career Path

01:14:02 Becoming a Product Manager at Google

01:17:09 Joining the Go Team

1:24:10 Contact Info

Connect with Cameron: 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cameronbalahan

Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronbalahan

Mentioned in today’s episode:

Golang: https://go.dev/

Google: https://www.google.com/about/careers/

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