05: Scaling Software Teams - Harsh Sinha - Transferwise VP Engineering
Harsh is the VP of Engineering at TransferWise. On the podcast, he shares his wealth of experience leading software teams at scale.Prior to joining TransferWise, Harsh was Director of Product at PayPal leading product strategy and development of PayPal’s mobile apps and SDKs enabling third parties to build mobile wallet experiences. He also led eBay’s Local initiatives as Director of Engineering where he owned the vision and development of eBay’s Click & Collect platform globally, including launching eBay’s Click & Collect integration with Argos in the UK.He has a LOT of experience working with products at scale and managing teams through tough challenges and disasters.TRANSFERWISETransferWise is a leading low-cost currency exchange online currency exchange allowing you to easily send money across the globe.You can sign up here to send your first transaction for free. (https://transferwise.com/register?utmSource=url&utmMedium=invite&utmContent=&utmCampaign=3for50&referralCode=samh26&referralToken=samh26&profileType=PERSONAL#/)Borderless Bank AccountTheir new Borderless Bank Account is possibly my favourite product of 2017. You can register your own bank account with a physical address and bank account numbers so you can store legit money, pay people and be paid in several currencies. For anyone that travels frequently, enjoys currency speculation or supplies digital work across borders this is the most amazingly useful thing ever.You can sign up for an account here (https://transferwise.com/register?utmSource=url&utmMedium=invite&utmContent=&utmCampaign=3for50&referralCode=samh26&referralToken=samh26&profileType=PERSONAL#/)SAM’S TOP TIPS FROM THE EPISODEWhen building a team that scales, so called 10x engineers can be toxic and not worth the risk. Check that someone is a team-player first and has the right alignment with the company, then assess on how good they are.Take risks early in life and try wearing some different hats. See what suits you and commit to big idea’s before life gets in the way.In tech it is inevitable that things will break at some point. Don’t be so sure of yourself that good processes will prevent any failures occurring. Always keep in place good monitoring to ensure you catch it early and can diagnose and roll back or fix the problem quickly.FAVOURITE BOOKSThe Lean Start Up — Eric Ries (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0670921602/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=samharris48-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0670921602&linkId=2deaa993ab7118ded9644d62681b13f5)The book that started the whole lean movement. A standard for all cash strapped entrepreneurs. The Lean Startup is about learning what your customers really want. It’s about testing your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting before it’s too late.Four steps to epiphany — Steve Blank (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Steps-Epiphany-Successful-Strategies/dp/0989200507/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25PWXZA3LW37N&keywords=four+steps+to+epiphany&qid=1580020897&s=books&sprefix=four+steps+to+%2Cstripbooks%2C467&sr=1-1)The Four Steps to the Epiphany launched the Lean Startup approach to new ventures. It was the first book to offer that startups are not smaller versions of large companies and that new ventures are different than existing ones. Startups search for business models while existing companies execute them.The book offers the practical and proven four-step Customer Development process for search and offers insight into what makes some startups successful and leaves others selling off their furniture.Start Up owners manual — Steve Blank (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0984999302/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=samharris48-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0984999302&linkId=845a53471aace47bcaed4c642ff0e7b3)It s been called the bible for startups and the best $40 investment a startup can make (on sale at Amazon for far less)! A startup without customers is like a day without oxygen, and the Startup Owner s Manual helps founders get it right and shows you how to get, keep, and grow customers, literally every step of the way.Bill Bryson (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0035OC7VI/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=samharris48-21&camp=1634&creative=6738&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0035OC7VI&linkId=9b345b4d56ea237214b7bfc4a27e5c60)A travel writer who creates ight-hearted yet insightful thought pieces on the world around him. A great read to understand a lot more about different cultures and what is going on across the globe all form teh comfort of your armchair.PODCASTSPLANET MONEYAn informative and often humorous insight into the world of money and the way economics shapes the world around us.50 THINGS THAT CHANGED THE MODERN ECONOMYShort 10 minute episodes on things you might never have thought of but perhaps play a huge role in your life or the modern world. Nice thought bites to listen to on the train to make you a little bit wiser.CONTACT USWe’d love to know what you learned most from the episode and feel free to leave a comment or start a conversation with us on twitter. You can find out more about Sam or Tom and talk about any episode you’ve enjoyed or the future of the podcast.Harsh and TransferWise:Twitter — @HarshSinha (https://twitter.com/harshSinha)Twitter — @TransferWise (https://twitter.com/TransferWise)Sam:Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/samjamsnaps/)Quora (https://www.quora.com/profile/Sam-Harris-58)Twitter (https://twitter.com/samharristweets)LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharris48/)Subscribe!If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! Special Guest: Harsh Sinha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8 Okt 201751min
The Startup Bakery - Iterating towards Product Market Fit with Tomiwa Adey
Tomiwa Adey is a young tech entrepreneur who has founded several start-ups, learning a lot from his successes and failures. He offers a humorous insight into the trials and tribulations of being a tech entrepreneur and how to develop a positive mindset - - - On the growth mindset podcast with Sam Webster Harris, we explore the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. Success and happiness is a state of mind unique to ourselves and is our responsibility to create. Through a process of honest self-reflection of what is holding us back and what is driving us forward, we can lose the ego and build awareness of how to be the best we can be. - - - Connect with Sam: Sam's newsletter on creativity - Explosive Thinking Watch the pod - YouTube (Growth Mindset) Twitter - @samjamharris Instagram - @SamJam.zen - - - Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: The Startup Bakery - Iterating towards Product Market Fit with Tomiwa Adey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 Sep 201745min
Intro interview - Sam & Jane Harris
The first introduction episode to the Growth Mindset Podcast. Sam looks back at his life with his mother Jane and explores some of the main events and funny stories that cultured his growth mindset. Fair warning, I had no idea how to run a podcast at this point. For now it's cute to have this to look back on if you're interested but don't expect anything incredible =) The Harris family get excited Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Sep 201734min
Growing Startup Teams - Dean Hume, CTO at Settled.co.uk
Dean Hume is the author of the book Building Great Start Up Teams and various tech books like ASP.Net Websites and is passionate about web performance He is also a full-time developer and CTO. He shares great insights into running and growing a successful teams and his philosophies on life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
24 Aug 201741min
Putting the Touch in 'Touchless' Tech! - Tom Carter - Founder & CTO, Ultrahaptics
Tom Carter is the Founder and CEO at UltraLeap. When I interviewed him for this episode back in 2018 they were called Ultrahaptics. They are a leading technology company making mind-blowing technology that lets users feel the sensation of touch in mid-air. On the podcast, he shares some amazing insights into what he has learned along the way building a tech business and learning to be humble as well as wildly aspirational. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
16 Aug 201756min
Learned Helplessness and Learned Optimism - Unleash Awesomeness
The story of the growth mindset is rooted in our understanding of learned helplessness and learned optimism. Our tendency to learn to accept a situation and give up on changing it is the root of a fixed mindset. Our ability to behave optimistically and learn to seek new solutions to recurring problems is the root of a Growth mindset. The concept of a Growth Mindset was developed by Carol Dweck expanding on the previous work of Martin Seligman to create a deeper understanding of success and achievement. In this episode, we dive into the work that helped lay the ground for the true self-improvement movement from a psychological perspective and set the foundations of understanding for the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8 Aug 201738min
