Career Development Insights

My biggest takeaways from Netflix's Chief Product and Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone: 1. Elizabeth believes that “systems thinking” is becoming the most important skill in the AI era. In engineering and product, this means people who can see across business domains and build the common capabilities that let many teams move quickly. In design, it means experience designers who create templates and design systems so that non-designers can ship work that stays coherent and on-brand. The underlying driver is velocity: when more people are doing more types of work at higher speed, you need to be good at building common scaffolding. 2. Systems thinking is learnable: zoom out one level from your specific problem. Given a task, step back one click—what bigger problem does this serve the business, will it scale across the product surface areas, should it become a platform capability? The companion habit: do your job in a way that helps your manager do theirs. This will force you to think about how all the pieces fit together. 3. Expect a storming phase before a forming phase. The role confusion people feel right now (“What is my job anymore?”) is the predictable middle of any transformative technology. Elizabeth’s advice: focus on high-quality source-of-truth data, guardrails on what ships, and constant internal reinforcement that humans own what they create. 4. The top AI labs converged on Netflix’s culture. High agency, high talent density, top-of-market pay, bottom-up thinking, fast experiments—the traits Lenny hears constantly from AI labs were in Netflix’s early culture deck. Elizabeth’s explanation: excellence comes from hiring exceptional people, trusting them to do great work, and holding them accountable. 5. Netflix’s culture is centered around building “excellence as an operating system.” High talent density, radical transparency, context not control, and the keeper’s test. These work together to create an environment of trust and accountability, without bureaucracy. But it’s also uncomfortable. It requires tolerating people making decisions you’d make differently, resisting the reflex to add process when things go wrong, and letting people carry the weight of their own choices. Elizabeth describes the hardest part as “being comfortable in that discomfort.” 6. Specialization is trending down—adaptable generalists are trending up. We’re shifting away from narrow stack-layer specialists (pure frontend, pure backend) toward people who can navigate fluidly across layers. The same logic applies to business domain knowledge: the mindset of “I’m a payments expert, full stop” is less valuable than “I know payments well enough and I’m willing to imagine what the future version of this looks like.” The meta-skill is learning to learn, not locking into a single lane.

Most parents dramatically overestimate the importance of their child becoming a professional athlete… and underestimate the value of simply staying in sport. The odds of going pro are microscopic. The odds of sport shaping the kind of adult you become are not. Some of the viral stats floating around social media - such as the one in the image below - are definitely compressed for effect, but the overall thrust holds up. An EY/espnW study found that 94% of women in C-suite positions played sport at some level, and over 50% played at university level. Another long-term study found that girls who played high school sport earned around 7% higher wages as adults. I see this first-hand growing up around tennis. The players who “made it” were rare. But the ones who benefitted from the sport? Almost everyone. Some became executives, entrepreneurs, doctors, coaches, operators, or simply more disciplined and resilient human beings. And honestly, tennis in particular can be brutal in ways few youth sports are. It is intensely individual. There is nowhere to hide. You lose alone, problem-solve alone and spend years learning how to manage frustration, pressure and self-doubt in public. Junior tennis teaches emotional control faster than almost anything else I’ve seen. Sports in general gave people things the classroom often couldn’t: - how to lose publicly, - how to handle pressure, - how to work with difficult people, - how to recover from failure without collapsing emotionally. That matters later in life far more than a junior ranking ever will. It doesn’t mean sport magically creates successful people. Correlation is not causation. But it would also be naive to pretend that years of competition, structure, discipline and repeated exposure to adversity do not shape people. I sometimes think modern youth sport, especially tennis, has drifted into an unhealthy place. Too many parents now view it almost entirely through the lens of scholarships, rankings, UTRs, contracts and “return on investment”. If a child doesn’t go pro, the journey is framed as somehow unsuccessful. That’s the wrong metric. The vast majority of children were never supposed to become professional athletes. The real purpose of youth sport was always much broader than that. It was about building confidence, social skills, resilience, health, leadership and identity. It was about teaching young people to function under stress and uncertainty. In a world increasingly designed around comfort and instant gratification, thats becoming more valuable, not less. The real legacy of youth sport was never supposed to be a tiny number of professionals at the top. It was supposed to be millions of more capable, resilient and confident adults walking into the world better prepared for life because at some point, they learned how to compete, fail, adapt and keep going. #YouthSports #Leadership #Tennis #GirlsInSport #Parenting #RacketSports #SportsBusiness

She was forced to resign because she got married. Then she became the first woman to lead a UN peacekeeping mission. Margaret Joan Anstee's career tells an extraordinary story. She was among the first women to enter the UK Diplomatic Service after women were officially allowed to join in 1946. Before that, diplomatic and consular careers had been formally reserved for men. But in 1952, after marrying a fellow British diplomat, Anstee was forced to resign from the Foreign Office under the so-called “marriage bar”; a policy requiring women diplomats to leave the service upon marriage. The rule remained in force until 1973. That moment could easily have ended her international career. Instead, it redirected her toward the United Nations. While accompanying her husband abroad, she accepted a position with the UN Technical Assistance Board, as an administrative officer in the Philippines. From there, one of the most remarkable careers in UN history emerged. 👉 1956 - she became Acting Head of the UN Technical Assistance Board (one of the predecessors of UNDP) in Colombia, effectively becoming the first woman to serve as a UN Representative at the country level. 👉 1969 - only a few years after the creation of UNDP, Anstee was appointed in Morocco as the organization’s first female Resident Representative. She later also served in Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Ethiopia, Chile. She became one of the pioneering women in what was then an almost entirely male leadership structure. 👉 She participated in major humanitarian and recovery operations linked to Bangladesh after the 1973 crisis, the 1985 Mexico earthquake, Chernobyl coordination in 1991, the Kuwait oil fires after the Gulf War. By the late 1970s, she had entered the highest executive levels of the UN Secretariat. 👉 1978 - she became one of the first women appointed Assistant Secretary-General. 👉 1987 - she made history again as the first woman to reach the rank of Under-Secretary-General. But perhaps her most symbolically important assignment came in 1992. 👉 Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali appointed her Special Representative for Angola, making her the first woman ever to head a UN peacekeeping mission. Anstee entered that environment as a highly experienced operational leader with decades of field experience behind her. What makes her trajectory remarkable is that her career unfolded during a period when many institutional doors for women were still only partially open. She was not simply “the first woman” in multiple positions. She belonged to the generation that helped normalize the idea that women could lead complex international political, development and humanitarian operations at the highest levels. Progress inside international organizations rarely happens suddenly. It advances through individuals willing to challenge institutional cultures from within. If useful, share with those interested in the history of women at the UN.

My broadcasting journey began in Canada, took me to Beijing as a freelancer, and eventually led to TV news in Hong Kong. Along the way, I learned lessons that have influenced my path and I hope they might help you as well. 1. Embrace your authentic self. For the first decade, nerves often held me back. Even if others didn’t notice, I felt it kept me from fully enjoying my craft. It was rooted in my performance-oriented Korean culture and the pressure to succeed and be perfect. Eventually, I learned to breathe through the anxiety, especially after a near-death experience while filming a documentary in China. I began to tap into the power of self-awareness and to be kind to myself whenever I felt stressed. 2. Turn critics into catalysts. Putting yourself out there, whether on social media or in person, invites feedback, and not all of it is kind. Even though the positive comments far outweighed the ugly ones, I still remember the harsh comments that made me question my worth. Over time, I’ve transformed negativity into something positive and powerful to help me grow rather than letting it diminish me. 3. View competition as a growth tool. I used to see others vying for the same stories or clients as a threat. Now, I welcome any kind of competition to push me forward to elevate my work and potential, and I no longer view “winning” as the only reward. 4. Cultivate your network intentionally. In journalism and philanthropy alike, I spoke with dozens of people daily, from diverse backgrounds, with different stories. At one company, I had an unlimited expense account and hosted people for meals. Years later, I have been paid for these connections in certain roles. Without knowing it, I was building networks that money couldn’t buy. Looking back, I wish I’d understood sooner that the quality of your connections can be the difference-maker in your career. To sum up the lessons I wish someone had told me when I was younger: 1. Authenticity attracts opportunities: be brave enough to show up as your true self. 2. Criticism is a gift: use it to refine your skills and mindset. 3. Welcome any kind of competition: see it as a catalyst for your best work. 4. Your network is your net worth: invest in people intentionally. Remember, growth often comes from stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing the lessons along the way. *Vintage photo of me on TV in Hong Kong. A friend sent me this picture. Hi, I’m Sylvia Yu Friedman. I offer book writing services and work at the intersection of publishing, finance and the entertainment industry.

Throughout my career conversations, one question echoes consistently: "Should I pursue an individual contributor (IC) or management track in AI?" Contrary to traditional career narratives, AI demands a more sophisticated approach. Due to the technical depth of AI, the IC path isn't a dead end but an enriching journey of innovation and expertise. What's fascinating is how AI is reshaping career dynamics: even people managers must stay hands-on and technically sharp. Big tech (or even almost all tech companies) now recognize technical leadership as equally prestigious as management roles, with principal engineers and research scientists commanding the same respect and compensation as their people-managing counterparts, sometimes even more. The real magic happens when you're strategic about your growth. For IC professionals, this means continuously expanding your technical breadth and depth. Focus on becoming a technical thought leader, publish research/articles, contribute to open-source projects, speak at conferences, and develop cutting-edge solutions that push the boundaries of AI. For those drawn to management, the key is to develop not just people skills but a deep understanding of AI's strategic implementation. A successful AI manager is one who bridges technical complexity with business vision, creating an environment where innovation thrives and complex AI solutions are created. Your publications will shift from technical deep dives to thought leadership that demonstrates strategic prioritization and transformative potential. Ultimately, the most fulfilling path is the one that aligns with your intrinsic motivations. If you're energized by solving complex technical challenges, diving deep into machine learning models, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible, the IC track might be your calling. If you're passionate about amplifying human potential, mentoring talent, and driving large-scale AI initiatives, people management could be your sweet spot. There are no right or wrong decisions. The beauty of AI is its flexibility. Many professionals successfully navigate between these paths throughout their careers, bringing unique perspectives and a holistic understanding to each role they touch. #ExperienceFromTheField #WrittenByHuman #EditedByAI

Forty percent of Black women are Onlys. The only woman in the room. The only Black person at the table. The only one who looks like them in the entire department. Double the rate of women overall. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐱™ Being the Only doesn't just feel isolating. It costs you money. Here's how: 51% of Black women who are Onlys report needing to provide more evidence of their competence than their colleagues. For men who are not Onlys? 13%. That's a 38-point gap in proof burden. Every time you re-explain your qualifications. Every time you over-document your decisions. Every time you CC three extra people to establish a paper trail because you know your word won't be enough. That's labor. Unpaid labor. 77% of Black women report "prove it again" bias — having to demonstrate competence over and over, while their white male counterparts get presumed capable from day one. And when you do succeed? They don't credit competence. They credit luck. Affirmative action. Help from someone else. Timing. Your wins don't compound in your file. They evaporate. So you prove it again. And again. And again. Meanwhile, Brad's first success is still paying dividends three promotions later. This is not a confidence gap. This is an extraction gap. The time you spend re-proving yourself is time you're not spending on visible, credited, compensated work. It's time stolen from the record that determines your raise. Your promotion. Your equity. They're not asking you to prove it again because they forgot. They're asking because the system is designed to make you work twice for half the credit. And half the credit means half the compensation. Document the proof burden. Track the hours. Name the pattern. Because the Only Tax isn't invisible. It's just unbilled. How many times have you had to prove something twice that Brad only had to prove once? Thank You; It's True™ #BlackWomensWealthLab #DocumentEverything #TheOnlyTax

Career women have a complicated relationship with the media and speaking opportunities. Let me explain. Recently, I was invited to speak on a popular TV station for International Women’s Day. The invitation came the evening before because there had been a last minute cancellation. The questions were sent around 9pm. The studio was two hours away. I had every reason to say no. But I didnt. I run two communities for women and 80% of my clients are women. Speaking about the empowerment of women on International Women's Day tied in perfectly with my brand and my overall visibility goals. Also I know that certain types of visibility is not optional for the level of opportunities many women say they want. So I went. When I arrived, the producer made a comment that made myself and the other guests really think. “It’s very difficult to get women. They cancel last minute. Men are more reliable.” He went further to share how some men had proactively approached him for opportunities and how being on TV had led to career-defining moments for them. People saw them. People called. Some were even poached while they were still at the TV station. Now, this is not about blaming women. Because the reality is more nuanced. Not all speaking opportunities are created equal. Also, women often carry heavier family and personal responsibilities. And many women want to be fully prepared, especially for something as visible as live TV. So when invitations come late… When context is unclear… When preparation time is limited… The default response is often: “I’d rather not.” And that is understandable. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Media visibility is not vanity. It is credibility. Your LinkedIn profile, your CV, your achievements, those are what you say about yourself. But media features and speaking platforms? Those are what others say about you because they not only give you the opportunity to demonstrate your insights and expertise in real time, but they also suggest that other platforms have deemed you credible and you are therefore less of a risk. I’ve seen this play out in real time. A senior leader once shared that he lost out on a board role not because he wasn’t qualified, but because another candidate had stronger digital visibility and media presence. When they Googled both candidates, the difference was clear. And that difference mattered. So to the women building towards C-suite roles, board positions, and global opportunities: You cannot afford to ignore visibility. You don’t need to say yes to everything. But you do need to be intentional. ✔️ Be strategic about the opportunities you accept ✔️ Start pitching yourself, not just waiting to be invited ✔️ Tie speaking and media to your long-term goals Because one day, someone will search your name. And what they find will influence what comes next. Have you ever turned down a speaking or media opportunity? What informed your decision?

The cybersecurity certification game has changed dramatically in 2025. After reviewing hundreds of job postings and talking with hiring managers, here's what actually matters now and what's become obsolete. The Big Shifts: Cloud certifications are now commanding 15-20% salary premiums. AWS Security Specialty and Azure Security Engineer aren't optional anymore, they're expected. If you're picking one, follow the money. AWS dominates most markets, but Azure leads in government and enterprise. CISSP remains essential for leadership roles, but timing matters. Early-career professionals with CISSP often get labeled as "title hunters." Save it for when you have 5+ years experience and are eyeing management positions. The surprising winner? Specialized beats generalist every time. Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) holders are writing their own tickets. OSCP continues to destroy CEH in market value and employers want proof you can hack, not just talk about it. What's Working by Career Stage: Entry Level: Security+ remains your ticket in. Pair it with cloud fundamentals (AWS/Azure) for maximum impact. Cost: ~$400-600 total. ROI: Excellent. Early Career (1-3 years): Go deep, not broad. SOC analysts need CySA+ or GMON. Future pentesters need OSCP. Skip generalist certifications entirely. Mid-Career (3-7 years): Choose your path. Technical track? Advanced cloud security or DevSecOps certs. Leadership track? Start that CISSP journey. Senior (7+ years): CISSP + business acumen wins. Add CISM for GRC roles or maintain technical edge with architect-level cloud certifications. The Reality Check: CEH is dying. Despite appearing in job posts, hiring managers increasingly view it as outdated. Don't waste your money. SANS certifications are incredible but at $7,000+, calculate carefully. Three specialized certifications might open more doors than one premium cert. AI security certifications are mostly hype. Stick with established providers adding AI modules to existing programs. The certification landscape evolves fast, but the principle remains constant: certifications open doors, skills keep them open. Choose credentials that align with where you're going, not where you've been. What's your certification strategy for 2025? Are you going deep in a specialty or building breadth? #Cybersecurity #Certifications #CareerDevelopment #InfoSec #CloudSecurity #TechCareers

AI field note: Career paths are strategy documents in disguise. When a firm formalizes a new career path, it’s not an HR announcement. It’s a sign post on where value creation is going and what capabilities it plans to build for the long term. PwC just launched a firmwide engineering career path. A few things about the structure matter: 🖖 Dual tracks (deep technical mastery + engineering leadership), so engineers don’t have to leave the code to advance. ⚖️ Market-aligned titles, small on paper, big as a signal: PwC is competing for the same talent as tech companies, on terms engineers recognize. 🤖 AI-native learning designed to keep engineers ahead of where the industry is heading, not just current with where it is. 🚄 There’s also an early pipeline move: Engineer Your Career, an immersive experience for rising college juniors. That’s more than recruiting. It’s identity-building. It tells the market that engineering in a professional services firm is a real destination, a real career. Professional services has historically organized around advisory disciplines, audit, tax, consulting. Engineering existed, but in service of those disciplines. Making it first-class says the work is structurally changing: you need people who build and ship, not just advise and recommend. The firms that attract, develop, and retain engineering talent inside a services model will look very different in five years from the ones that keep treating engineering as an add-on. This is one of the sign posts we are putting up at PwC that I’m most energized about.