How do you go from deeply technical IC to leading 100+ engineers - and still stay close to the tech? Prashant Ramarao, SVP of Engineering & Head of AI @ Yahoo shares lessons from his unconventional leadership journey, exploring the mindset shift from expert IC to executive! We cover how to scale your leadership while maintaining technical credibility and how to effectively communicate with GMs & other non-technical stakeholders. Plus, Prashant shares personal AI projects that enhanced his technical credibility, leadership skills & understanding of how to integrate AI into products If you’re navigating the leap from technical to strategic, or scaling your leadership, this one’s for you.

ABOUT PRASHANT RAMARAO

Prashant is a hands-on technology executive with extensive experience in software engineering, leading large organizations, specializing in AI / ML, and large-scale systems architecture. With advanced degrees in computer science and engineering leadership, he excels at defining technical strategies that align with business goals, delivering results, and fostering high-performing, cross-functional teams. He cares about engineering excellence, leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve complex problems and scale operations for long-term growth. He has a lifelong passion for learning and looks for opportunities to challenge the status quo to drive change. He loves the outdoors and is a self-proclaimed podaholic - going on long hikes in Bay Area while listening to his podcasts is one of his favorite activities.

This episode is brought to you by Side – delivering award-winning QA, localization, player support, and tech services for the world’s leading games and technology brands.

For over 30 years, Side has helped create unforgettable user experiences—from indies to AAA blockbusters like Silent Hill 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3.

Learn more about Side’s global solutions at side.inc.

SHOW NOTES:

• Behind Prashant’s rapid leadership evolution (3:26)
• Transitioning from IC to management: early steps and surprises (5:51)
• Navigating the mindset shifts from tech expert to people leader (7:31)
• Friction points in moving from informal to formal leadership (11:00)
• Skills for communicating with less technical audiences (13:46)
• Learning to talk with GMs & other non-technical leaders (16:32)
• Frameworks for effective meeting planning (19:03)
• Examples of communicating technical work to execs (20:08)
• Learning the impact of the “observer effect” (21:59)
• Incorporating feedback gathered by observing (27:03)
• Strategies for maintaining technical credibility as a senior leader (29:29)
• Why personal projects and experimentation matter for leadership growth (32:21)
• How Prashant’s personal projects enhance technical credibility & leadership skills (36:59)
• Rapid fire questions (37:57)

This episode wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:

Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host

Jerry Li - Co-Host

Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/

Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan’s also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/

Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/