"If Spotify felt like a startup - fast, scrappy, chaotic but exciting - Microsoft is the opposite end of the spectrum: a super organization with layers, systems, and processes that can feel simultaneously awe-inspiring and overwhelming. Every day in the AI team feels like a video game boss fight. Tasks that might take a day elsewhere sometimes stretch into three days here, but somehow, I've grown faster than ever."
"When I joined, I discovered I was one of the only two Principals in our group. Pressure? Massive 🥹. Some of my reports have more years of experience than me, core business areas are fiercely competitive, and the pace is relentless. My first thought: Okay... how do I even start? The answer came down to one thing: clarity. I needed to understand my manager's expectations around strategy and leadership, then figure out how to translate a big, abstract "North Star" into concrete, actionable steps. Easier said than done."
One-year tenure at Microsoft Munich contrasted Spotify’s startup pace with Microsoft's large-scale organization, systems, and processes. Work on the AI team involved complex tasks that often stretched timelines, accelerating professional growth. The Principal role introduced intense pressure from limited peer presence, experienced reports, and competitive core areas. Achieving clarity on managerial expectations and translating a high-level North Star into concrete, actionable steps proved essential. Speaking up respectfully, developing a framework of independent judgment, and practicing debate enhanced influence. A meeting where calm, balanced argument produced a hybrid solution illustrated the power of constructive disagreement.
Read at Medium
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