Special episode: Australia's Greatest Unknown Technologist w/ Hugh Williams [S6.E4]

Hugh Williams probably isn't a name that pops to the front of
mind when talking Australia's greatest technology exports - but
it should. His career leading huge teams on cutting edge projects
at global tech giants Google, Microsoft and eBay have
fundamentally changed the way we live our lives. Globally, few
possess the depth of domain expertise as Hugh. 


This episode dives into 'what great looks like' when it comes to
individual engineers, small product teams and larger
organisations, and his insights into hiring and fostering high
performance teams and innovation, and describing how the best
tech companies are built and scaled, are articulated simply and
actionable for leaders of all teams. 


We also discuss Hugh’s most recent passion project as the
co-founder of CS in Schools, which is empowering the next
generation of DigiTech professionals. 


Growing up at the frontier of technology and working alongside
some of the greatest minds of the era, Hugh’s experiences
transcend his industry and will provide key lessons for all
listeners, of all interests.





Show Notes; 


Hugh’s upbringing and introduction to computer science
(4:00) 


Initial career steps manoeuvring through a technology boom and
the rise of search technology (6:20) 


Lessons from working in Silicon Valley (11:28) 


Current labour climate shifting the power back to the employer
(14:10) 


What makes a great engineer? (18:05) 


How to foster the best performance and innovation within teams of
all sizes? (21:45) 


The two-pizza team (the optimal structure of a technology team)
(27:34) 


How do the engineers integrate with the wider organisation?
(31:09) 


Minimizing the number of company goals to unify and improve
business functionality (34:09) 


Key lessons as a leader to build a sustainable and scalable
company culture (38:40) 


CS in Schools mission and the key steps for Australia to be a
driving force of technology progression (41:20)