Learning Angular, Leadership Opportunities, and Google Culture with Sarah Drasner

The transition from coder to manager isn’t easy for developers who love the creative satisfaction and thrill of coding. But both sides of the fence have unique challenges.

Sarah Drasner, Senior Director of Engineering, Web, Android, iOS, and Multiplatform Core Infrastructure at Google, didn’t seek out engineering leadership. Sarah admits that she sometimes misses the flow state of coding but has a new appreciation for management now that she is on the other side. She discusses the culture at Google, navigating the company’s tech stack, and how much she values working with a dedicated and hardworking team. Beyond her tech pursuits, Sarah shines a light on She Code Africa, a nonprofit organization she supports, empowering women in tech.

In this episode, Sarah talks to Robbie and Chuck about why she initially avoided Angular, the challenges of management, and the flow state she misses from coding.

Key Takeaways

• [01:01] - Introduction to Sarah Drasner.
• [03:26] - A whiskey review: Brenne French Single Malt Whisky.
• [15:00] - Tech hot takes.
• [39:05] - What is going on with Angular.
• [47:09] - Sarah’s experiences being a manager.
• [52:10] - The career Sarah would choose if she wasn’t in tech.

Quotes

[22:48] - “I like the idea of being explicit, but I appreciate when languages are a little more bulletproof.” ~ Sarah Drasner

[43:56] - “Dealing with change as a developer is the main reason why you use a framework.” ~ Sarah Drasner

[45:58] - “That’s the reason why so many senior devs go towards this ‘it depends’ way of thinking because we see many different implementations over time.” ~ Sarah Drasner

Links

• Sarah Drasner
• Sarah Drasner Twitter
• Sarah Drasner LinkedIn
• Engineering Management for the Rest of Us
• She Code Africa
• Ada Nduka Oyom
• RenderATL
• Sagamore Spirit
• GitHub
• React
• Vue JS
• Microsoft
• Netlify
• Google
• Apple
• Ember JS
• Angular
• Brenne French Single Malt Whisky
• Craigellachie Distillery
• Michter’s American
• Peerless Distilling Co
• Willett Distillery
• Angel’s Envy Bourbons
• Whiskey Del Bac
• Mountain Dew
• Solid JS
• Ryan Carniato
• YouTube
• Nuxt
• Next JS
• Tailwind CSS
• Vanilla CSS
• CSS-Tricks
• Jason Lengstorf
• First We Feast
• Soundcloud

Connect with our hosts

• Robbie Wagner
• Chuck Carpenter
• Ship Shape

Subscribe and stay in touch

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Google Podcasts
• Whiskey Web and Whatnot

Promos

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This show is brought to you by Ship Shape. Ship Shape’s software consultants solve complex software and app development problems with top-tier coding expertise, superior service, and speed. In a sea of choices, our senior-level development crew rises above the rest by delivering the best solutions for fintech, cybersecurity, and other fast-growing industries. Check us out at shipshape.io.

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