Spencer Firestone

Influencing to get things done - is what we do consciously and subconsciously everyday- at work, in the family and with friends. A lovely article from #hbr breaking down this important aspect of our interactions with a few specific use-cases and practical takeaways. Remember - influencing is not the forte of leaders only - we all can influence to win in whatever we do ! Take a read and jot down your own thoughts (or experiences) in the comments section. #influencewithintent #gettingthingsdone

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Harness the power of AI to streamline your workflow, boost productivity, and drive better results. Get started with GenAI today and take your product management game to the next level! 💡 #Chisel #GenAI #ProductManagement #SaaS #Innovation

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Anthropic released another paper on their ongoing work towards interpretability of large foundational models like their Claude 3 family, built on previous work by many. Their work continues to be enlightening and inspiring. The findings in this work are generally similar to previous findings on smaller models but scaled up to Claude 3 Sonnet: 💡 they find large numbers of "features" corresponding to combinations of neuron activations and these features map to concepts that we recognize/understand: for example, features for transit infrastructure, particular people, concepts (like bias and "objects lacking sentience"). This might sound familiar from classical machine learning, but the interesting thing is that there is no single thing/neuron encoding each of these concepts, it's a particular combination of neuron activations that embeds these concepts in "superposition" in the network. 💡they observe a sort of "distance" of these feature activations that arrange themselves "near" semantically similar features. When they use their sparse autoencoder approach to learn more and more features they observe that the level of abstraction in the detected features becomes more granular, in ways that are interpretable and meaningful. 💡when they artificially fire these activation patterns during inference, it affects the output in ways that relate to the "feature". For example, asking Claude "what's the most interesting science" normally it responds Physics, but if you clamp the feature activations for the feature "Brain Science" to 10x their max values then Claude responds: Neuroscience. Ways to interpret _and_ influence the model. Great readable work [1] along with an interactive explorer of some of the "features" themselves [2] 🎂 There's an easter egg too: if you scroll in the feature explorer tool and try and select one of the "Randomly selected features from 1M" you get a message "if you want to see the rest of the features, we're hiring!" with a link to their recruiting page :) [1] https://lnkd.in/gZbparwp [2] https://lnkd.in/gC9eus53

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Announcing our second conversation, Raza Habib with Shreya Shankar! The LLM mini-conference to equip you to build: "So you think can prompt" June 22 in SF. Sign up here: https://lu.ma/iulmro47 Co-hosted with Hamel H. and Slater Stich at Bain Capital Ventures. This one is going to be two experts discussing what's real and what's nonsense in evaluation. This conversation is going to be gold.

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From Astrologer's Whispers to Real Connections: Reclaiming Belonging in a Lonely Age Have you ever consulted an astrologer, their predictions swirling in your head, only to feel empty when your day takes a different turn? The emptiness might not be about the details themselves, but about seeking outside approval for your happiness. This same feeling can creep in even when you achieve success. Remember climbing the career ladder, landing that dream apartment, only to find yourself lost in a quiet emptiness? In India's bustling cities, it's a familiar, painful emotion. We're surrounded by people, yet there's a little loneliness at the edges of our lives. Thinking back to Mrs. Deshmukh, your friendly neighbour with the legendary Til Gur Barfi's, who brought the whole neighbourhood together with tea and friendly chats. Those evenings of shared stories and laughter, a web woven by simple human connection, feel like a distant memory in our super-connected yet broken world. We chase success with thumbs glued to screens, building online bridges that leave us feeling more alone than ever. The pressure to create a perfect online self-drowns out the whispers of our own desires. But here's the real deal, that shiny designation and fancy car can't fill the hole left by genuine connection. There's hope, though! We can rewrite this story. Let's ditch the small talk and chase deeper connections. Share your fears and worries, break free from feeling isolated in this sea of ambition. Remember the warmth of family gatherings, the joy of shared childhood games? Revive those small traditions. Pick up the phone for a real heart-to-heart conversation rather than What's Apping. Every act of connection, no matter how ordinary, how small, builds a more satisfying life. Imagine hearing back from an old friend, reliving an old laugh, and being surrounded by people who truly see us, where we belong. Isn't that what life is all about? Together, one conversation, one meal, and one act of kindness at a time, we can tear down the walls of loneliness. We can rewrite the narrative of modern society, where connection becomes the foundation of a life well lived. It's not too late, or is it? #HumanConnections #BelongingMatters #OvercomeLoneliness #RealConversations #MeaningfulRelationships #CommunityOverConnectivity #AuthenticLiving #SocialWellbeing #RedefiningSuccess #TraditionsRewoven #FightIsolation #VulnerableAndReal #KindnessRevolution #SmallActsBigImpact #ReconnectingHumanity #IndianSociety #UrbanLoneliness #DigitalDetox #QualityOverQuantity #ConnectionCures Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash

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🌟 Exciting Insights from the Bay Area Growth Conference! 🚀 Today, I had the privilege of attending the Annual Bay Area Growth Conference at SVC office of Microsoft, and it was an incredibly enriching experience! One of the highlights of the event was the captivating keynote session featuring Shawn Villaron and Kavita K., where they delved into the power of the growth mindset. Shawn and Kavita's discussion was not just inspiring but also incredibly insightful. They emphasized the importance of adopting a growth mindset in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the tech ecosystem. Here are some key takeaways that left a lasting impression: Embracing Change: The speakers stressed the need to embrace change as a catalyst for growth. Learning from Challenges: They shared personal anecdotes and success stories that highlighted the value of learning from challenges and setbacks. A growth mindset sees obstacles as opportunities for learning and improvement. Innovation and Collaboration: Shawn and Kavita emphasized the role of innovation and collaboration in driving growth. They discussed how fostering a culture of innovation and collaborating across disciplines can lead to groundbreaking solutions. Continuous Learning: The keynote underscored the importance of continuous learning and development. In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, staying curious and committed to learning new skills is key to sustained success. Overall, the keynote with Shawn and Kavita was not just informative but also ignited a sense of motivation and drive to embrace a growth mindset personally and within our organizations. #BayAreaGrowthConference #GrowthMindset #Innovation #Collaboration #ContinuousLearning #TechLeadership #MicrosoftLife

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Humanity's approach in pushing forward developing AGI continues to sorta puzzle me. As I see it, there are a few possible outcomes (in the short and long terms), depending on how successful the technology and application are: - We create really sophisticated but ultimately equally unhelpful chat bots, which permeate society to the increased frustration of literally everyone - We automate away manual labor jobs, increasing corporate profits at the expense of the lower class, and shift even more tax burden onto the middle class to compensate - We get productivity multiplying AGI, which is accessible mainly to the wealthy, and magnifies the wealth disparities in society - We get full AGI, which quickly evolves to displace humanity as the dominant life form, in whatever form that takes Now, I get how the people with wealth can think there are some "good" outcomes there, but I kinda still fail to see if/how normal people think this might be "good" for society (if they do at all). Academic points of course (since we as a society can't really stop it), but interesting in a "course of history" sense.

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I think Ravi captures this so well. Conflict and friction are part of every successful and meaningful journey: "Of course you need to hire great people. But you can’t get out of their way. The best leaders set the standard and relentlessly reinforce it. Greatness is forged through high expectations and difficult conversations. [...] No one likes confrontation. But mediocrity creeps in when conflict ends. And if you want to be a great leader, that is not your fault…but it is your problem." https://lnkd.in/evrnm2VC

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I recently read a book shedding light on the secret lives of great artists, mostly from the 1800s, many of whom studied at the renowned art school in Paris. The book delves into the turbulent experiences these artists faced due to wars, diseases, and challenging living conditions. Despite the hardships, these struggles added value to art, albeit at the cost of personal suffering. This era birthed many famous artists and invaluable art pieces. However, the 19th century marked a pivotal shift with the rise of science as a profession. The evolution of science brought about transformative changes, enhancing cities, eradicating diseases, and revolutionizing industries. It was a crucial period characterized by continuous scientific discoveries that shaped a new world. This post serves as a reminder of the profound importance of science in our lives and the multitude of benefits it continues to bestow upon society. The evolution of science has not only enriched our understanding of the world but has also paved the way for countless advancements that have significantly improved our quality of life. #Science #Innovation #Artists #History #Progress

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Learn how our CPO, Amanda Grant, shifted our focus to put customers first this past year. Check out her story on Mind The Product. #ProductTransformation #OneAdvanced #PoweringTheWorldOfWork

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For years, I've led and mentored diverse teams of software engineers, and one gripe consistently surfaces, irrespective of team makeup or project nuances: "Why do I have to resolve conflicts when cherry-picking commits from the master branch?" 🤔 This complaint hits home. Engineers crave independence to innovate and deliver swiftly, yet software development thrives on collaboration, demanding robust code management and teamwork. 🚀💻 Cherry-picking commits can be an efficient way to incorporate specific changes or bug fixes into a hotfix branch or release candidate, but it often triggers conflicts as changes collide with ongoing developments. This conflict resolution process can be time-consuming, error-prone, and frustrating for engineers, detracting from their productivity and morale. 😫⚔️ The absence of a structured cherry-picking process exacerbates the problem. Here's a simple fix to avoid conflicts: 1️⃣ Track the last merged PR number into the base branch when cutting release/hotfix branches. 2️⃣ When receiving a cherry-pick PR, confirm its base branch PR number. 3️⃣ Ensure all PRs between the last merged and new ones are cherry-picked before merging, preventing conflicts. 4️⃣ Once merged, update the base PR number of the last merged cherry-pick for the next cherry-pick PR review can be verified. Yes, adopting this process entails a bit of change, but the dividends in smoother workflows and happier engineers are well worth it. Let's make life easier for our fellow coders! 💪🛠️ #SoftwareEngineering #CodeReview #Collaboration #ConflictResolution #Teamwork #DeveloperLife #CherryPicking #CodeManagement #ProductivityTips #EngineeringCulture #TechTips #Mentorship #WorkflowOptimization #CodingCommunity

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Just finished reading "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. While the laws themselves are somewhat useful, the examples are mainly history/war related and not as applicable in current times. Take it with a pinch of salt. Overall, an interesting read for those interested in the topic. #bookreview #48lawsofpower #robertgreene

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I recently became aware of the term "Gish Gallop". I find that this concept can also be applied to a similar style of discussion, whereby a person dominates the conversation to control the narrative. The opposite style of discussion is where participants minimize words to convey the maximum quantity of useful information. Then, provide the maximum opportunity for participation by others. Learn to not gish gallop. https://lnkd.in/gYw4g_XE

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A theory of #softwareengineering effectiveness as the triad of business outcomes, developer productivity, and developer experience. 1. "Effective software organisations focus their investments on the right outcomes." 2. "Effective software organisations make fast and consistent progress toward their goals." 3. "Effective software organisations give engineers the support and tools they need t o feel engaged." WDYT? #technology #operatingmodel #devex #devops #valueengineering #value #engineeringmetrics #cto #cio

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I recently came across a Facebook post from a small restaurant chain in the Bay Area that piqued my interest. The chain's owner has recognized the strategic value of AI in their operations. Cost-effective and accessible AI solutions for small-scale industries hold great promise. In this instance, the ability to effectively handle 47 calls during peak hours while achieving a favorable return on investment represents a significant success. Additionally, ensuring an excellent customer experience for the diverse population served is of paramount importance in this scenario. #ai #aiml #genai

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Since launching last Fall, its been incredible to see all the many workflows and integrations that companies are building with Lucid's Developer Platform. We've seen companies build automated processes and deeply linked templates that help with Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Engineering teams get the most out of Lucid. Come learn how to get started building from two of our engineers on the API teams who help engineers build these integrations every day.

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I have known Avni for almost ten years and I am super glad (and not surprised) that her customer-focused approach remains unchanged. We were fortunate to have Avni Savant speak to our teams at G2 India. The session was inspirational, and we learned a lot from her. Avni has a wealth of experience, and we are grateful for the valuable insights she shared with us. During the session brilliantly moderated by Aravind Raj, we discussed several topics and gained a few key takeaways: ⚡ Creating an environment that supports a "fail fast" mindset fosters innovation, and consistent leadership support is essential. Interestingly, this is something that Roger Valade aligns with strongly, and we are just in the middle of an innovation sprint. :) 🧠 We explored areas where AI can be implemented to solve product use cases. Avni stressed that we don't need to reinvent the wheel; instead, we should learn from companies that have successfully adopted AI. The most doable areas for AI implementation are to improve developer productivity and summarize insights and discoveries. 📊 We discussed how squad-specific goals (OKRs) can be integrated with the company's larger goals. For example, we can analyze if improving our product's onboarding experience impacts the adoption rate, and understand if the release was successful. Avni emphasized the importance of using data to make feature iterations and prioritization decisions. 💬 We discussed the significance of product development teams being close to the customers and leveraging customer interviews, and feedback from pre-sales, sales, and support teams. 💗 Lastly, Avni highlighted the importance of self-drivenness and having a clear point of view in one's career. She noted that this proactive approach is valued and appreciated. We are truly grateful to Avni for her time and lessons!

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A data-driven approach to driving wound healing outcomes Marcella Gomez, University of California, Santa Cruz https://lnkd.in/gAkWZYJT Meet: https://lnkd.in/g4AAWkcK YouTube Stream: https://lnkd.in/gwtqaTmf Talk details: https://lnkd.in/gWn3B3cU Subscribe for talk announcements: https://lnkd.in/g5ciuNuX Abstract: Precision medicine requires an ability to predict the response of an individual to a prescribed treatment regimen a priori. Thus, advancement in the field is challenged by a lack of predictive models and, arguably, a lack of time-series information for a highly dynamic system. Here, we discuss work in wound healing, for accelerating wound closure. We argue that timing of treatments is as critical to consider as the choice of drug or therapy. Due to system size and complexity, data-driven methods need to be explored to develop multi-dimensional quantifiable indicators tracking systemic changes. In this work I discuss how bioelectronic devices enhanced with deep learning can help facilitate real-time sensing and actuation for automated decisions in treatment for wound healing and preliminary work in transcriptomic based classification of wound states. Bio: Marcella M. Gomez is an associate professor at UC Santa Cruz in the department of Applied Mathematics and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Baskin Engineering. She received her PhD from Caltech in 2015 and a B.S. from UC Berkeley in 2009; both degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests are in the broad field of bio-control leveraging methods in machine learning and control theory. Applications range from controlling single-cell response to driving complex systems such as wound healing. #modeling #simulation #medicine #healing #trauma #predictivemodeling #datascience #data #woundhealing #biology #bioengineering #systemanalysis #sensing #omics

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Meeting fatigue is real. Meeting overload is a killer. Especially in hybrid work conditions that have become the norm post-Covid, and geo-diverse working groups that are normal in most workforces, being considerate about meetings is critical. Here is a small article from #hbr that gives a simple flow chart to decide whether to call a meeting or not. Read it over the weekend and jot your thoughts in the comments section. #meetingfatigue #schedulingmeetings #effectivemeetings

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