Summary Dr. Humera Noor is the Head of Engineering at eyeo - a 300+ person tech company leading the development of Ad-Block technology. She discusses her background in academia and industry, emphasizing the importance of making a difference in people's lives. She highlights the need for a balance between academic and practical skills and the value of soft skills in professional success. Dr. Humera also addresses challenges in the education system and the importance of cultural understanding and listening. She shares insights into eyeo's company structure and hiring process, with a focus on cultural and technical fit. Finally, she explains eyeo's mission to create a fair internet by balancing user preferences and publisher revenue through ad filtering. The conversation covers topics such as distinguishing between good and bad ads, filtering out intrusive ads, removing friction for privacy-focused products, sustainability and energy saving, finding happiness through serving others, and experiencing discrimination in the workplace. Takeaways Balancing academic and practical skills is crucial for professional success. Soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving, are essential for career growth. The education system should focus on both hard and soft skills to prepare students for the real world. Cultural understanding and effective listening are key to successful collaboration. eyeo prioritizes cultural fit and attitude over technical skills in hiring. Developing people and nurturing talent is a core value at eyeo. eyeo aims to create a fair internet by balancing user preferences and publisher revenue through ad filtering. Distinguishing between good and bad ads involves considering the user's interests and preferences, as well as avoiding intrusive and disruptive ad formats. Filtering out intrusive ads requires a balance between protecting user privacy and delivering relevant advertising content. Removing friction from privacy-focused products involves making the installation and use of the product intuitive and user-friendly. Sustainability can be achieved by reducing energy consumption in digital processes, such as ad filtering. Finding happiness can come from serving others and having a giving mindset. Discrimination in the workplace based on race, gender, or other factors is still prevalent and requires awareness and action to address. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:22 Balancing Academia and Industry 08:36 The Importance of Soft Skills 10:37 Challenges in the Education System 16:19 The Value of Listening and Cultural Differences 19:17 Developing Soft Skills in the Workplace 29:32 Company Structure and Hiring Process 35:18 Balancing Technical and Cultural Fit 38:18 Developing People and Nurturing Talent 44:19 IO and Creating a Fair Internet 47:07 The Importance of Non-Intrusive Ads 47:35 Distinguishing between Good Ads and Bad Ads 49:11 Filtering Out Intrusive Ads 53:22 Removing Friction for Privacy-Focused Products 57:21 Sustainability and Energy Saving 01:06:16 Finding Happiness through Serving Others 01:11:27 Experiencing Discrimination in the Workplace PS: Need hiring support for Tech, Sales or Marketing positions? Contact us for a FREE strategy session to see how we can help. Email us at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ OR Visit Out Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠