.png)
Few people bridge engineering, leadership, and entrepreneurship as seamlessly as Heather Townsend.
Heather's career journey is definitely not your average tech career. Sitting down with Heather for the latest episode of Tech Teams Today, she shared lessons on adaptability, innovation, and trusting yourself—especially when the road ahead is uncertain.
Heather started in the legal world, but her pivot into tech began with a massive case at the Department of Justice—Deepwater Horizon—where she realized just how valuable technical skills could be in tackling complex problems. That realization sparked a journey of self-teaching and mentorship that would ultimately transform her career.
She taught herself technical skills like SQL, VMware, and large-scale data management, proving that curiosity and grit are just as valuable as formal training. (In fact, she was the only engineer on her first team without a CS degree—and she owned it.) Hearing her talk about the early days, when she learned to navigate petabytes of data while managing tape backups, was both inspiring (and a little nostalgic) for anyone who’s been elbows-deep in a server room.
But what really struck me was Heather’s leap from being a solo consultant to co-founding Cabana. She didn’t sugarcoat the challenges of entrepreneurship. As she put it, having a co-founder was essential to push through the tough times and see blind spots she couldn’t on her own. Her honesty about needing that collaboration—and her vulnerability in admitting she didn’t always trust her instincts early on—was refreshing, and definitely reminded me of my own first steps at Revelo.
Her advice? Experts don’t know your company as well as you do. Trust yourself, even when the path forward feels uncertain. This is so true. It is definitely a must-know for founders (especially first-time founders) and leaders navigating tough decisions.
Of course, we couldn’t talk to Heather without diving into how she’s managing teams today in the midst of so much change. Between AI advancements, remote work, and economic turbulence, she’s seen firsthand how engineering roles are evolving. One of my favorite moments from the conversation was her emphasis on adaptability. For Heather, a great engineering team isn’t just about technical brilliance—it’s about curiosity and the willingness to learn new skills.
And then there was AI. Heather’s perspective on AI was refreshingly practical. She sees it as a tool that’s still evolving—powerful, yes, but not a replacement for foundational coding knowledge. “If you don’t know the basics, AI won’t do you any favors in the long run,” she said. Her team is already leveraging tools like ChatGPT for training and Vercel for quick prototyping, but she’s clear that AI should enhance skills, not replace them.
If you’re an engineering or product leader navigating the rapid changes in tech, this episode is packed with insights that will resonate. Heather’s honesty, warmth, and sharp insights make it a conversation you don’t want to miss.
Ready to dive in? Check out the full episode of Tech Teams Today on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. Trust me, you’ll come away with something valuable—whether it’s about building better teams, trusting yourself, or embracing the transformative power of AI.
.webp){kind=small}
