— Quick Catch-Up on Recent Activities
Quick recap. The meeting focused on networking and career development in cloud security, featuring David Bradford, a former General Counsel at Novell, who shared his experiences and principles for building professional relationships. David emphasized the importance of showing up, following up, and being curious to establish meaningful connections. The group discussed various topics including AI, security awareness training, and industry predictions for 2026. Members shared updates on their projects and initiatives, including a Python study group presentation planned for January. The conversation ended with holiday wishes and plans for the next session.
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Quick Catch-Up on Recent Activities
Shawn and Matt Currie briefly discussed their recent activities, but the conversation was cut short as Shawn had to wait for something.
Team Updates and Future Roles
Matt Currie shared personal updates, including his return to Australia and a recent promotion to staff automation engineer at Live360, with plans to be considered for an AI engineer role in February. Shawn mentioned his upcoming potential role at Google through Wiz and discussed creating challenge coins for team members, including Matt. Shawn also shared positive updates about his health, noting he is cancer-free after surgery. The conversation concluded with Shawn introducing a guest, David Bradford, who is a former General Counsel at Novell and a potential speaker for an upcoming talk.
Building Human Networks in Tech
David Bradford, a former Novell executive, shared his career journey and emphasized the importance of showing up in life, one of his six principles for building a human network. He discussed how he unexpectedly walked into Novell's headquarters in 1985 and was hired as their general counsel, leading to a successful career in the tech industry. The group discussed the topic of networking and career development, with David set to share insights from his book "Up Your Game" on how to enhance professional connections.
Building Connections with Steve Wozniak
David shared his story of meeting Steve Wozniak at a Utah Bar Association conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, which led to Wozniak joining FusionIO's advisory board and eventually becoming their chief scientist. The company was later named America's Most Innovative Company, with Wozniak and Shawn Nunley's efforts contributing significantly to this achievement. The discussion highlighted the importance of showing up, following up, and being curious in building meaningful connections and opportunities.
Entrepreneurship Insights and Future Predictions
David shared his entrepreneurial journey and emphasized the importance of finding the right opportunities, comparing it to finding a perfect skipping stone. He discussed his current projects, including Quicklearn, and advised on building meaningful connections for networking. The group discussed various topics, including the challenges of LinkedIn networking, the future of AI and its potential risks, and the importance of security awareness training. They agreed to have a session next week where members would share their predictions for 2026 in their field.