I grew up in Israel.
My tech career actually started off in the Israeli army.
My first job in Silicon Valley was at General Magic.
We were on a mission to change how communication works with creating innovative PDAs (personal digital assistants).
Then, I held various engineering leadership roles, more notably at Ariba and later at VMware.
That really helped me get an insight into the inner workings of our industry.
We say we are the champions of those who dare to dream.
Take us through a recent workday.
No two days are ever the same, but they almost always are incredibly busy.
It is super important for me to stay technical.
I am naturally curious about what is new and spend time reading and exploring new innovations daily.
Im a constant learner.
I venture to also get hands-on with the product and stay close to our customers.
I even code alongside the team occasionally, especially when we hold what we call engineering days.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
My phone of course.
How do I know that?
When I discover I am missing it, my heart drops.
It is always amazing to me to see how indispensable it has become to my life.
At work, people joke I am a junkie of Slack, Google Docs andSli.do.
I view those tools as a modern-day desk and meeting room.
Whats your workspace setup like?
My desk is very simple, it has a screen and a plug for my laptop and phone.
They said that your absence wasnote-worthy.
It was only then I realized that I use stickies so much.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack?
I know when to be serious, but my best life hack is to not take things too seriously.
Done right, it can help in many situations.
The best part is that it makes your life lighter and more fun.
There is research that says that humor supports better health.
There is also research that says that fake laughing tricks your brain into happiness.
But fake laughing is where I stop.
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
I rely on a lot of people both at work and home.
At most I rely on my husband, Dror.
We met in engineering school, so we talk shop all the time.
I am a big believer in making sure you have a data pipe.
It only works if youre sincere in your relationships.
Help others and get help when needed.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I have multiple systems for keeping organized.
I use my calendar, Slack, stickies,Quip, and email.
As it’s possible for you to see, it takes a village.
Every day I am trying to balance multiple priorities, and types of to-dos for both work and home.
I find that different things work for various items.
I use Quip as a tool to track my personal to-dos and collaborate with my family.
The pile of books next to my bed is my reading list.
I dont have a single tool or system that works for everything for me.
How do you recharge or take a break?
I give a shot to maintain some family time as sacred.
I have four boys and it is always fun to hang out with them.
For longer breaks, I love traveling, learning about other cultures, and eating good food.
I like exercising and in particular I like yoga.
Standing on your head definitely gives you a different POV, literally.
Whats your favorite side project?
Growing up, I was always passionate about medicine and science.
I actually considered becoming a doctor.
There is still so much opportunity there.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
Currently I am readingThe Defining Decade, which was actually recommended by our CEO in a meeting.
Ive also been listening to a ton of podcasts.
My favorites includeHow I Built This,Masters of Scale, andRevisionist History.
My youngest son and I also have been listening toWow in the World.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Gosh, I have such a long list.
Aileen Lee, who is a managing partner at Cowboy Ventures, is phenomenal!
Also get Dan Ariely to answer.
I listened to him a couple of times.
His research is mind blowing.
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
That I can learn anything if I put in the effort into it.
This enables me to think of work and the world as unlimited in possibilities.
Whats a problem youre still trying to solve?
Still waiting for that time machine.
Answers have been lightly edited and some links have been added.
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