One of the Top Engineers at LinkedIn Insists on Working Like He's Still at a Startup
Episode notes
Sandeep Singhal is a computer engineer’s engineer. He’s held big positions at Microsoft, Google, Meta, and now LinkedIn. Since 2022, when the popularity of ChatGPT forced incumbent tech companies to prioritize artificial intelligence, Sandeep has specialized in AI infrastructure — the systems behind the systems that power important products.
In this episode, Sandeep talks to Camber Creek Head of Platform Lionel Foster and Partner Alexandra Nicoletti about what it takes to succeed in big tech, why he remains so committed to helping and learning from startups, and who he thinks might become some of the best AI programmers. You’ll never guess what he says, but the answer will make you mad.
01:09 Sandeep fell in love with programming in junior high—typing code from magazines
3:34 His immediate reaction to trying ChatGPT the day it launched and the changes in Big Tech that followed
9:29 LLMs allow engineers to do more with less—using text-based models rather than massive, specialized data sets
9:52 How do product development and product management happen in the largest technology companies?
12:53 Big Tech has to maintain a startup mentality
14:29 AI-assisted coding tools like Copilot make rapid prototyping dramatically easier, accelerating both big-company innovation and startup development
15:11 The constant tension between execution speed and creating space for experimentation
18:20 Sandeep’s days as a founder
20:23 His current role running LinkedIn’s core infrastructure
23:50 Product vs. technology focus in early-stage startups
26:21 Building and maintaining the infrastructure that makes artificial intelligence applications possible
28:28 Sandeep’s favorite AI use cases: AI-assisted coding, workflow automation, and predictive capabilities.
31:09 AI’s predictive power for real estate underwriting
32:49 Sandeep the startup investor and mentor
36:54 The risks of AI
45:09 AI and the humanities
45:49 Why lawyers may become the best programmers