Rajiv Binwade

Having lived in SF bay area for so long, I came to know the big coffee culture scene here. I was totally consumed by it a while ago and spent years trying to attain the “perfect" latte. I published a fun coffee story and my entire home setup, which took weeks of research and multiple iterations, in my blog link in bio. Meanwhile, to all fellow coffee loving tech peeps, here are some top tips that no one told me. Put it in practice at home or in microkitchens. - A big factor in preparing milk suitable for latte art is pressure of the wand. If this is important to you, you need to get a machine that has a strong enough pressure. - When pulling shots, put in 18g of beans and extract 30g of espresso. - The darker the roast, the coarser the setting should be on the grinder, the lighter the roast, the finer the setting should be. - When adjusting the grind setting, do so while the grinder is working if there are beans in the hopper. Otherwise, a bean can get stuck between the burrrs. - Pulling a shot should take 20-30 sec in time, or based on observation. It should look like caramel going out, not a waterfall. - Eventually work your way to using a bottomless portafilter. It punishes you for all the small imperfections when preparing your coffee puck, like any tilt, and uneven distribution. It does so by spraying the espresso all over the place. The more you can get it to flow uniformly, the better your preparation of espresso, objectively. - Seal your beans in a vacuum, so they don’t go stale. The more stale the beans, the more minor adjustment you need to make to grind finer. - When steaming milk in your pitcher, you can tell if it’s done by holding the pitcher and as soon as the heat becomes unbearable i.e. stings, it’s done. - Taking a latte art course at a local coffee shop was the best boost for me to start nailing latte art.

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This week, the Pacific Northwest weather gave us an unplanned dose of "Yutori." Power outages, no internet, and suddenly, the hustle and bustle of life came to a screeching halt. In essence, Yutori suggests creating space in one's schedule and mindset for a slowdown, a blankness, allowing oneself to savor the sights and sounds around you. When you don’t rush; there is no concern for time. The flickering of a candle, a child’s laughter, my mothers’ voice on the phone. These are things that, in my usual hectic schedule, I barely have time to relish. But this week, as we sat in the darkness, we played games, read books, and reconnected with friends. Living with Yutori means embracing spaciousness. It’s about balancing work and personal well-being, without the constant urge to do more. Yutori can manifest in various ways, rooted in setting boundaries and sticking to them. It’s a fresh take on the often-overused concept of “work-life balance.” Let’s be honest, the phrase "work-life balance" has become so cliché that we almost roll our eyes whenever we hear it. But doesn't it feel good to use a term that conveys the same idea, but with a bit more flair and substance? Creating those boundaries isn’t easy, especially in a world where "do more with less" seems to be the motto. Even with the flexibility of working from home, many of us still find ourselves stretched thin. Efficiency and productivity might be up, but so is exhaustion. Despite having more control over our schedules than ever before, we often feel less in control and more overwhelmed. What I’ve gradually come to realize is that what’s missing from our jam-packed calendars is a sense of play, of ease, and spaciousness. There is unexpected beauty in slowing down, and joy in savoring simplicity. As a wise colleague once said - No one else is going to give you that lunch break , M- its you! :-)

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A theory of #softwareengineering effectiveness as the triad of business outcomes, developer productivity, and developer experience. 1. "Effective software organisations focus their investments on the right outcomes." 2. "Effective software organisations make fast and consistent progress toward their goals." 3. "Effective software organisations give engineers the support and tools they need t o feel engaged." WDYT? #technology #operatingmodel #devex #devops #valueengineering #value #engineeringmetrics #cto #cio

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Santana Row shopping center in San Jose has implemented a ticketless parking system that eliminates the need for drivers to take a ticket upon entry and pay at a pay station upon exit. Instead, drivers can simply scan a QR code (see photo) posted throughout the garage using their phones, enter their license plate number and credit card information on the website that pops up, and a camera will read their license plate and open the gate as they exit. While this system may seem convenient and efficient, I think there is a significant security concern! There is a risk that perpetrators could replace the posted QR code with their own, which would redirect drivers to a fake website where they would unknowingly enter their credit card information. This could lead to unauthorized charges and potential identity theft. It is crucial for the shopping center to address this security concern by taking appropriate measures to protect drivers' personal and financial information. They must ensure that the QR codes posted are authentic and that there are no vulnerabilities that could allow perpetrators to manipulate the system. As an alternative solution, pay stations could be installed for shoppers to use instead of relying on their own phones.

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Ever had a promising account slip away? ZoomInfo Copilot helps you win them back. 🏆 Marissa Varney, Account Executive at ZoomInfo, demonstrates how Copilot can help you turn "dead" accounts into active opportunities. By leveraging AI, Copilot surfaces important buying signals — like intent spikes and key personnel changes — so you know the perfect moment to reconnect. Watch below and learn how to bring lost deals back to life. 👇 #ZoomInfoCopilot

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Looking to elevate your team’s potential? True impact doesn’t come from a single voice, but from collective synergy. This past week at our E&O Sync Week, I witnessed the power of connection and shared purpose and had the opportunity to spend time with our new CVP, Jeana Jorgensen. It's incredibly inspiring to work alongside a leader who listens, learns, and challenges each of us to aim higher together. When a leader genuinely listens, everyone’s perspective becomes part of the conversation. This creates an environment where growth is inevitable, innovation thrives, and boundaries are pushed. Lara Sorgaard, Elisa Graceffo, Jim Federico, Selina Winter, david chong and I along with Jeana had a great conversation yesterday that resulted from connections we made while being #present. Together, we’re shaping the #FutureOfWork and the #FutureOfLearning, where #LearningAndDevelopment meets innovation. #EmpowermentThroughLeadership is key to thriving in this fast-evolving landscape. Let's all remember to: Pause. Reflect. Connect. #EandOlife #Microsoft #LeadershipInTech #GrowthMindset #InnovationLeadership #ContinuousLearning #TeamSynergy #TechTransformation #LeadByListening #CollaborativeLeadership

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At Intuit, ensuring resilience of our critical systems is paramount. In this blog post, my colleagues Deepthi Panthula, Emily Pike and I share insights into how we run 'gameday' simulations at scale. Learn about the key principles and elements behind our effective gameday program that drives continuous improvement across people, processes and tools to handle major incidents or outages seamlessly. Check it out and let us know what you think! #Reliability #Resilience #IncidentManagement

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As I reflect on the journey of my career, I am often asked by college students about the most important skills that have helped me advance. While technical skills and industry knowledge are crucial, I believe that the following personal qualities have played an even more pivotal role: 1. Honesty: In a world where trust is a valuable currency, being truthful and transparent has opened doors and built lasting relationships. Honesty creates a foundation of trust that is essential for any successful collaboration or partnership. 2. Integrity: Upholding strong moral principles and consistently doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult, has earned me respect and credibility. Integrity is about being consistent in actions, values, methods, and principles, and it’s what helps you stand firm during challenging times. 3. Kindness: Never underestimate the power of being kind. Simple acts of kindness can foster a positive work environment and enhance teamwork. People remember how you make them feel, and kindness helps in building supportive networks. 4. Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others have allowed me to connect deeply with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders. Empathy enables better communication, stronger relationships, and more effective problem-solving. These qualities have not only advanced my career but have also enriched my personal and professional life. In an era where technological prowess often takes the spotlight, let’s not forget the profound impact of human values. To all the aspiring professionals and students out there, remember: Your character is your greatest asset. Nurture it, and success will follow.

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I get it: y’all have AI fatigue. And yet I’m going to quip on my personal experience, this time with C#. Admittedly, I’ve never coded in C# (vs Java), nor I am familiar with specific language constructs. No biggie! Comes Amazon Q + VSCode. 1. AQ was able to explain code pitfalls. 2. AQ was able to point out memory leaks. 3. AQ recommended (defensive) code changes. I’ve tried it with defects and stories type of work (new work vs rework). With no prior experience in programming language, with a bit of formal CS education, and with a bit of brain and logic, and a good peer review!, was able to complete the work in hours vs days. If you are in the fence or you are already an expert - I get it, you may find it boring and amusing. But don’t pass on it, give it a try, confirm with your own experience what works for you. I guarantee that Amazon Q will cut mundane code boiler plate generation time and basic problem finding time by 50% at least. https://lnkd.in/gV54G3xs

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Last weekend, at the AI tinkerers' human in the loop hackathon (https://lnkd.in/gyRwwztb), my team and I built MetabolixAI, an AI-driven nutrition platform using glucose monitor readings. We designed AI agents that can adapt to real-time glucose data and process user-uploaded meal images, thereby continuously improving its recommendations. These agents, acted based on dietary patterns and glucose responses, and delivered tailored nutrition plans with minimal human input. This got me thinking—how else can agents be used to analyze complex, ever-changing datasets in healthcare, especially when it comes to precision nutrition? And what are the risk/compliance frameworks to ensure correctness? https://lnkd.in/gVuzsGEe

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Are you struggling to embrace agility in your organization? ⛓️ Certain behaviors can hinder your team's ability to adapt and innovate. In my latest blog post, I explore common behaviors that can hold your team back and offer practical strategies for breaking free from the chains of traditionalism. Discover how to foster a more agile mindset and drive success. https://lnkd.in/gZSw2CHf #agility #innovation #leadership #changemanagement #teamwork

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Why would anyone toast a slice of sourdough bread, put a bunch of Amul butter on it, and add black olives (my favorite) for dinner? Being an avid experimentalist, especially in cooking and tech, I indulge in many experiments that permeate through various aspects of my life. Experiments enable us to break barriers and drive innovation, especially in areas where impacting human lives matters—not just following what others say must be cooked in a certain way. There are many such examples, as I love to experiment almost every day, but tonight's experiment had me thinking about a simple toasted bread with olives on top. It was a simple idea, but then I thought, why stop there and not add more ingredients? I was gracious to my learnings, though, realizing that not everything has to be part of every recipe. But is it true that what I did was creative enough? Maybe if I had been more open in my thoughts that day, I could have even added sweet pepper to my simple toasted bread... Cooking teaches me every time that it's us who are cooking with our own final product of a dish and there is no bigger power than that. I love the guidance and help from everywhere, but my cooking is my own. I don't need to say more—whether it's the technical landscape or managing and developing diverse teams, the same principle applies.

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A data-driven approach to driving wound healing outcomes Marcella Gomez, University of California, Santa Cruz https://lnkd.in/gAkWZYJT Meet: https://lnkd.in/g4AAWkcK YouTube Stream: https://lnkd.in/gwtqaTmf Talk details: https://lnkd.in/gWn3B3cU Subscribe for talk announcements: https://lnkd.in/g5ciuNuX Abstract: Precision medicine requires an ability to predict the response of an individual to a prescribed treatment regimen a priori. Thus, advancement in the field is challenged by a lack of predictive models and, arguably, a lack of time-series information for a highly dynamic system. Here, we discuss work in wound healing, for accelerating wound closure. We argue that timing of treatments is as critical to consider as the choice of drug or therapy. Due to system size and complexity, data-driven methods need to be explored to develop multi-dimensional quantifiable indicators tracking systemic changes. In this work I discuss how bioelectronic devices enhanced with deep learning can help facilitate real-time sensing and actuation for automated decisions in treatment for wound healing and preliminary work in transcriptomic based classification of wound states. Bio: Marcella M. Gomez is an associate professor at UC Santa Cruz in the department of Applied Mathematics and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Baskin Engineering. She received her PhD from Caltech in 2015 and a B.S. from UC Berkeley in 2009; both degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests are in the broad field of bio-control leveraging methods in machine learning and control theory. Applications range from controlling single-cell response to driving complex systems such as wound healing. #modeling #simulation #medicine #healing #trauma #predictivemodeling #datascience #data #woundhealing #biology #bioengineering #systemanalysis #sensing #omics

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Since we launched ZoomInfo Copilot, our customers have increased their pipeline by nearly 25%! 📈 And we're just getting started. We spent the summer making ZoomInfo Copilot even better, rolling out a series of product enhancements to help you drive growth and win faster. Here's a look at just a few of them: • New integrations for a seamless tech stack, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Ren, as well as G2 and TrustRadius, to detect customer dissatisfaction and potential churn risk. 🤝 • An improved sales experience, with an intuitive homepage that prioritizes accounts automatically and a mobile app that lets you manage your book of business from anywhere. • Expanded buying signals — from C-suite changes to podcast mentions, intent spikes, and more — keeping you ahead of your competitors with real-time insights. 🗣️ • On-demand access to Copilot Chat from the ZoomInfo Mobile App, Chrome Extension, Salesforce, or the ZoomInfo Homepage, so you can get answers and insights wherever you work. • Real-time breaking alerts that notify you instantly about key account activities, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to engage. ⚡️ ️The results? Our customers report a 60% boost in productivity, a 58% increase in booked meetings and demos, and an average of 8.1 hours saved per week. Check out the blog to learn about all of the new features: bit.ly/4dkhfEM #ZoomInfoCopilot

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For many of us, it takes decades (if not a lifetime) to figure out what we truly want to do. For all of us, who we surround ourselves means everything to us. Iteration is one way to learn that, but make sure your environment sounds as appealing as the work you'll do… > "What do you do in the face of uncertainty? Get more certainty. And probably the best way to do that is to try working on things you're interested in. That will get you more information about how interested you are in them, how good you are at them, and how much scope they offer for ambition. [...] One useful trick for judging different kinds of work is to look at who your colleagues will be. You'll become like whoever you work with. Do you want to become like these people?" https://lnkd.in/eHxMCvtz

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𝗦𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 🌳✨ In today’s fast-paced world, leaders often dive into the weeds to tackle issues head-on. While sometimes necessary, this approach can distract from the bigger picture. From my own experience solving complex, enterprise-scale problems that demand multidisciplinary collaboration, I’ve found that maintaining a strategic, high-level view is crucial. It enables you to navigate conflicting priorities and drive impactful solutions. What’s your approach? Let me know what's worked for you? #Leadership #BigPicture #StrategicThinking #TeamCollaboration

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Some takeaways for a Jeff Hinton interview with timeless insights. My POV as an app builder is that models are now being improved for better UX (faster response/multi-modal) and reasoning capability and cost continues to improve. The technology headroom remains strong, and the integration of LLM into all software experience will continue and expansion of the reach (invasion) of software + intelligence will also continue. - Next word prediction is not merely parroting of training data. To do next word prediction well, LLM needs and already exhibits strong reasoning behavior. This would continue to scale / improve with more data / training. - LLM is a compression of human knowledge. The compression mechanism is identifying similar concepts across domains and reduces duplications among them. This can also be a source of "creativity" as LLM "sees" correlations of seemingly unrelated ideas through this compression. LLM can be more creative as it sees similiarity / correlations across all domains beyond (human) convetional wisdom. - LLM can exceed the quality of its training data. Jeff gave an example of an experiment where a model trained on 50% intentionally incorrectly labeled data, can still perform at 90+% accuracy after training. - Multi-modal models can improve the overall world understanding and lead to better overall reasoning. It does not even need to generate multi-modal output. - Not ML specific, but an interesting life insights. Bad intuition comes from believing (or wanting to believe) everything you are told. It diminishes the ability to make a clear choice that would lead to differentiated success (or failure).

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