SE Radio 731: Sonali Varde on AI and the Engineering Manager Role

SE Radio 731: Sonali Varde on AI and the Engineering Manager Role

Author: SE-Radio Team July 30, 2026 Duration: 50:50
Sonali Varde, Senior Software Engineering Manager at LinkedIn, joins host Kanchan Shringi to discuss how AI is changing the role of the engineering manager. They explore how AI is showing up in day-to-day management work, including operational reviews, planning, communication, workflow automation, and preparation for leadership discussions. The conversation looks at how engineering teams are adopting AI tools and agents, what kinds of skills and practices are becoming more important, and how managers can think about context, review, testing, and operational rigor as AI-assisted development becomes more common. They also discuss how AI affects coaching, performance conversations, hiring, onboarding, team composition, and collaboration with peers and leadership. The episode considers both the opportunities and limits of AI for engineering management, with attention to human judgment, curiosity, ownership, and the continuing importance of technical and organizational understanding.

For developers who think deeply about their craft, Software Engineering Radio-The Podcast for Professional Software Developers offers a steady, thoughtful conversation about building software. This isn't about chasing headlines or quick tips; it's a deliberate exploration of the principles, patterns, and hard-won insights that define lasting work in the field. The SE-Radio Team creates each episode as original, standalone content, ensuring you get focused depth rather than recycled conference talks. Every ten days, a new installment arrives, alternating between detailed tutorial-style deep dives on specific technologies or methodologies and candid interviews with influential voices and practitioners from across the industry. Tuning in means joining a continuous learning journey where complex topics are broken down with clarity, from system architecture and language design to team dynamics and career development. This podcast serves as a reliable educational archive, a resource you can return to as your experience grows, always anchored in the realities and challenges faced by professional developers every day.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Software Engineering Radio - The Podcast for Professional Software Developers
Podcast Episodes
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SE Radio 737: Owen McGirr on Software Accessibility [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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SE Radio 736: Sahil Walia on Apache Iceberg [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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SE Radio 735: Vivek Yadav on Regression Testing Microservices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:06
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SE Radio 733: Max Corbridge on Securing AI Agents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:09
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Duration: 54:14
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SE Radio 729: Garth Mollett on AI Supply Chain Security [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:17
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SE Radio 728: Clare Liguori on AWS Strands SDK for AI Agents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:39
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