this show is called guidance counselor 2.0, because we had guidance counselors in middle school, high school and college, but now as adults we don't have access to that kind of resource, or we at least we didn't until now. this is the 'soft skills' podcast of the software engineering industry, focused on hiring and job search tips. host taylor desseyn and his guests fill in that guidance counselor role, and give job searchers the advice they need to find their next position. Today's guest is Emma Bostian.

Emma is an Engineering Manager at Spotify in Stockholm, where she leads teams building user-facing software at scale. An American who made Sweden home, she blends hands-on engineering roots with people leadership, drawing on early roles at companies like IBM and years of public teaching and writing. She co-hosts the Ladybug Podcast, returning in 2025 with fresh conversations on careers and engineering leadership.

Beyond her day job, Emma is the author of De-Coding the Technical Interview Process and an instructor with Frontend Masters and LinkedIn Learning. She’s known for clear and practical guidance that helps developers level up and land roles, and she shares openly about balancing tech leadership with life as a mom of two.