Laurel Eze

Many people in tech work closely with complex systems without directly building or owning them. This talk explores how technical fluency develops from that position: through proximity, observation, and collaboration rather than code ownership. Drawing from my experience across roles at Goldman Sachs, Visa, and Ramp, I’ll share what it looks like to understand system behavior, constraints, and tradeoffs while working alongside large-scale and regulated technology. The session focuses on how engineering-adjacent roles can deepen technical skills responsibly: learning what to pay attention to, how to ask better technical questions, and how to reason about systems with limited access. It also addresses growth in the era of AI and why relying on AI tools as shortcuts can stall real understanding, emphasizing how to use AI intentionally as a learning aid rather than a replacement for technical thinking. Rather than positioning technical depth as something reserved for those who write code, this talk reframes it as a skill built over time through exposure, curiosity, and disciplined learning. Attendees will leave with practical guidance for growing technical fluency and developing durable, transferable technical skills without skipping foundational understanding.