Brenda Romero
Brenda Romero - Stay! Surviving and Thriving in Tech
#1about 6 minutes
The paradox of burnout despite a lifelong passion
Despite a 43-year career driven by a deep passion for making games, severe burnout can manifest as a cognitive inability to work and a loss of joy.
#2about 5 minutes
Navigating layoffs, crunch, and industry harassment
The tech industry is facing unprecedented layoffs, crunch culture, and severe online harassment, particularly targeting marginalized groups for their work.
#3about 3 minutes
Understanding the high attrition rates in tech
The average tech career is short due to layoffs and burnout, with marginalized groups leaving at higher rates because of bias and pay disparities.
#4about 7 minutes
How tech provides a home for outsiders and nerds
Many people in tech felt like outsiders growing up, finding a sense of belonging and control in predictable systems like code and Dungeons & Dragons.
#5about 3 minutes
Adopting sustainable practices for long-term career growth
Avoid burnout by pacing your learning, seeking new growth opportunities, and taking necessary breaks to protect your mental health above all else.
#6about 2 minutes
Fostering a resilient and psychologically safe team
Protect your team by vetting hires for toxicity, modeling vulnerability, and establishing a culture of complaining up rather than down.
#7about 2 minutes
Setting boundaries and knowing when to leave a job
To thrive long-term, you must set firm boundaries, refuse to tolerate toxic environments, and have the wisdom to leave situations you cannot change.
Related jobs
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
ROSEN Technology and Research Center GmbH
Osnabrück, Germany
Senior
TypeScript
React
+3
Matching moments
01:32 MIN
Organizing a developer conference for 15,000 attendees
Cat Herding with Lions and Tigers - Christian Heilmann
04:49 MIN
Using content channels to build an event community
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04:22 MIN
Why HR struggles with technology implementation and adoption
What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee
02:44 MIN
Rapid-fire thoughts on the future of work
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04:57 MIN
Developing resilience by expanding your capacity for failure
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03:39 MIN
Breaking down silos between HR, tech, and business
What 2025 Taught Us: A Year-End Special with Hung Lee
04:27 MIN
Moving beyond headcount to solve business problems
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03:38 MIN
Balancing the trade-off between efficiency and resilience
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Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.
Nurture
Barcelona, Spain
Escape Velocity Entertainment
Remote
Unreal Engine