Scaling Global Engineering Teams with Ron Pragides
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💡 Episode Summary
Over the past 20 years, Ron Pragides has built and scaled engineering teams across nearly every continent. From his early days at Salesforce through executive roles at Twitter, Carta, and multiple high-growth startups, Ron has learned what it really takes to hire across borders, evaluate talent globally, and lead distributed teams with confidence.
If you're a founder, CTO, or engineering leader thinking about expanding beyond your headquarters, this episode is packed with actionable insights.
🧭 Timestamps & Topics Covered
00:00 – Building Distributed Engineering Teams
03:02 – Career Journey and Educational Background
05:48 – Evolution of Team Management
08:45 – Acquisitions and Team Integration
11:46 – Evaluating Talent Across Borders
15:05 – Challenges in Global Hiring
17:50 – Nearshoring and Time Zone Considerations
20:59 – Leadership in International Teams
22:10 – Building Global Teams: Strategies and Insights
29:04 – Cultural Nuances in Team Dynamics
35:02 – Market Selection: Data vs. Familiarity
40:12 – The Future of Work: AI and Global Hiring
🗣️ Featured Quotes
“If you’re already working across time zones in the U.S., South America isn’t a maybe. It’s a must.”
— Ron Pragides
“You don’t always choose the market. Sometimes the market chooses you.”
— Ron Pragides
“Not everyone on your global team needs perfect English. But someone does. Communication structure is key.”
— Ron Pragides
🌐 About Ron Pragides
Ron Pragides is a seasoned engineering executive who has led teams at Salesforce, Twitter, Carta, and more. He's deeply experienced in international team building, M&A integrations, and technical leadership across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
📍 Connect with Ron:
LinkedIn | X / Twitter: @MRP
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