In the Microsoft Research Podcast series What’s Your Story, Johannes Gehrke explores the who behind the technical and scientific advancements helping to reshape the world. A systems expert whose 10 years with Microsoft spans research and product, Gehrke talks to members of the company’s research community about what motivates their work and how they got where they are today.

Partner Research Manager and leading developer experience expert Nicole Forsgren oversees Microsoft Research efforts to enhance software engineering effectiveness through the study of developer productivity, community, and well-being. In this episode, she discusses AI’s potential impact on software engineering, what she loves about tech, and how thoughtful decision making—combined with listening to her gut—has led to opportunities as a developer, accounting professor, and founder and CEO of a startup that was eventually acquired by Google.

Learn more:

• Nicole Forsgren at Microsoft Research
• Nicole Forsgren website
• Quantifying the impact of developer experience | Microsoft Azure Blog, January 2024
• Yes, good DevEx increases productivity. Here is the data. | GitHub blog, January 2024
• Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations | Book, 2018