IK Exclusive Session - Explore the New AI Hiring Landscape

About this event

Before anyone tells you the hiring bar, find out where you actually stand against it — live, and the skills companies increasingly value. The hiring bar for AI roles has moved. Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) postings are up, compensation is outpacing Senior SWE, and companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Salesforce are putting real capital behind this shift — but most candidates are still building portfolios for a bar that no longer exists. This isn't a talk. It's a working session. You'll open your most recent project, score it yourself against the same rubric hiring managers use, and find your gaps before anyone points them out to you. Then we'll rebuild your portfolio strategy around what "Strong Hire" actually requires — real prompts, a documented failing case, an eval set, a decision log, cost and latency numbers — and leave with a 30-day plan tied to your weakest score. Join us for an in-person discussion on the changing AI hiring landscape and what it means for professionals navigating the next phase of their careers. This session will bring together industry perspectives, current hiring trends, and practical insights to help you better understand where the market is heading. Who Should Attend • Engineers and PMs exploring or actively interviewing for AI/FDE roles • Anyone building AI agent or LLM-based projects who wants an honest read on where it stands • Job seekers who want a concrete 30-day plan instead of another generic prep list • Bay Area tech professionals who want to build alongside people solving the same problem Whether you are actively looking for a new role or simply trying to understand how the industry is evolving, this session will offer useful perspectives on the opportunities and challenges ahead. What You'll Walk Away With • A completed scorecard — on your own project, scored by you • A ranked list of gaps, ordered by what interviewers notice first • A 30-day sequence built around your weakest criterion • Working knowledge of the current FDE hiring market — postings, capital, compensation premium • A room full of new connections over lunch Session Format This will be an interactive, in-person session featuring: • Industry insights and hiring trends • Discussion around emerging AI roles and opportunities • Perspectives from experienced technology professionals • Open Q&A • Networking with fellow engineers, product professionals, and AI practitioners