Coworking with Shan He

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Emerging Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

As the senior director of engineering at Foursquare, I lead the product, design, and engineering teams in the Unfolded studio. I really care deeply about our customer needs while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of delivering excellent engineering solutions. I also help Foursquare execute on bold business decisions while simultaneously helping them focus on growing the revenue of core projects by working on customer pain points.

What emerging tech are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

I am optimistic about the future of geospatial analytics and visualization. Geospatial intelligence has the potential to fundamentally transform how we understand our world and do business. There are tons of untapped possibilities. Specifically, there is an opportunity with data like satellite imagery, traffic movement, or census demographics to draw correlations and help businesses make informed decisions. Seeing what new technologies emerge in this space and how they can be applied is very exciting.

What’s the best piece of tech-related media you’ve read/watched/listened to?

I follow multiple popular tech podcasts, such as How I Built This, TED Radio Hour, and RadioLab. One of my favorite tech-related podcasts is actually Tech Won’t Save Us. Tech Won’t Save Us critically examines the tech industry, its new technology trends, its thought leaders.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

I am a black belt in Taekwondo, and my nickname on the mat is “Head Hunter.”