Date
May 28, 8:30 am
Duration
75 min
Location
Lucerna Café
Organised by the Women in Tech community, this relaxed breakfast session brings people together to explore how real decisions behind real products are made.
Whether you’re an engineer, designer, product manager, BizOps, or simply curious about how things work behind the scenes, this session is about sharing perspectives and learning from each other. We will start with a short real-world story about a technical or product decision – the context, the constraints, the trade-offs, and what didn’t go as expected. From there, we move into small table discussions where everyone can reflect, exchange views, and connect with others facing similar challenges.
It is a space for honest conversation, curiosity, and community – across roles, backgrounds, and experiences.
Agenda
- Welcome & breakfast networking
Easy, informal start to meet people across roles and backgrounds - Real story: Inside one decision
A short story or panel unpacking how a real decision was made – including trade-offs, constraints, and lessons learned - Table discussions
Small group conversations guided by a few simple prompts – sharing perspectives across engineering, product, design, and operations - Shared insights
A few reflections back to the room – what resonated, what surprised us - Closing & community invitation
Wrap-up and invitation to stay connected with the Women in Tech community
Alina Medintu
Principal Group Engineering Manager
Microsoft
Alina is a Principal Group Engineering Manager at Microsoft, where she leads engineering teams in the messaging space shaping the Microsoft Teams experience for users worldwide. With a background spanning nearly two decades in software development and leadership, she focuses on building high-impact products while creating environments where people can thrive, speak up, and grow. Her work blends technical depth with a strong commitment to sustainable, human-centered performance.
Amit Paunikar
Group Product Manager
Microsoft
Amit has been doing product since "AI" meant "search relevance" — 15+ years in the US (ad-matching at Yahoo, search & video at Google, co-founding Mediastudio, acquired by Deluxe) and now from Prague, where he's worked on Skype and Teams Meetings at Microsoft. He is currently leading a team on Copilot quality and evals, holds four patents, and believes most product debates end with a good chart.
Šárka Kohoutová
Business Program Manager
Microsoft
Šárka is a driving force for women in tech, empowering them through mentoring and leadership programs. With extensive experience in program management, she fuels business growth by fostering innovation and strategic thinking. As a community builder and public speaker, she inspires and supports attendees in their professional journeys. As a single mother, Šárka is also able to offer valuable insights for navigating career challenges. Driven by her passion for lifelong learning, she also actively champions initiatives like DigiGirlz and Women in Tech.