Main at Roblox is a collection that explores the profession journeys of Roblox’s leaders and discusses their roles, philosophies, and administration types. On this profile, we get to know Nicole Grinstead, Director of Product and Software Safety inside our Infrastructure Group.
What do you do at Roblox?
I joined Roblox a couple of yr in the past to steer our Product and Software Safety crew inside Data Safety (InfoSec). Which means I help something from our Infrastructure Layer to our Software and guarantee they’re sufficiently hardened. My group is chargeable for proactive safety in addition to discovering and remediating vulnerabilities and dangers.
Describe your profession journey. How did you land the place you’re immediately?
Whilst a small little one, I’d all the time liked computer systems and expertise. I used to be drawn to pc courses and took my first programming course in highschool. As quickly as I began school, I set my main as Pc Science and in the end graduated with that diploma. After commencement, I began my profession in full-stack software program engineering centered on constructing merchandise. I used to be working at a Silicon Valley tech firm after they had a serious information breach, and located myself fascinated by all of the work that went into the incident response. That’s how I fell into the safety house, and I’ve been right here ever since! Defending customers and corporations from malicious unhealthy actors has turn into a real ardour of mine.
My path to Roblox started with an informational dialog with Roblox’s VP of Safety Engineering. He was sharing among the challenges with scaling the crew to satisfy Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and among the sorts of motivated risk actors and cyber assaults which might be frequent within the trade. As quickly as I received house, I began researching extra in regards to the firm. The extra I realized in regards to the platform, imaginative and prescient, and management, the extra I knew I wished to be a part of the crew.
What motivates you?
I’m aggressive – principally with myself – and have all the time been very motivated to tackle huge challenges and be taught new issues. As soon as I’ve solved an issue, I’m keen to maneuver onto the subsequent one and problem myself in a brand new or totally different manner. I’m not overly fixated on climbing ladders, however it’s essential to me to not stagnate. This is among the issues I like about safety. There are such a lot of totally different subdomains, so I’ve been in a position to give attention to several types of safety issues and challenges via the years.
Nicole’s aggressive spirit and love of massive challenges involves life each inside and outdoors of labor
What are some management qualities which have labored for you?
I purpose to prepared the ground I prefer to be led. I respect being empowered and given house to tackle tough challenges, and I’ve discovered that Roblox’s government management crew fosters this tradition and helps me in emulating it for my very own crew. Belief is essential to execution and fixing tough issues, so I lead with belief and transparency to drive our crew ahead.
In my day-to-day work as a pacesetter, I convey this to life via each huge and small actions that empower my crew and foster autonomy. As a substitute of giving my opinion or recommendation instantly, I prefer to ask questions that assist immediate people to achieve an answer on their very own. I’m all the time attempting to create space for my crew to really feel like they’ll completely personal their work.
How do you contribute to Roblox’s tradition?
As a girl chief in tech, I’m keen about exploring issues exterior of my safety purview. If I discover a system, cultural facet, or lodging that may enhance the office for ladies and underrepresented teams inside our group or within the trade at massive, I’m eager on championing it. Right here at Roblox, now we have an incredible group of girls engineering leaders that meets month-to-month. I’m additionally concerned with our Ladies@ Affinity Group. During the last ten months since I began my function at Roblox, these communities have led me to construct robust bonds with colleagues throughout the group that I won’t in any other case work with.
Nicole on Roblox’s campus in San Mateo, CA
What’s one thing your crew has completed that you simply’re happy with?
The InfoSec crew is quickly rising, and far of the crew is new to Roblox. I’m so happy with the progress we’ve been in a position to make as a brand new crew in a really brief time period. We’ve additionally constructed out our Software Safety (AppSec) crew, and that group has already made a ton of affect. In true Roblox style, the crew began by constructing a robust system and course of for the way we have interaction cross-functionally to establish and resolve utility degree vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re in no way completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made thus far actually stands out to me.
As a pacesetter of a brand new crew, it’s essential to me to not get in the way in which of the power that new people convey to the group. Embracing new concepts and ideas has helped our crew succeed and allowed new crew members to ramp up and contribute rapidly.
When you had to decide on a worth that the majority resonates with you as a pacesetter, which one would it not be?
Roblox’s “Take the Lengthy View” worth is essential to us as a brand new crew. Regardless that now we have speedy must sort out, and we’re supportive of recent people leaping proper in, we’re all the time extremely strategic about how we’re going to attain our objectives. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we need to be in ten years, and work our manner again from there as an alternative of specializing in tactical “what’s subsequent” approaches.
What’s one thing you want in regards to the platform?
Roblox is particular as a result of it’s so open and various – the sorts of experiences that you may have or construct on Roblox are infinite, and there’s something for everybody. Any creator can convey their creativeness and concepts to life on the platform, and customers of all walks of life can take pleasure in them. We’re simply scratching the floor of what’s actually attainable. It’s an incredible time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen thus far.
In closing, is there a chunk of management recommendation you may share?
Ask for suggestions, and be true to you! There’s nobody model of management that works for everybody, so do what feels genuine, emulate the stuff you respect most out of your leaders, and ask for suggestions alongside the journey. One of the vital efficient methods I’ve discovered to make sure I’m hitting the mark is to easily ask – then to hear, be taught, and evolve primarily based on what I hear. Identical to the Roblox platform, there’s something distinctive for everybody in management. Authenticity and suppleness have been key for me.
Impressed by Nicole’s story? She and her crew are hiring. Go to our careers web site to discover open roles.
Main at Roblox is a collection that explores the profession journeys of Roblox’s leaders and discusses their roles, philosophies, and administration types. On this profile, we get to know Nicole Grinstead, Director of Product and Software Safety inside our Infrastructure Group.
What do you do at Roblox?
I joined Roblox a couple of yr in the past to steer our Product and Software Safety crew inside Data Safety (InfoSec). Which means I help something from our Infrastructure Layer to our Software and guarantee they’re sufficiently hardened. My group is chargeable for proactive safety in addition to discovering and remediating vulnerabilities and dangers.
Describe your profession journey. How did you land the place you’re immediately?
Whilst a small little one, I’d all the time liked computer systems and expertise. I used to be drawn to pc courses and took my first programming course in highschool. As quickly as I began school, I set my main as Pc Science and in the end graduated with that diploma. After commencement, I began my profession in full-stack software program engineering centered on constructing merchandise. I used to be working at a Silicon Valley tech firm after they had a serious information breach, and located myself fascinated by all of the work that went into the incident response. That’s how I fell into the safety house, and I’ve been right here ever since! Defending customers and corporations from malicious unhealthy actors has turn into a real ardour of mine.
My path to Roblox started with an informational dialog with Roblox’s VP of Safety Engineering. He was sharing among the challenges with scaling the crew to satisfy Roblox’s quickly rising platform and enterprise, and among the sorts of motivated risk actors and cyber assaults which might be frequent within the trade. As quickly as I received house, I began researching extra in regards to the firm. The extra I realized in regards to the platform, imaginative and prescient, and management, the extra I knew I wished to be a part of the crew.
What motivates you?
I’m aggressive – principally with myself – and have all the time been very motivated to tackle huge challenges and be taught new issues. As soon as I’ve solved an issue, I’m keen to maneuver onto the subsequent one and problem myself in a brand new or totally different manner. I’m not overly fixated on climbing ladders, however it’s essential to me to not stagnate. This is among the issues I like about safety. There are such a lot of totally different subdomains, so I’ve been in a position to give attention to several types of safety issues and challenges via the years.
Nicole’s aggressive spirit and love of massive challenges involves life each inside and outdoors of labor
What are some management qualities which have labored for you?
I purpose to prepared the ground I prefer to be led. I respect being empowered and given house to tackle tough challenges, and I’ve discovered that Roblox’s government management crew fosters this tradition and helps me in emulating it for my very own crew. Belief is essential to execution and fixing tough issues, so I lead with belief and transparency to drive our crew ahead.
In my day-to-day work as a pacesetter, I convey this to life via each huge and small actions that empower my crew and foster autonomy. As a substitute of giving my opinion or recommendation instantly, I prefer to ask questions that assist immediate people to achieve an answer on their very own. I’m all the time attempting to create space for my crew to really feel like they’ll completely personal their work.
How do you contribute to Roblox’s tradition?
As a girl chief in tech, I’m keen about exploring issues exterior of my safety purview. If I discover a system, cultural facet, or lodging that may enhance the office for ladies and underrepresented teams inside our group or within the trade at massive, I’m eager on championing it. Right here at Roblox, now we have an incredible group of girls engineering leaders that meets month-to-month. I’m additionally concerned with our Ladies@ Affinity Group. During the last ten months since I began my function at Roblox, these communities have led me to construct robust bonds with colleagues throughout the group that I won’t in any other case work with.
Nicole on Roblox’s campus in San Mateo, CA
What’s one thing your crew has completed that you simply’re happy with?
The InfoSec crew is quickly rising, and far of the crew is new to Roblox. I’m so happy with the progress we’ve been in a position to make as a brand new crew in a really brief time period. We’ve additionally constructed out our Software Safety (AppSec) crew, and that group has already made a ton of affect. In true Roblox style, the crew began by constructing a robust system and course of for the way we have interaction cross-functionally to establish and resolve utility degree vulnerabilities and dangers. We’re in no way completed with the journey, however the progress we’ve made thus far actually stands out to me.
As a pacesetter of a brand new crew, it’s essential to me to not get in the way in which of the power that new people convey to the group. Embracing new concepts and ideas has helped our crew succeed and allowed new crew members to ramp up and contribute rapidly.
When you had to decide on a worth that the majority resonates with you as a pacesetter, which one would it not be?
Roblox’s “Take the Lengthy View” worth is essential to us as a brand new crew. Regardless that now we have speedy must sort out, and we’re supportive of recent people leaping proper in, we’re all the time extremely strategic about how we’re going to attain our objectives. When formulating plans and paths ahead, we ask ourselves the place we need to be in ten years, and work our manner again from there as an alternative of specializing in tactical “what’s subsequent” approaches.
What’s one thing you want in regards to the platform?
Roblox is particular as a result of it’s so open and various – the sorts of experiences that you may have or construct on Roblox are infinite, and there’s something for everybody. Any creator can convey their creativeness and concepts to life on the platform, and customers of all walks of life can take pleasure in them. We’re simply scratching the floor of what’s actually attainable. It’s an incredible time to work on the firm, and I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen thus far.
In closing, is there a chunk of management recommendation you may share?
Ask for suggestions, and be true to you! There’s nobody model of management that works for everybody, so do what feels genuine, emulate the stuff you respect most out of your leaders, and ask for suggestions alongside the journey. One of the vital efficient methods I’ve discovered to make sure I’m hitting the mark is to easily ask – then to hear, be taught, and evolve primarily based on what I hear. Identical to the Roblox platform, there’s something distinctive for everybody in management. Authenticity and suppleness have been key for me.
Impressed by Nicole’s story? She and her crew are hiring. Go to our careers web site to discover open roles.
