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Yonatan Zunger
Distinguished Engineer at Twitter
Professional Background
Yonatan Zunger is a highly respected technology leader currently serving as a Distinguished Engineer at Twitter. In this pivotal role, he is dedicated to enhancing the digital landscape and making the Internet a more beneficial environment for users worldwide. This new position reflects his commitment to innovation and ethical engineering, embodying his philosophy that technology should serve the public good.
Before his tenure at Twitter, Yonatan was a Distinguished Engineer at Humu, where he played an integral role in diverse areas such as storage, security, data processing infrastructure, machine learning, and product development. His leadership extended to ensuring ethical practices as the Chief Ethics Officer, where he strived to uphold the interests and well-being of individuals affected by the company’s operations. Additionally, as the head of security and privacy, he was instrumental in creating a framework that prioritized user safety and data integrity.
Prior to Humu, Yonatan contributed significantly to Google over a remarkable 14-year career. At Google, he spearheaded the company's technical data governance initiatives, particularly in preparation for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in 2017. He also led the infrastructure for Google Assistant and held the title of Chief Architect for all Google’s social efforts during a transformative time for the technology giant. His expertise in distributed storage culminated in the development of one of Google’s most significant planet-scale storage systems, known as BS2 or Google Cloud Storage, while he also designed and directed the organization’s high-capacity search group.
Throughout his career, Yonatan has consistently positioned himself as a problem solver. Since 2011, he has been recognized as “the guy who deals with weird but complicated situations that have an engineering aspect.” This unique role has seen him navigate complex privacy, policy, and user safety challenges within Google, demonstrating his extensive knowledge and passion for creating respectful and safe online experiences.
Education and Achievements
Yonatan Zunger's academic journey laid a strong foundation for his impressive career in technology. He pursued doctoral studies (Ph.D.) at Stanford University, one of the premier institutions known for its critical role in driving innovation in various fields, particularly technology. This rigorous academic environment fostered his analytical skills and nurtured his passion for engineering and ethics in technology.
Yonatan completed his undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he began to develop a keen interest in the intersection of technology and societal impact. His extensive education sets him apart as a thought leader who combines technical expertise with ethical considerations, making him a valuable asset in any organization he joins.
Notable Achievements
Yonatan's professional journey is marked by numerous achievements, particularly in championing ethical engineering practices and enhancing user safety. His significant contributions to the evolution of data privacy and protection at Humu, where he upheld the ethical dimensions of technology use, are commendable. As Chief Ethics Officer, he laid the groundwork for sustainable practices that align with individuals' rights and societal interests.
During his time at Google, Yonatan led pioneering projects that helped shape the technological landscape. His leadership in establishing data governance frameworks prepared the company for GDPR, reinforcing his commitment to user privacy and regulatory compliance. Moreover, his role in developing the infrastructure for Google Assistant showcased his innovative abilities, further demonstrating his expertise in cutting-edge technology solutions.
As a distinguished engineer in high-capacity storage and search technologies, Yonatan’s work in building systems that can efficiently manage extensive data streams positions him as an expert in scalable, efficient engineering solutions, vital for any modern technology-driven environment.
In closing, Yonatan Zunger stands out as a leader who does not shy away from challenges. His commitment to making a meaningful difference in the tech industry through ethical advocacy, innovative engineering, and a focus on user experience continues to inspire those around him. His remarkable journey reflects his dedication to pushing the boundaries of technology while ensuring that it serves the greater good of society.
Highlights
I spent some time talking with Wendy Zenone and Nic Fillingham on the BlueHat Podcast about safety engineering -- what it is, how you do it, and why it matters. It's a pretty good distillation of some of the things that have been at the top of my mind lately.
https://lnkd.in/eGMd59mQ
AI Safety at Microsoft means everything from "protect the VM from buffer overruns" to "what happens if the person using this has an abusive partner?" Right now we're hiring for a range of roles, looking for a range of backgrounds. Follow the links to learn the details of each particular role and apply for them.
If you don't see something that matches your background and skillset, keep watching! We'll continue to post as other roles come up.
AI Red Team: Probing the high-risk systems to discover the risks nobody has realized are yet real. All these roles include crossover with operations, to keep you grounded in the real cutting edge. AIRT Operator: https://lnkd.in/gctvci3S The core "probe the systems" job. Experience thinking adversarially required. Maniacal cackles optional. AI Safety Researcher: https://lnkd.in/gsa-Udru Staff-level, looking for adversarial ML or AI safety experience. Research on the cutting edge of AI havoc. SWE: https://lnkd.in/gvwJePge Working on PyRIT (https://lnkd.in/gFdmfaww)
The AI Safety Platform: Putting as much of AI safety as possible into the codebase so teams don’t have to do it by hand. Domain expertise not required, experience working on software platforms (APIs/SDKs) useful. Eng Manager: https://lnkd.in/gfnW_a-b Staff-level SWE: https://lnkd.in/g4c7FFE9 Senior-level SWE: https://lnkd.in/g7bBy_4S
Empowering Microsoft: Lots of safety can't be turned into software: how to identify the relevant threats, design an incident response plan, etc. This team needs to understand and distill the practice of safety and turn it into training, tools, and documentation, first for our own teams, then for the world. AI Safety Program Manager: https://lnkd.in/gKbfzh6P Staff-level role distilling this knowledge. Deep safety expertise (including technical and human aspects), experience working with product teams, and great communication required. Technical Writer: https://lnkd.in/gZ8dv8Eg
TPM, Office of the Deputy CISO: https://lnkd.in/gQN2k8rb We have so many cats to herd. Senior- to staff-level TPM who can bring order out of chaos.
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.