Unfiltered: #ChooseToChallenge with Yuki Richardson

Hello, Cloudflare TV. And happy Women's Empowerment Month. I hope you've heard this a ton of times this month from us. My name is Kalpana Ravinarayanan and I work in the data and business intelligence teams here at Cloudflare. We are super excited to about the special Choose to Challenge edition, where we bring in amazing people, amazing women from across various fields to kind of chat, talk to us about their perspectives, their experiences, and how we're just getting along in the world, I guess. Before we dive in further, a quick note to our viewers. If you have questions, feel free to submit them by emailing us at livestudio at Cloudflare .tv. And you can also find the banner right below this video. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to one remarkable woman, Yuki Richardson, Director of Finance at Google. Yuki, welcome to our show. Thank you for taking time to talk to us today. Perhaps you can start us off by telling us a little bit about yourself and what you do. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here. And I am at Google. I've been at the company for a little over a decade, and I currently lead the financial planning and analysis team for a number of Google's platform products. The biggest one being Android, which is a platform OS for mobile phones, but also wearables, cars, TV, and other form factors. Cool. So what kinds of things do you do day to day? That sounds very impressive. That's an impressive list. So what does a finance person do to help the Android and wearables team? Yeah, so at the end of the day, we do a variety of things, but they're all in service of guiding good decision making for Google with a focus on investment decisions. And what that means, practically speaking, is my team works on providing transparency into financials and the performance of the business. This could be in the form of weekly, monthly, or quarterly reports that we provide along with insights. We also vet specific decisions, like if there's a commercial deal, we'll model out different scenarios and give the business team options and work with the team to come up with a deal structure that optimizes the gives and gets for the company and also users. And the other thing we do is we'll also help with business strategy vetting, kind of thinking through what are potential business models we could be considering and what are the investments we need to drive that business. Yeah, how many people on your team work on this? This sounds like pretty comprehensive in terms of all the decisions you support. Yeah, so I think this is the thing that you might typically see in finance, but we're a pretty small team. We're a team of 18 people growing to a little over 20, hopefully by the end of the year. But the teams we support are a few thousand in number. So one of the things we consistently think about is, you know, how can we be more efficient? Are there opportunities for automation or outsourcing? Because we are just so much smaller than the teams we support. Yeah, and the Women's Empowerment Month, so I got to ask you, what is the ratio of women on your team like or in general in finance? Oh, yeah. So on my team, we're about 50-50. Within financial planning and analysis as a function, though, the number is a bit lower, if I can, if I'm recalling correctly. Within some other finance functions, though, the balance becomes, you know, more around 50-50 or maybe even higher than 50% for women. And those functions are, you know, more focused on accounting and controls. Oh, yeah. So that's a pretty, like, what do you say, friendly workspace, workplace to be in, at least in terms of having support, a support system. Was it always this way? Like, what did you do before Google? Were you in tech finance all the time? No, so Google is the first tech company that I've worked at. Although I've been in finance my entire career, I guess, almost 20 years. And so what I was before Google, or maybe I'll start from the very beginning. I started out right after college. I studied economics and business administration in college. And, you know, I ended up, actually, I didn't really know what I wanted to do after college. And, you know, it was also around the time that Enron had shut down, and there were a lot of challenges in finding a job. And I was considering going to law school, but I was tired of studying. So I thought, oh, maybe I'll take a year off, you know, be a bartender, it looks like a difficult job market. But I ended up actually going to a job fair in Boston for bilingual Japanese and English speakers. And I went because, yeah. How did that happen? I was on some mailing list. And this organization offered money, a scholarship, per se, for me to fly to Boston to attend a job fair for bilingual speakers. And since I had friends who were also going, I thought, what a great opportunity, free trip to Boston, I should go. And I went. And given my background, you know, and I was interested in numbers, I was always good at math. And so I ended up interviewing for a couple of roles, and ended up with a job with GE in Japan, working on finance, a financial rotational program, where you took a different job every six months for two years. And I decided to go for it. And so my first job out of college was in Japan, working in a financial rotational program with GE. And in terms of industries, my jobs included being in a middle of nowhere industrial park in Japan, doing accounting for a business that produced plastic pellets, and powders and other, you know, things that go into the plastics business. And also took me to a medical devices business on the outskirts of Tokyo. So definitely not technology. Yeah, and after that, I went into internal audit with GE, also working on different businesses, including aircraft engines, financial services. And then at that point, I decided I want to work on something I can understand a little better and relate to. And I ended, you know, I applied for a role with NBC Universal, working in a digital media group called iVillage.com. So I did finance there. And after that, by then, you know, I was in New York for that job. But my family and many of my friends, I grew up in the Bay Area. So they were still in California. And I was keen to get back to the Bay Area. So I applied for a job at Google, ended up, you know, getting the job. And I moved back to the Bay Area and started my finance career here at Google. Yeah, that's, that's quite a career, Yuki. I mean, two continents, like, you know, several industries, it looks like you touched like what plastics, aircraft engines, like media and entertainment. And now, at Google, you know, tell me a little bit like, traveling, especially working internationally. And growing up in the Bay Area, was there a big difference in, you know, working in general, I'm sure there is, but also working as a woman? Is that is there a difference between here and there? Yeah, definitely. And I think Japan's work environment probably, you know, provides a stark contrast. And I think things probably hopefully have evolved since I worked there. But it was a reverse culture shock, I'd say, because when I was a young kid, I lived in Japan, of course, the work environment is quite different. But when I started working in Japan, you know, there were certain things I just didn't know how to do. How do you accept and present your business card, there's a certain way to do that. I didn't, you know, I wasn't taught how to do that. So I needed to learn from my co workers. Even things like where to sit in a conference room, there are rooms, new rules around that, that I didn't know that my co workers also had to teach me. And, you know, just also, you know, as a woman, you know, I would be asked to be sent, I started noticing, like, I'm being asked to send go out on more errands than some of my other male colleagues. Although in many of those instances, I think my managers noticed pretty quickly, they might be better off having me work on a spreadsheet. Yeah, you know, you bring up something really interesting, right? Like, you know, how do you navigate a situation like that? So you're sent out for coffee, like, 10 times compared to twice with your male colleagues? Like, how did you handle that situation? Like, what tips do you have for young folks who might be in similar situations to gently like steer? I think I would do things much more tactfully now than I did back then. Because at the time, I was grumpy about it, visibly grumpy. And maybe that might have contributed to actually being successful. But I think looking back, if I were to give myself advice, I might actually have a direct conversation with my manager about it. Because I didn't at the time. I just, I was grumpy, but did it anyway. And, you know, looking back now, I probably would have a conversation with my manager and say, hey, like, I have all these things that we need to do, that you'd like me to do, like, do you really want me to go out on this errand, maybe so and so is better positioned. And, you know, I would take more of that type of a route than being visibly grumpy and angry about having to run errands all the time. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's, I think that's, you know, it's okay to stand up and talk. And I think a lot of work around even here in Cloudflare around allyship and inclusion is about is a lot also about talking, talking and expressing yourself saying that this is not okay. Or I don't feel comfortable is like the start of the conversation. So I think yeah, that's a valuable tip. So, you know, finance has been your career for, like you said, 20 years. What was this what you dreamed about when you were growing up? I'm always curious to see like what people thought they would do in their like, you know, teens and maybe college years. Yeah, it definitely wasn't. It's not something I really thought about before I ended up in it, really. I don't think I really knew that corporate finance was a career option growing up or even in college. And, you know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian. And when I was in high school, I wanted to be a diplomat. And and actually, when I went into when I started university, I actually wanted to major in computer science. And I went in and, you know, with computer science as my declared contemplated major. But I ended up not going into it. Why was that? Like, tell us more. Yeah. So, so I did take all the prereqs my first year. And I took one computer science class. And in my lab group, there was only one other woman. And, you know, I, I got to be very good friends with her. But I had a really difficult time connecting with other people in my lab group. And I also noticed that many of my friends were applying to the business school. I went to school at UC, UC Berkeley. And, you know, going into this is a little embarrassing. But when I applied for UC Berkeley, I didn't know they had a business school. That was just not something I thought about. Because I was intending, you know, it's so focused on I'm going to, you know, going to computer science, maybe I'll study economics. And for me, it was really a decision based on, you know, I craved being, you know, making friends in my classes. And I somehow wasn't able to do that in my computer science class. And so I changed my intended major. Do you regret the change? Do you wish that you were in computer science? Or are you happy? Yeah, I wonder what would have happened if I'd done that. But I'm so happy with where I ended up. Like, I love my job. I really appreciate, you know, being being in finance. And so I guess you just don't know, you know, the thing, the path that you think might have been right for you might not always be the right one. I went with, you know, what I thought would make me happy. And it ended up, you know, working out for me. Yeah, I mean, you know, this is such a worry. We had an allyship inclusion workshop recently at Cloudflare. And you know, Andrew Fish, one of our people leaders brought up this quote saying, like, you know, diversity and inclusion are not the same thing. You know, you can be invited, like, I think there's a Werner Mayer's quote that is so beautiful. I think it's totally applicable to your situation. It says, diversity is being invited to the party inclusion is being asked to dance and you made something that had a lifelong impact on your career because you didn't feel comfortable in a space. Right? I mean, what would have made you like, kind of stick to computer science at that time? Like, you know, just having more women in there or like people reaching out to you and including you and stuff. I don't know. It's a long time ago. So maybe it's too much to ask to remember. It's a long time ago, but I think now, you know, being in tech, I think has helped with that reflection and thinking about, you know, what really drove me to, you know, make the change. And I think part of it is for me, I wanted to, you know, making personal connections with others right now, for me, that may be, you know, the workplace. And at the time it was in the classroom was really important to me. And I had a difficult time making that connection with many of the folks in the room. Not sure if it was a hundred percent just gender driven. It may have just been the mix of folks, you know, in the lab group as well. Because when I look at my sister actually ended up studying electrical engineering and computer science and she's an electrical engineer now, so she's stuck with it and loves it and came out of the program with a lot of friends. And so, and the other thing too that I've reflected on also is I didn't have prior computer science knowledge. And, you know, I'm just such a perfectionist by nature that, you know, just not being as prepared, I think also made me a little intimidated to continue to study computer science because I wasn't the perfect A student because there was so much I didn't know. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's also kind of interesting, right? But sometimes it's like sticking with something that makes the difference. I don't know how much, I know, I come from, both of us come from like, you know, Asian heritage and not having that A gnaws at us because we've been brought up thinking. Yeah. No, I think that's right. You may have heard of the Asian, you know, the B as an Asian F. Yeah. We sometimes put a lot of pressure on ourselves as well. You know, maybe I should. So very cool, Yuki. I mean, we have about 10 minutes left. I'm wondering throughout your career, what, what have been some of the things that have helped you like most as, as you've gone through, like, what are some things like you would say to young folks out there? Yeah. So I think, you know, you hear a lot about mentors and sponsors being critical, and I agree with that. But one thing that has really helped me is peer mentors. So folks who are around the same level, similar levels of experience, but someone that, you know, understands the challenges you're facing. I found those folks to be really helpful. And as an example, you know, I have a peer, he's also in financial planning and analysis at Google for a different area. He also has a really different personal style to me, but I think we share some core values around things like integrity, and supporting our team. And, you know, he's been really helpful to me whenever I've encountered challenges, you know, whether it's how to lead the team, or even on things like a specific project. And so I think finding those peer mentors or, you know, people you can speak to, that's something that, that, you know, I, I've been, I found to be very helpful in my career. Yeah, that sounds, yeah, I know, when we talk about mentors, sometimes it's intimidating, right? It's like, you know, I have to ask this, like, really senior person to support me, how do I get the courage to go and ask them? Like, what do I do if they say no, but this is kind of really cool. Like you say, you say that peer mentorships, people that are just like you, who are working through the same challenges could be just as valuable to the career. And if I may say, I think there is a theme here, right? You're looking to connect with people, you know, when you were in labs in computer science, I think that was very critical for you, for your growth and for your decision making overall. So this is probably a reflection on that, right? This is something that you value. Awesome to hear you talk about it, Yuki, thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Any last words of wisdom before we conclude here? No, no, I think for me, you know, thanks for all your questions, because they've all, they've also kind of helped me to reflect on some of the things that have worked for me. And, you know, one of the themes, as you noted earlier, is just kind of, you know, in some ways, like going with the flow, and making the best of the opportunities you find yourself in. And, you know, that that seems to have worked. And you never know, you know, I was convinced going into college that CS was the thing I was going to do, didn't, but I'm really happy with what I'm doing. And who knew that finance was going to be the thing? Yeah, I think that's an amazing note to end on. Yuki, thank you so much for your time. Stay positive, go with the flow, find peer mentors. You know, international experiences enrich your perspective. So many good things from this call. I really enjoyed chatting with you. Thank you for taking time to be with us here today. Of course, thanks so much for having me. Okay, have a great day. You too. Bye. We're betting on the technology for the future, not the technology for the past. So having a broad network, having global companies, now running at full enterprise scale gives us great comfort. It's dead clear that no one is innovating in this space as fast as Cloudflare is. With the help of Cloudflare, we were able to add an extra layer of network security controlled by Allianz, including WAF, DDoS. Cloudflare uses CDN and so allows us to keep costs under control and caching and improve speed. Cloudflare has been an amazing partner in the front. They've been willing to be extremely transparent about the data that they are collecting and why they're using it. And they've also been willing to throw those logs away. I think one of our favorite features of Cloudflare has been the worker technology. Our origins can go down and things will continue to operate perfectly. I think having that kind of a safety net, you know, provided by Cloudflare goes a long ways. We were able to leverage Cloudflare to save about $250,000 within about a day. The cost savings across the board is measurable, it's dramatic, and it's something that actually dwarfs the yearly cost of our service with Cloudflare. It's really amazing to partner with a vendor who's not just providing a great enterprise service, but also helping to move forward the security on the Internet. One of the things we didn't expect to happen is that the majority of traffic coming into our infrastructure would get faster response times, which is incredible. Like Zendesk just got 50% faster for all of these customers around the world because we migrated to Cloudflare. We chose Cloudflare over other existing technology vendors so we could provide a single standard for our global footprint, ensuring world-class capabilities in bot management and web application firewall to protect our large public-facing digital presence. We ended up building our own fleet of HAProxy servers such that we could easily lose one and then it wouldn't have a massive effect, but it was very hard to manage because we kept adding more and more machines as we grew. With Cloudflare we were able to just scrap all of that because Cloudflare now sits in front and does all the work for us. Cloudflare helped us to improve the customer satisfaction. It removed the friction with our customer engagement. It's very low maintenance and very cost effective and very easy to deploy and it improves the customer experiences big time. Cloudflare is amazing. Cloudflare is such a relief. Cloudflare is very easy to use. It's fast. Cloudflare really plays the first level of defense for us. Cloudflare has given us peace of mind. They've got our backs. Cloudflare has been fantastic. I would definitely recommend Cloudflare. Cloudflare is providing an incredible service to the world right now. Cloudflare has helped save lives through Project Fairshot. We will forever be grateful for your participation in getting the vaccine to those who need it most in an elegant, efficient, and ethical manner. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The release of worker sites makes it super easy to deploy static applications to Cloudflare Workers. In this example, I'll use create react app to quickly deploy a react application to Cloudflare Workers. To start, I'll run npx create react app, passing in the name of my project. Here, I'll call it my react app. Once create react app has finished setting up my project, we can go in the folder and run wrangler init dash dash site. This will set up some sane defaults that we can use to get started deploying our react app. wrangler.toml, which we'll get to in a second, represents the configuration for my project. And worker site is the default code needed to run it on the workers platform. If you're interested, you can look in the worker site folder to understand how it works. But for now, we'll just use the default configuration. For now, I'll open up wrangler.toml and paste in a couple configuration keys. I'll need my Cloudflare account ID to indicate to wrangler where I want to deploy my application. So in the Cloudflare UI, I'll go to my account, go to workers. And on the sidebar, I'll scroll down and find my account ID here and copy it to my clipboard. Back in my wrangler.toml, I'll paste in my account ID. And bucket is the location that my project will be built out to. With create react app, this is the build folder. Once I've set those up, I'll save the file and run npm build. Create react app will build my project in just a couple seconds. And once it's done, I'm ready to deploy my project to Cloudflare workers. I'll run wrangler publish, which will take my project, build it and upload all of the static assets to workers KV, as well as the necessary script to serve those assets from KV to my users. Opening up my new project in the browser, you can see that my react app is available at my workers.dev domain. And with a couple minutes and just a brief amount of config, we've deployed an application that's automatically cached on Cloudflare servers, so it stays super fast. If you're interested in learning more about worker sites, make sure to check out our docs where we've added a new tutorial to go along with this video, as well as an entire new workers site section to help you learn how to deploy other applications to Cloudflare Workers.