Judd Blair is an engineering manager at Plaid, who has made a significant transition from being an engineer to managing teams. He attributes his growth as an EM to learning how to rely on his team and focus on what he can do to help them achieve their best work, rather than trying to solve problems alone. Judd's experience has also taught him the importance of teamwork and balancing operational excellence with team health and culture. He credits Plaid for maintaining its culture while scaling up, and values the company's thoughtful approach to decision-making. Judd's interests lie in software engineering, cooking, music, and photography, which he pursues in his free time by being deliberate about what he chooses to focus on and not letting other activities atrophy. He is proud of the team he works with at Plaid, who value his opinions and set a high bar for collaboration.