Debugging Human Communication

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Apr 2026

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About the show

Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen is on a mission to help techies break the binary barrier between tech and communications and learn how to influence and transform every tech conversation into an opportunity. Looking to shape your career, impress at interviews, and sway your peers? Dr. Horowitz-Rozen offers you the keys to excelling in communication: How to communicate your ideas, develop your brand, captivate your audience, and stand out in the tech field. We believe that everyone should be able to communicate effectively, regardless of their background. Let’s explore how to tell your tech story!

Listen to episodes

25 recent

April 12, 2026Episode 2536 min

How Tech Professionals Can Communicate Their Value with Aviv Weizmann, Aerospike

In this episode, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen speaks with Aviv Weizmann, Head of EMEA Marketing at Aerospike, about what it really takes to communicate value in the tech world. One of the strongest ideas in this episode is simple: If you do not learn to tell the story of your work, others may never fully see its impact. Drawing on years of experience in companies like Microsoft, Google, Meta and now Aerospike, Aviv shares practical insights on storytelling, audience awareness, personal branding, and authenticity. Together, they discuss why great work is not always enough on its own, why tech professionals need to learn how to frame their impact, and how communication can help people get recognition, clarity, and a stronger professional presence. Tune in to a thoughtful, practical episode for developers, product people, marketers, and anyone who wants their work to resonate more clearly 📣 Tune in and join the conversation!

March 11, 2026Episode 2433 min

Making R&D a Safe Place with Shai Cohen, from Optibus

In this episode of Debugging Human Communication, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen sits down with Shai Cohen, Director of R&D and Core Group Lead at Optibus, to explore what it actually means to make an R&D environment feel safe, while staying highly professional and performance-driven. If you work in R&D and are a developer, tech lead, or manager, this conversation will give you language and practices you can use immediately to communicate more effectively! Tune in and join the conversation!

March 10, 2026Episode 238 min

The Atomic Habits Rule That Changes Your Communication

Most engineering teams are great at debugging code. But when the “bug” is human, like misalignment, friction, or feedback, we often default to silence, assumptions, or escalation. In this episode, @Shani Horowitz-Rozen speaks with @Shai Cohen, Director of Engineering and Core Group Lead at Optibus, about what it takes to build something rare in R&D: a safe place without lowering the bar. They talk about: Why active listening is one of the most underrated leadership skills in engineering What Shai does differently in 1:1s with teammembers Why strong teams don’t “avoid” feedback, they normalize it What communication skills does Shai look for when hiring new developers Where AI helps and what it can’t replace. If you lead engineers (or want to), this episode is a practical reminder: psychological safety is not a soft value, it’s your execution infrastructure. 🎧 Listen here: @dafniel Magen #develeap #podcast #communication

February 23, 2026Episode 2231 min

If Your Message Doesn’t Land, It’s Not a Wording Problem

If your work is solid but your message doesn’t travel, this episode will help. In this episode, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen speaks with Robyn (Jackson) Malone, CEO & Chief Partner Officer, RJ Communications, about what makes messages land, especially when the topic is complex, regulated, or high-stakes. You’ll learn: Why audience insight beats “better wording” How to find the why behind choices and decisions How to communicate with rigor and relevance: facts + meaning How to think about AI in communications: competitive advantage comes from how you use it

January 28, 2026Episode 217 min

AI, Paris and What It Taught Me About Communication

Terms like “urgent”, “OK”, “interesting”, or “quick sync” can be interpreted differently across teams. The result is predictable: misalignment, slower decisions, and avoidable rework. This episode of Debugging Human Communication was inspired by a real moment in Paris - when, for Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen, a “simple” issue turned into a surprisingly accurate lesson in how people define respect through process. Listen to this episode to learn how to use AI to test how a message is likely to be received across different cultural contexts, before hitting send and turning misunderstandings into friction.

December 31, 2025Episode 2019 min

Strategic Communication That Moves People

In this episode of Debugging Human Communication, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen talks with Joshua Altman, Managing Director at Beltway Media in Washington, D.C. Joshua works with leaders, companies, and campaigns that can’t afford to just “post more” – they need communication that changes minds, builds trust, and drives decisions. Together, they unpack: Why “communicate strategically, not voluminously” should be every leader’s mantra The journey from story → narrative → brand (and why skipping steps backfires) Joshua’s simple lens for designing messages: what people read, see, hear, and experience The myth of the “natural communicator” – and what serious practice actually looks like How corporate communications became a core business function, not a PR add-on If you’re a founder, VP, or team lead who feels the pressure to “be out there more” but also wants your communication to actually do something, this conversation will give you language, structure, and a calmer way to think about your voice.

December 3, 2025Episode 1911 min

The Quiet Way to Sound Smarter in Meetings

Most people think great communication is about knowing exactly what to say. In this episode, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen looks at the other side of the conversation: the quiet moments between the words. Why does it feel so frustrating when someone jumps in and finishes your sentence “for you”? What actually happens in your brain – and in your colleague’s – during those few seconds of silence after you speak? If you’re a leader, engineer, or team member who spends a lot of time in meetings, this episode will help you rethink what it really means to “communicate well” at work.

September 14, 2025Episode 1834 min

What startup founders get wrong in early-stage communication – with Yaakov Diminsky

If you’ve ever pitched your startup and felt the room just… didn’t get it - this episode is for you. Because sometimes, the biggest risk to your startup isn’t the tech - it’s how you talk about it. In this episode, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen sits down with Yaakov Diminsky, CEO of Road2, an innovation hub helping early-stage startups across Israel’s north. With deep experience mentoring founders in deep-tech and AI, Yaakov brings sharp, real-world insights into the role of communication in startup success — and failure. You’ll hear: Why “no” is a gift — if you know how to listen How to avoid building something no one wants What honest mentorship really sounds like And why early-stage founders should focus less on pitch decks and more on clarity Yaakov has worked with more startups than most people pitch to. His advice is direct, honest, and grounded in real experience. 🎧 Listen now — because in early-stage startups, communication is execution.

August 18, 2025Episode 178 min

You Don’t Need to Be Brilliant to Be Heard

What if one small sentence could shift the tone of a meeting, ease tension with a colleague, or make your team lean in? In this episode of Debugging Human Communication, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen reveals how tiny acts of communication can give you more influence, more trust, and more confidence — without needing to be brilliant or “on” all the time. Hit play and see how much impact you can have with less effort.

July 15, 2025Episode 1644 min

Shani debugs product infrastructure communications with Yaniv Yaakubovich, Product Consultant

What happens when a product expert walks into a startup and asks, “What are we building and why?” and gets five different answers? In this episode, Dr. Shani Horowitz-Rozen speaks with Yaniv Yaakubovich, a product consultant and former Googler, about how communication shapes everything in product management, from customer insights and team alignment to decision-making and leadership trust. Whether you’re a product manager, startup founder, or just obsessed with how teams work, this episode will give you tools and stories that hit close to home.