Derek Salama
About Derek Salama
Derek Salama is a Principal Product Manager at Tecton, where he focuses on B2B AI/ML infrastructure and leads the development of real-time systems. With a background in both startups and large tech companies, he has significant experience in product management and data systems.
Current Role at Tecton
Derek Salama serves as the Principal Product Manager at Tecton, a position he has held since 2024. In this role, he focuses on enhancing the company's platform capabilities, particularly in areas such as data discovery, collaboration, governance, and privacy. His work supports a large team of Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers, contributing to the development of real-time systems that manage complex data transformations for high-profile applications.
Previous Experience at Tecton
Prior to his current role, Derek worked at Tecton as a Senior Product Manager from 2021 to 2024. He joined the company as its 20th employee, playing a significant role in its early growth and development. During his tenure, he focused on B2B AI/ML infrastructure, leveraging his extensive experience in launching AI consumer products.
Experience at Lyft and Google
Before joining Tecton, Derek worked at Lyft as a Product Manager from 2017 to 2021. He also held a position at Google as a Product Manager from 2014 to 2017. Earlier in his career, he gained experience as a Software Engineering Intern at Google for three months in 2013. This diverse background in both startup environments and large tech companies provides him with a unique perspective on product management across different business stages.
Education and Expertise
Derek studied at Dartmouth College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from 2010 to 2014. His educational background, combined with his professional experience, equips him with the skills necessary for product management in the technology sector, particularly in AI and machine learning.
Publications and Contributions
Derek has contributed to the field of real-time machine learning through his published blog posts. He wrote a blog post on low-latency streaming pipelines for real-time machine learning on August 9, 2021, and updated this post on October 17, 2023. These contributions reflect his expertise and ongoing engagement with advancements in AI/ML infrastructure.