Gayle Laakmann McDowell is a programmer, founder, author, consultant, and speaker based in Palo Alto, California. She is the founder and CEO of CareerCup, which provides services and publishing focused on technology interviews. Her background includes a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science and software engineering roles at Google, Microsoft, and Apple.

McDowell is the author of the best-selling Cracking the Coding Interview series, along with Cracking the PM Career, Cracking the PM Interview, and Cracking the Tech Career. Through her consulting work, she offers engineering interview training, guidance on improving technology hiring, and coaching for company acquisitions. She also speaks at companies and conferences on preparing for coding and product management interviews, becoming a more effective interviewer, and women in technology.

Her work extends to guest writing for publications, side projects, and mentoring and advising companies and groups. CareerCup’s books and professional services help people and organizations navigate technical interviews, hiring, and career development.