Leadership
Building teams that last: safety, conflict, hiring, and what the job actually looks like day to day.
- Leverage Over Commits
Management trades the tight feedback loop of shipping code for invisible impact. Redefining what a good day's work looks like.
- I'm Bullish on AI-Assisted Coding. That's Exactly Why I Take the Risks Seriously.
The loudest AI enthusiasts are also the most allergic to discussing tradeoffs. That's the real risk. Honest enthusiasm is what keeps promising technologies…
- You Cannot Mandate Your Way to AI Adoption
Mandating AI tool usage, monitoring individual adoption, or ignoring it entirely. Three responses. All wrong. The AI adoption problem is a people problem,…
- The Gap Between Estimated and Delivered
The gap between estimate and delivery isn't an estimation problem. It's an organizational one.
- The Engineering Manager Role Is Mutating
Same title, different job. The EM role is mutating faster than the job descriptions can keep up.
- The AI Echo Chamber Is the New Agile Industrial Complex
I've seen this movie before. A useful tool gets swallowed by a content machine, and the people who should be paying attention tune out. It happened with…
- The Year I Stopped Apologizing for the Chaos
Parenting young kids while leading a team: on guilt, the myth of balance, and finally refusing to apologize for being human.
- The Trap of the Hero
Being the person who saves the day feels like respect—but it's often a trap. Why the hero role becomes a bottleneck and how to let go.
- Why Empathy is a Hard Skill
Empathy isn't soft—it's what makes radical candor work. How caring personally and challenging directly build teams that perform and trust.
- Why Your Team's Docs Are a Strategic Asset (Not an Afterthought)
Good documentation is kindness to your future self and your team. Why treating docs as a high-leverage asset pays off in autonomy and stability.
- Navigating the Challenges of Cross-functional Teams: the Role of Governance and Common Goals
Cross-functional teams often struggle because of missing governance and unclear common goals. How to fix both so teams can deliver and people can thrive.
- Imposter Syndrome for New Lead Developers: Overcoming Self-Doubt
Stepping into a lead role often brings imposter syndrome. How to shift from needing all the answers to enabling the team to find them together.
- Focusing on the 'Why', Not Just the 'How'
Avoid cargo-cult Agile by keeping teams focused on the spirit of agility—adaptability, value, and improvement—instead of rigidly executing the how.
- Building a Product-Minded Engineering Culture
How to foster product-minded engineers: outcomes over output, user contact, and alignment between engineering and product.
- From IC to Engineering Manager: First 90 Days
Your first 90 days as an engineering manager: what to do, what to avoid, and how to set yourself and your team up for success.
- How to Hire and Retain Senior Engineers
Practical advice on hiring senior engineers and keeping them: what to look for, how to sell the role, and what actually drives retention.
- Remote and Hybrid Engineering Teams: What Actually Works
Practical practices for remote and hybrid engineering teams: async communication, rituals, and clarity that keep teams aligned and shipping.
- How to Give and Receive Technical Feedback (Code Review and Beyond)
Technical feedback in code reviews and design discussions builds quality and trust when done well. A practical guide to giving and receiving it.
- Engineering Metrics That Actually Improve Outcomes (Beyond Velocity and Story Points)
Velocity and story points often mislead. Here are engineering metrics that tie to delivery, quality, and team health—and how to use them.
- What Is a Staff Engineer (or Principal Engineer) and How Do You Get There?
Staff and Principal Engineers shape technical direction and org impact, not just code. Here’s what the role is and how to grow into it.
- Technical Debt: When to Pay It Down vs When to Live With It
Not all technical debt should be repaid. A practical framework for when to refactor, when to document and contain, and when to leave it alone.
- How to Run Effective Engineering 1:1s (Agenda, Frequency, Outcomes)
A practical guide to engineering 1:1s: how often to run them, what to put on the agenda, and how to turn conversations into clear outcomes and trust.
- How to Say No (and Yes) as an Engineering Leader
Saying no is part of the job. How to say no clearly and respectfully, when to say yes, and how to offer alternatives that protect your team.
- Running Effective Sprint Planning (Without the Theater)
Sprint planning that actually aligns the team: how long it should take, what to prepare, and how to avoid ceremony without substance.
- When to Hire Your First Engineering Manager
Signals that it's time to hire your first engineering manager, what to look for, and how to make the transition without losing velocity.
- Building Trust Between Product and Engineering
How to build trust between product and engineering: shared goals, clear boundaries, and habits that reduce us-vs-them and improve delivery.
- Career Conversations: How to Talk About Growth With Your Manager
How to have effective career conversations with your manager: what to ask for, how to prepare, and how to turn them into actionable next steps.
- Handling Conflict in Engineering Teams
Conflict in engineering teams is normal. How to address it early, facilitate constructive disagreement, and when to escalate.
- Delegation for Engineering Managers: What to Let Go First
Practical delegation for engineering managers: what to delegate first, how to hand off without micromanaging, and when to step back in.
- Onboarding New Engineers: First 30 Days That Stick
A practical plan for the first 30 days of engineering onboarding: setup, context, first contributions, and how to measure success.
- Writing Better RFCs and Design Docs
RFCs and design docs that get read and get feedback: structure, audience, and how to make decisions instead of endless discussion.
- How to Run Effective Retrospectives (and Get Real Change)
Retrospectives that actually lead to change: structure, facilitation tips, and how to turn discussion into experiments the team will run.