The Typing Was the Safety Harness
Typing code was doing load-bearing QA work nobody invoiced for. Agents removed the slowness, and now the work has to live somewhere on purpose.
Read articleEngineering leadership, without the management sludge
Actionable guides and mental models for engineering leaders who believe management can be people-first, humane, and a real enabler.
Typing code was doing load-bearing QA work nobody invoiced for. Agents removed the slowness, and now the work has to live somewhere on purpose.
Read articleA fast engineering team is not automatically a productive one. The real test is whether the work changes anything that matters.
Read articleCareer frameworks describe outcomes, not behaviors; interviewers collect impressions, not evidence. Here's how to fix both.
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Managers
Start here if you already manage people or just moved out of the IC track. These posts focus on one-on-ones, feedback, accountability, and building healthier team habits.
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The 5 Common Mistakes Of New Engineering Managers
4 follow-up reads, plus topic paths and grouped recommendations.
Tech Leads
This path is for people leading through architecture, delivery, coordination, and influence. The emphasis is execution, alignment, and helping a team move without brute force.
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The Constraint You Won't Find on a Jira Board
4 follow-up reads, plus topic paths and grouped recommendations.
ICs
This path is for engineers who want stronger communication, sharper career judgment, and a better read on how the role is changing around them.
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Verification Debt Is Your Next Headache
4 follow-up reads, plus topic paths and grouped recommendations.
Topics
Judgment, resilience, motivation, self-awareness, and the habits that make leadership sustainable.
Coaching, one-on-ones, feedback, mentoring, and the everyday work of helping people grow.
Trust, conflict, onboarding, retrospectives, meetings, and the patterns that shape team dynamics.
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How to Build a High Performing TeamPrioritization, process, estimation, metrics, reliability, and getting real work shipped without chaos.
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The Constraint You Won't Find on a Jira BoardManagement, communication, accountability, politics, and how to move work through larger systems.
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Don’t Fear PowerHiring, seniority, technical judgment, and what long-term growth looks like in engineering.
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An Intro To Career FrameworksCollections
Series
A short series of retrospective formats you can actually run with a team when you want better discussion, clearer signals, and follow-through.
For managers, scrum masters, and tech leads who want better team reflection without ritual for ritual’s sake.
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The Start Stop Continue RetrospectiveA practical sequence on the recurring laws and constraints that shape engineering work, from coding and architecture to testing and performance.
For senior ICs, tech leads, and engineering managers who want sharper judgment when systems and teams get complicated.
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56 Laws of Software EngineeringCollection
The manager basics that matter most early: one-on-ones, feedback, motivation, coaching, and the habits that make people management credible.
For new and growing engineering managers who want a durable foundation instead of scattered advice.
Includes 3 reusable downloads.
Collection
A focused bundle on throughput, estimation, reliability, and the system-level choices that make delivery calmer and more predictable.
For leads and managers responsible for helping teams ship without drowning in coordination and operational drag.
Discover how to amplify your communication skills with these 3 game-changing strategies. Effective for personal, work, and social contexts.
Read articleA practical one-on-one template for managers who want useful conversations instead of empty recurring meetings.
Read articleWhat makes high-performance teams stand out? What sets these teams apart from the rest? How can you build outstanding teams? Dive in for the answers.
Read articleMost engineering managers coach too much, not too little, and they often do it for themselves, not their reports. Here's when managing is the more generous act.
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