Knowledge shared by our community

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.

Inspiring Engineers with your Company's Vision

The author shares a personal story about their experience as an engineering lead on a Windows 8 application development project. They highlight the importance of having a clear Company Vision that motivates employees and aligns their work with the goals of the company. The author emphasizes the need for leaders to communicate the "why" behind their projects and provide opportunities for engineers to feel ownership and engagement. They also discuss the potential negative effects of a lack of alignment with the Company Vision, such as competing priorities and decreased productivity. The article concludes by emphasizing the ongoing nature of developing and communicating the Company Vision.

My experience shadowing an Engineering Director for a week

During the first week of February 2023, I shadowed Wayne Haber, the leader of the Secure, Govern, Data Science, and Growth teams at GitLab. GitLab is an open source, remote-first company, and Wayne opened up his Development Director Shadow Program to external participants. I had to sign an NDA and complete a checklist before my first day, and I followed Wayne's meetings and took notes. At the end of the week, I provided honest feedback and he welcomed and appreciated my suggestions. I found my shadowing experience worthwhile and highly recommend it to anyone interested in engineering management.

Effective Feedback Mechanism

Feedback is a powerful tool for Leaders, but it can be daunting for those who are new to it. To use it effectively, Leaders must have the right mindset, skillset, and toolset. This includes appreciating the good work of the individual, communicating what needs improvement and how to improve, delivering feedback in a positive way, building trust and rapport, and understanding the individual's career aspirations. With the right mindset, skillset, and toolset, Leaders can use feedback to help their team members grow and reach their goals.

Honesty in Leadership

Leaders should be honest and transparent with their team, even if it means admitting they don't know something or have made a mistake. Faking it will not build trust in the long run. Leaders should be open about their vulnerabilities and mistakes, and put in effort to learn and grow. People understand that no one is perfect, and will still trust and respect a leader who is trying to improve.

Providing Clarity to team

A leader should provide clear direction and guidance to their team in order to ensure effectiveness and innovation. If they are unable to provide 100% clarity, they should be transparent, humble and vulnerable in order to foster understanding. Giving confusing directions every week or even every other day can lead to anxiety and frustration among team members.

People, Process & Product

An Engineering Manager should prioritize People, Process, and Product in that order for optimal effectiveness. People should be empowered and provided with the right processes to build awesome products. Understanding the principles behind the practices helps the manager stay focused on the goal, measure the effectiveness of the practices, and course correct.

Hosting a successful internal hackathon with < $6k budget

This is a story about the successful implementation of an internal hackathon at a company with a limited budget of $6000. The hackathon was organized remotely and included 80 members from engineering, product and design teams. Preparations included setting specific goals, establishing project themes, facilitating matchmaking, designing a logo and merchandise, and seeking suggestions for a catchy hackathon name. The event was supported by regular check-ins from team leads and culminated in presentations of all projects to the entire company, an award ceremony with personalized awards, and networking opportunities.

"You don't care about quality" A story of single metric bias

This article discusses the importance of avoiding single metric bias when managing software projects, and suggests that customer and risk should be the two key concerns when thinking of quality. It tells the story of the author's mistake in not managing up and letting their frustration boil over into a rage. The article also highlights the dangers of single metric bias, which can lead to catastrophic results, and suggests that code quality should be measured with more than just test coverage. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of assessing best practices to determine which are important to the team, organization, and customer before agreeing to show evidence of improvement.

Ten quotes from Adam Grant relevant while dealing with layoff

This passage discusses the importance of knowing when to abandon treasured tools and parts of identity, the evolution of self-esteem in a career, how to take feedback, how anger can be a mirror for seeing core values more clearly, how to make big career decisions, how to support people who are down, and how to seek advice.

I was passed for Promotion. What now ?

Passing for promotion is not a guaranteed process, and managing disappointment and handling situations professionally when things don't pan out is an important life skill. To be successful in the promotion process, one must have a record of consistent delivery, develop trusted relationships with peers, earn the confidence of leadership, and be able to manage uncertainty.

People Oriented vs Task Oriented

Leadership is not about using people to build things, but rather building people while building things. To become a good leader, one must be both people-oriented and task-oriented. A great tool to assess one's current score is the Blake & Mouton Managerial Grid, and the book Bankable Leadership by Dr. Tasha Eurich provides actionable insights on how to improve both people and task-oriented skills. Experienced leaders can be observed to see how they balance both people and task-oriented goals.

15 Tips to improve profile discovery on LI

This article provides 15 tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help you get your dream job. Tips include uploading a profile picture, specifying the location of your target city, filling in the about section, connecting with recruiters, joining alumni networks, leveraging first and second level connections, following people in the industry, connecting with people who have similar jobs, checking LinkedIn multiple times a day, adding certifications, taking courses offered on LinkedIn, and completing assessments.

The art of Happiness

Happiness is a choice, but it can be difficult to achieve due to our upbringing and environment. Self-awareness is the first step in the journey, and Acceptance is the first step in the happiness journey. The techniques mentioned in the article are inspired from the book “The Happiness Trap” written by Russ Harris, which focuses on psychological flexibility. The 6 pillars of ACT are Diffusion, Expansion, Connection, Observing Self, Values, and Committed Action. Make happiness a habit by learning and incorporating these techniques into life.

A 3 tier approach to more effective recruiting

Recruiting is a necessary part of any organization, but there are alternatives to the traditional methods. These include focusing on recruiting, academic sourcing, and community engagement. Academic sourcing involves reaching out to schools, colleges, and universities, while community engagement involves sharing work openly with experienced voices and creating a culture of feedback and improvement. With these methods, organizations can reduce their reliance on paid sourcing and create a backlog of engineers who know the company and its environment.

Managing remote first organization

This article discusses the challenges of managing a remote first team and the actions taken to address them. These challenges include communication, collaboration, building trust, and time management. To address these challenges, the team implemented video meetings, pair programming/design sessions, team building meetings, and flexible working hours. Regular check-ins and in-person meetups were also used to foster a sense of community and lead the team successfully.

V2 infrastructure project

Multi-year infrastructure overhaul (V2) projects are complex and require a clear business driver and customer-facing value. The engineering leader needs to work closely with business leaders and stakeholders to ensure there is consensus on making the long-term investment. The team needs to go through a prototyping phase to identify components that need refactoring/re-architecting, risks associated with the proposed architecture, and the resources/time required to deliver the project. The engineering leader must also decide how to organize the team for success, either by embedding the V2 team in the V1 team or by spinning up a new V2 team. The project plan should include deliverables, budget, resources, and time, and the team should identify risks early and have mitigation plans. The team should also set KPIs and OKRs and celebrate small victories and demos to stakeholders.

Myth Busting

Metrics are a key tool to help teams identify what to focus on and measure progress. They should be used to help with continuous improvement and provide a fast feedback loop, but should not be used as a stick for adherence. Leadership should remove impediments and empower the team to take ownership. Data should lead the narrative, not be data driven. Measure only what is important to improve the current state.

Starting a Ph.D. level career in AI/ML

This article provides advice for a successful career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science. It covers topics such as preparing a history of impact for job interviews, building relationships, staying up to date with the latest technologies and trends, and developing a strong technical foundation. It also discusses the importance of having a broad skillset and passion, finding a mentor, taking risks, and reinventing oneself every 3-4 years. Finally, it emphasizes the need to have a supportive and talented community.

Facebook vs. Google: 10 Contrasts for Engineering Careers

This article provides an overview of the differences between Google and Facebook as places for a software engineering career. It is based on the author's personal experience at both companies, and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each. It is ultimately up to the individual to decide which company is the best fit for them, as either could lead to success or disappointment. The article also provides links to the careers pages of both companies.

So, you want to be a manager?

This article provides advice for new managers on how to transition from engineering to management. It discusses how to try out management tasks before committing to the role, how to manage interns, and the responsibilities of being a manager. It also provides resources for developing new managers in product management.