Debugging these issues?
Build leaders like you build software: iteratively.
Your leadership pipeline is broken
You're scaling fast, but your senior engineers aren't stepping up. They're brilliant at code but struggle with people, strategy, and stakeholder management. You're still the bottleneck for every decision.
External hires are a 50/50 gamble
External hires often lack context and take months to ramp up, while internal promotions struggle without support, leading to burnout or attrition. Traditional leadership programs don’t solve the problem either. They’re too generic, full of corporate speak and fail to resonate with engineers or the realities of scaling teams.
The cost of leadership gaps is multiplying
Projects ship late because no one drives alignment. Teams work in silos. Technical debt piles up. Your best engineers leave because there's no growth path. Meanwhile, you're putting out fires, drowning in meetings trying to teach leadership on the fly, 'quick syncs' and escalations.
You need scalable leadership development
Something has to change. Mentoring everyone yourself isn't sustainable. You need a systematic way to level up multiple engineers simultaneously - something that works at scale, like your CI/CD pipeline.
This is where Scale-Up Leadership comes in
Engineers learn, apply, and track progress just like they ship software.
Deploy leadership at scale
Your senior team moves through the same sprints, building a shared language and consistent learning approach across your eng team.
No corporate jargon
Concepts are framed with engineering metaphors that resonate, like "Communication APIs" and "Team Architecture Patterns."
Self-service leadership development
Engineers pull from the learning backlog at their own pace, track progress on their personal boards and level up without you constantly mentoring everyone.
Predictable leadership pipeline
Make data-driven decisions about your leadership bench by tracking progress and sprints in real-time. You'll know who is ready for a promotion.
ROI you can measure
Track learning progress and completion across your team with real data that links to performance improvements.
Zero-disruption implementation
No offsites or disruptions. Engineers learn async, fitting 2–3 hours a week into their workflow around other commitments.
HOW IT WORKS
Progress you can see, one sprint at a time
1.
Sprint based, Kanban style learning
Engineers log in to see their own personal leadership Kanban dashboard which gives them a clear, visual workflow that guides their development. They move through the program sprint by sprint (each lasting 5 weeks).
2.
Learning is broken down into small sections
Engineers are prompted to watch the videos, explore the frameworks and tools and think about the examples scale-up scenarios. Additional resources can be found in the Standlib to aid learning.
3.
Apply and ship what they learn
With guided templates and activities, the stdlib bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping learners apply new skills immediately on the job.
4.
Track progress in real time
The Kanban dashboard makes growth visible. You and your engineers can see what's been learning, what's next and how those changes are improving team performance.
FAQs
The program runs in 5-week sprints. Each week, engineers are prompted to complete their learning: • Watch short videos and explore practical scenarios • Use frameworks, templates and the Stdlib resources • Apply tools directly to their work (e.g. book a 1:1 with a team member, prepare using a template and practice driving the conversation) You can enrol as many engineers from your team as you like.
Most engineers spend 1–2 hours per week. That includes videos, activities, and reflections. The focus isn't on adding extra workload but on applying the learning to their day-to-day work.
6 months but we encourage leaders to revisit videos, frameworks, and activities as they face new and different challenges.
Each sprint is self-contained and focused on a specific leadership capability. Engineers gain value no matter where they start. The sprints connect together but they don't need to be done in strict order.
They can jump in at the start of any sprint and get immediate value. They can also circle back to earlier sprints if needed. If multiple team members are enrolled, new tech leads can also "buddy up" with peers who've already completed previous sprints so they can share their learning and provide help and support.
The real value comes from action
We've built accountability into SUL because leadership skills only stick when engineers apply them to their work, not just in theory. Practice makes progress.
Community of practice
Engineers join a dedicated space for leadership growth. Real behaviour change comes from sharing experiences and learning, pairing up with accountability buddies, and tracking progress alongside each other to stay motivated.
Calendar integration
The reality is if it's not in the calendar, it won't happen. Our calendar integration makes sure learning time is a priority. Time is blocked out each week so it doesn't get lost or forgotten. (Optional: a weekly "leadership standup" to keep the habit alive.)
Rubber Duck Slackbot
Yay, another Slack integration! But (let's be honest) that's where your engineers live. Instead of emails getting lost in the ether, Slackbot will send reminders, prompts and updates to help them implement the skills and techniques they've learnt.
Onboarding
Everyone learns differently and has a different workload. and everyone needs to focus on different areas. Onboarding process is designed to learn about your leaders and how they can best be supported by the platform.
TESTIMONIALS
What others say
Justin Gould
Head of Technology
"I was so impressed with the impact the program made that we expanded it to a different audience in the following year. The customisation Andrew made to the content really made it stick with our team."
Barry Scott
Engineering Manager - Mobile apps
"The mindsets and models around Difficult Conversations, such as poor performance, have helped me be more confident and successful in handling them. I find myself referring back to the discussions we have that provided clarity and useful perspectives."
OUTCOMES
What success looks like:
Before
They struggle to see beyond their own perspectives and prefer to work on their alone rather than having to deal with people.
After
Engineers who can recognise and understand different perspectives and personalities. They develop the confidence to have better conversations to connect with their team leading to better team dynamics and collaboration to move projects forward together.
CURRICULUM
What your engineers will learn
Build tech that serves a vision
Perfect the balance between moving fast and building solid architecture. Learn to align technology decisions with business objectives while fostering technical excellence and security-first engineering practices.
This domain covers technology strategy frameworks, rapid prototyping, technical debt management, and security-first engineering. You'll develop the skills to communicate technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders and ensure your team builds the right things in the right way.
- Technology strategy and business alignment
- Rapid prototyping and product experimentation
- Technical debt management and prioritization
- Security-first engineering practices
- Communicating technical decisions to stakeholders
Structure for scale without stifling speed
Build effective processes that enable your team to scale while maintaining velocity. Learn delegation frameworks, lean-agile foundations, and how to conduct empowering 1:1s that drive development and performance.
This domain focuses on personal productivity, time management, risk management, and creating structure that supports rather than hinders your team's effectiveness. You'll master the art of leading through process without micromanaging.
- Personal productivity and time management strategies
- Effective delegation frameworks and accountability
- Lean-agile foundations and waste elimination
- Risk management and contingency planning
- Empowering 1:1s with team members and managers
Build for user impact
Shift from feature-focused to outcome-focused thinking. Learn to develop compelling product visions, understand customer value, validate product-market fit, and navigate competitive landscapes with strategic awareness.
This domain helps engineers develop product thinking by focusing on the 'why' behind what they build. You'll learn to connect technical work to business strategy and customer outcomes.
- Product vision development and strategic planning
- Understanding and creating customer value
- Product-market fit validation and metrics
- Competitive landscape analysis and positioning
- Connecting technical decisions to business outcomes
Work in a 360° team
Master communication across diverse audiences and build your influence without authority. Learn to navigate difficult conversations, resolve conflicts constructively, and provide actionable feedback that drives growth.
This domain covers essential interpersonal leadership skills including trust building, debugging difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and creating blameless retrospectives that foster continuous learning.
- Communicating effectively across diverse audiences
- Building influence and positive persuasion
- Trust building and relationship cultivation
- Debugging difficult conversations systematically
- Conflict resolution and actionable feedback delivery
Lead themselves to lead others
Develop personal resilience and emotional intelligence to thrive under pressure. Learn to manage overwhelm, build adaptability, and create advisory networks that accelerate your leadership growth.
This domain focuses on self-leadership fundamentals including understanding your leadership identity, managing overwhelm, developing emotional intelligence, and building a network of mentors and advisors for sustained growth.
- Leadership mindset and identity development
- Managing overwhelm and building resilience
- Emotional intelligence and stress management
- Adaptability and change navigation
- Building advisory networks and mentor relationships
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Built by Engineers, for Engineers
Andrew Murphy
Engineering Leader & Educator
Andrew has spent 15+ years debugging both code and teams. From startup CTO to engineering coach, he's translated engineering thinking into leadership success for hundreds of technical leaders. He believes that the best leaders approach people problems with the same rigor they apply to technical challenges.
Credentials
- ✓Former CTO at multiple startups
- ✓Engineering leadership coach
- ✓Creator of Tech Leaders Launchpad
Experience
- →Led engineering teams from 10 to 100+
- →Shipped products at scale-ups and enterprises
- →Mentored 1000+ engineers into leadership roles
Compare our engineering-first approach to traditional leadership training
Traditional learning
Too many courses. You have to go through pages of different leadership courses to find the right ones.
Generic content that overlooks the real challenges of tech leadership in scale-ups.
You're forced to piece together courses, lacking a roadmap for what to learn and when.
Lacks practical examples that reflect the messy, fast paced and ambiguous reality of leading in a tech scale-up.
There's no accountability so if your engineers don't finish the course, then you don't see a ROI.
Typically don't see a refund once engineers have enrolled onto a course.
Scale-Up Leadership
Engineers enroll in a structured program over 6 months so you don't have to figure out how they'll build their leadership skills.
Built by an Engineer for Engineers, we understand what your engineers need to succeed as a leader.
The learning path is designed sprint by sprint, layering skills to create a strong, practical foundation in leadership.
Engineers get hands-on activities, frameworks and worksheets designed for the challenges of leading in a tech scale-up
Syncing with Slack and calendars keeps engineers accountable and learning front of mind.
100% money-back guarantee. Cancel within 60 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Traditional learning
Scale-Up Leadership
Too many courses. You have to go through pages of different leadership courses to find the right ones.
Engineers enroll in a structured program over 6 months so you don't have to figure out how they'll build their leadership skills.
Generic content that overlooks the real challenges of tech leadership in scale-ups.
Built by an Engineer for Engineers, we understand what your engineers need to succeed as a leader.
You're forced to piece together courses, lacking a roadmap for what to learn and when.
The learning path is designed sprint by sprint, layering skills to create a strong, practical foundation in leadership.
Lacks practical examples that reflect the messy, fast paced and ambiguous reality of leading in a tech scale-up.
Engineers get hands-on activities, frameworks and worksheets designed for the challenges of leading in a tech scale-up
There's no accountability so if your engineers don't finish the course, then you don't see a ROI.
Syncing with Slack and calendars keeps engineers accountable and learning front of mind.
Typically don't see a refund once engineers have enrolled onto a course.
100% money-back guarantee. Cancel within 60 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
FAQs
No, they don’t need to have any previous experience. The program supports engineers at different stages of their leadership journey (brand new to leadership or they already have some experience).
What matters most is having an open mindset and being willing to put time aside regularly to learn and apply what they’ve learned to their work.
Not right now but maybe in the future. Our program is delivered online and asynchronously so everyone can learn at their own pace at a time that suits their other commitments.
If you'd like in-person training (workshops, lunch and learns etc) let us know by emailing [email protected].
The program is structured into 10 sprints to make learning manageable and practical. If your engineers follow the prompts, they’ll build a strong foundation of leadership skills over 12 months.
But leadership isn’t something you learn once and tick off. It’s a skill that develops over time through practice, reflection, and real-world application. That’s why your engineers may revisit the course content and lessons, and take more time to practice some of the skills.
The Scale-Up Leadership program is designed specifically for tech leaders in scale-ups. Over 12 months, engineers follow a clear 10 sprint learning path so you don’t have to figure out how they’ll develop leadership skills.
Each sprint builds on the last with practical frameworks, real world examples and tools engineers can use right away. Weekly prompts keep learning on track even when work is busy. Leadership takes time so the program encourages reflection and ongoing practice.
Unlike broad and generic courses on platforms like Udemy, this program focuses on the unique challenges of leading in tech scale ups. It offers clear, practical learning with accountability built in.
If it’s not valuable within 60 days, you get a full refund, no questions asked.
Coming soon, join thewaitlist
Don't leave it too late to fill in those leadership gaps.