Your library of frameworks, templates, and guides for technical leadership
Being "the best" got us into leadership. Learning how to build effective systems and retain great people propels you into the executive levels.
Don't only ask, "How can I be helpful?" Try to develop a point of view and assert what to do.
Because the way we say no can make the difference between killing enthusiasm and creating real improvements
The article examines the role of ego in leadership and asks whether leaders should always try to suppress it, offering practical insights for technical managers.
One-on-ones are one of the most underappreciated tools in leadership. Too often they drift into glorified status updates, or worse, get cancelled when things get busy. When done well, they are the quickest way to build trust, clarity, and momentum in a team.
A concise guide introducing chaos engineering concepts and how to apply them on Google Cloud.
An article discussing the challenges of identifying and nurturing software development talent in complex environments.
A concise guide summarizing insights from surveying top Tiny Teams at the World's Fair.
An exploration of the hidden causes of difficult-to-detect bugs and practical strategies to prevent them in software development.
This article continues the series on Patrick Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, offering practical guidance on how leaders can overcome each dysfunction to build high-performing teams.
I was a frustrated individual contributor until two books changed everything. Here is my journey from IC to engineering manager.
A spider's web on my car mirror became a mirror of my own life, a story about resilience, toxic cycles, and the courage to finally move on.
An exploration of the four leadership mindsets-easygoing, right, wrong, and difficult-and how they influence decision making and team dynamics.
A brief overview of an overlooked research method that can help engineering leaders measure and improve developer productivity more accurately.
The article argues that hiring exclusively senior engineers harms startups by limiting growth, increasing costs, and reducing team diversity, and offers alternative hiring strategies.
The article revisits Jon Bentley's 1985 "Programming Pearls" collection of aphorisms, evaluating whether its insights remain useful after four decades of software evolution.
An article exploring why effective communication is a core responsibility for technical leaders and how to improve it.
The article provides practical guidance for software engineers on advancing their careers through skill development, leadership, and strategic career moves.
A reflection on two decades in tech, the tribalism of corporate life, and the difficulty of recognizing when you're part of the problem.
A concise guide on navigating and influencing workplace politics for technical leaders and engineering managers.
A brief article discussing how technical leaders can focus on positive signals and affirmative feedback to drive better decision making.
A brief guide on how technical leaders can shift from tactical execution to strategic thinking, offering practical steps to broaden impact.
Decide if management is right for you and learn concrete steps for successfully transitioning into management.
Too many meetings stem from unclear purpose and poor decision-making, and addressing these root causes can naturally reduce meeting load.
The author reflects on transitioning from manager back to an individual contributor role, sharing how soft skills became essential for success.
An insider look at how a Principal Software Engineer spends a typical week, juggling design, code reviews, mentorship, and strategic initiatives.
Patterns and antipatterns that will help organizations from every industry deliver better value sooner, safer, and happier through high levels of engagement, inclusion, and empowerment.
Explore the DORA findings using an interactive diagram: click any item to learn more about why it matters, how to measure it, and how to improve.
A guide on navigating office politics effectively to achieve better outcomes and build stronger relationships.
A brief guide that distills practical lessons from Google, Facebook, and Netflix on how to scale engineering teams effectively.
Having less choice often creates more opportunity.
A practical guide to recognizing, protecting, and finding the right organizational culture
(When Two Engineers Can't Agree)
The quiet burnout hiding under the cult of optimization.
An article exploring how technical leaders can navigate a shifting, more pessimistic mood in the tech industry caused by AI hype, return-to-office mandates, and ongoing layoffs.
An introduction to Strategy Choice Chartering, illustrated with three practical examples.
This article explains how investing in manager training can deliver measurable ROI and serve as a strategic defense against the great resignation.
This article discusses the various risks to the software supply chain beyond malware, offering guidance on handling problematic components.
An introductory guide on web accessibility for developers.
A get-right-down-to-it online video course for web designers and developers who want to start creating more accessible websites and applications today
Tech Leaders Launchpad offers online courses and programs that help engineers develop foundational leadership skills for career growth.
A leader shares how small, precise adjustments, inspired by the Ever Given rescue, can turn around a struggling engineering team without destabilising the wider organization.
A brief guide on how leaders can anticipate change and shape future outcomes by adopting proactive mindsets and strategic practices.
An exploration of what constitutes effective acquisition, engagement, activation, and retention metrics for product teams in 2025.
Practical steps for product managers to manage urgency without losing quality or credibility.
Hot take: We want prioritization to be hard.
Impostor syndrome is other people thinking you're good, but you don't believe it yourself. Reverse impostor syndrome is knowing you are good, but others don't see it from the outside.
How tool sprawl became the silent productivity killer that's costing organizations more than unused software licenses.
The stdlib collection is a community-curated library of practical, immediately useful, battle-tested resources for technical leadership. Each resource is designed to be immediately applicable to your role. New resources are added based on community feedback and emerging best practices.