Advice for New Principal Tech ICs (i.e., Notes to Myself)

Overview A concise guide sharing advice for new principal engineers, distilled from role models and mentors at Amazon. It highlights the diverse flavors of principal roles and the shift in focus from core tasks to broader influence.

Key Takeaways

• Different principals have different strengths; some dive deep, others drive horizontal influence or align organizations.
• Core responsibilities that made you successful earlier become side tasks; focus on strategic impact rather than writing code all the time.
• Hands-on involvement is expected; extended periods without hands-on work can lead to failure.

Who Would Benefit

• New principal engineers or scientists.
• Senior engineers aspiring to principal level.
• Engineering leaders mentoring principal candidates.

Frameworks and Methodologies