Latest
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Where staff+ engineers can move the needle
As you become more senior in your role, the pressure to expand your impact grows. Here are some ways to get the ball rolling.
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Your go-to professional growth model
When you’re an engineering leader, finding the time to upskill is almost impossible. Following the S-curve model might keep you on track.
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Tech CEOs reckon with the impact of AI on junior developers
CEOs are concerned that the rise of AI tools like Copilot and GPT is causing junior developers to lose touch with core coding skills.
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Leader or engineer? Navigating our technical identity crisis
Am I still technical enough? What does my team think?
Drawing from the hard-won lessons of a leadership initiative for 250 engineers, this talk uncovers unexpected truths in the conflict between technical depth and leadership.
Editor’s picks
Engineering leadership is not just about code
If you’re looking to move into an engineering leadership position, you’ll have to do more than brush up on code!
How to find and become a great engineering mentor
Mentoring is a great way to boost your career. Here’s everything you need to know about getting a mentor, and becoming one yourself.
How to navigate unexpected role changes
At one point or another, you may have to face an unexpected role change. It might not be what you want, but there are ways to make it work.
Berlin • Nov 3 & 4, 2025
Charity Majors, Sam Newman, and Humera Noor confirmed for LeadDev Berlin! 🙌
Essential reading
Learning to enjoy the career progression journey
Reaching a management position in the tech industry is hard work. It’s important to remember to enjoy the journey and celebrate victories big and small along the way.
On our Career development playlist
There and back again – A cautionary tale about entering middle management
Explore the realities of middle management through a journey of promotion, stress, and self-reflection, offering guidance on finding the right leadership path.
Unconventional paths in tech: Leveraging your strengths to find your place
n this talk, Mitra Raman will take a look at the many paths that engineers can take on their leadership journey.
Career vectors for technical leaders
Mix and match skills to become the best technical leader that you can be.
The path from Director to CTO: How to follow it, or how to mentor it
This talk is aimed at both aspiring Chief Technology Officers and those who are in a position to mentor future CTOs. Explore the journey from a Director of Engineering role to a CTO, focusing on the skills and experiences needed for this transition and how experienced leaders can guide others on this path.
Essential soft skills you need to succeed as an engineer
There is a big focus on technical expertise in software engineering – but soft skills are equally as important. Which ones are crucial to master and how can you do this?
The conference for engineering leaders shaping the future of software
Berlin • November 3 & 4, 2025
Featuring
More about Career development
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I feel stuck in my career. How can I level up in my job?
If you’re feeling stuck in your career, you’re not alone. Here are some ways to center your personal development.
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6 questions to ask yourself before applying to that job
Applying to roles is daunting, especially given the current tech backdrop. Here are some things to consider before sending your CV.
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Why Zig is one of the hottest programming languages to learn
A recent Stack Overflow survey revealed Zig is highly-admired and developers are highly-paid – but why?
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How to lead without authority
Being an IC has many perks, but there are a few drawbacks to contend with. Learn how to influence and lead without authority.
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Own your career with a personal development plan
It’s time to take your career progression into your own hands.
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Ask Mathias: How can I build a business that lasts?
In today’s market it can be difficult to know where to start when building your business. Community corner’s Mathias is here to help.
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Ask Maria: How to stop team burnout after a subject expert quits
What happens when the one person everyone went to for answers leaves? Our community columnist Maria Ntalla tells us more on the matter.
Top Career development videos
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How to gain the right visibility across your teams as a busy manager
Having the right visibility into your teams is critical to being a supportive leader
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The 9.1 magnitude meltdown at Fukushima
Nick Means takes us to mid-afternoon on Friday, March 11, 2011 when the ground in Tōhoku began to shake. To the operators at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, it seemed like the shaking would never stop. The way their team operated during that fateful week has a lot to teach us about helping our own teams be at their best, both in crisis and out.
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What to do after being laid off: Lessons on being my own CEO for a change
James Courtois shares his layoff experience. Recounting this, he shares some practical considerations and grounding thoughts that might be of use regardless of your employment situation.
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How to progress as an engineer while doing what you love
Blanca Rojo Martin shares how a large organisation like UBS has created a three-level strategy for Engineers technical career progression.
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Putting down line management; returning to an individual contributor role
Caroline Handley will help you crystallise what options there are. It will clarify what actions can be taken to find out more. Whether you decide to ‘put down line management’ or not, you can make that decision in a more informed way and be more confident in your choices.
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Working sideways
Aish Raj Dahal touches upon this slightly less talked about aspect of the job as a technical IC leader, which is creating peer relationships and working with other Staff engineers in shaping an organization’s technical roadmap.
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Exit plans and how to talk about them
David Kiger covers why the answer to that question is important, how to set up the culture to enable the conversation, how to actually have the conversations once the foundation is laid, and the benefits that both employees and the company get out of it.
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“I’m happy where I am” – Supporting team members that aren’t seeking progression
Ryan MacGillivray talks about how realistically not everyone can or wants to be a Lead Engineer/Engineering Manager/Staff Engineer and nor should we be pushing people into roles they either have no interest in or have done before and not enjoyed.