
Sign up to our DirectorPlus newsletter
Subscribers get the best engineering leadership content in their inbox every month.
Newsletter archive

AI agents and the missing link in DevOps
AI agents aren’t just assistants anymore – they’re making decisions. Are engineers ready for the shift or are they just too skeptical?

Carving out time for large-scale engineering chores
Determine what to prioritize, set out a path, and be prepared for some hiccups along the way.

Encouraging a passion for productivity
In this edition of DirectorPlus, Neha Batra, VP of Engineering at GitHub, explains how she creates a culture of productivity.

Framing AI rollouts in the right light
How can you introduce AI into teams in a way that doesn’t invite unrest within your org? It starts with presenting it in the right light.
Latest
-
“Vibe hacking” signals seismic shift for engineering leaders
Blackhat hackers have an addition to their armoury. Here’s how engineering leaders can safeguard their systems and stay on high alert.
-
Is GitHub’s coding agent your newest junior dev?
GitHub’s new coding agent has some perks, but is still showing signs of significant growing pains. What are the current pain points?
-
AI coding trackers are here. Proceed with caution
Companies are finally starting to track AI usage within their engineering orgs. Should we be worried or remain cautiously optimistic?
-
4 ways to manage the lows of leadership
Any well-seasoned leader will know that it’s not always an easy journey. The key is to tackle the low moments with the right approach.
-
5 AI agent frameworks for developer teams
If you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the agentic pool, here are some frameworks you could explore.
-
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.

Berlin • Nov 3 & 4, 2025
Charity Majors, Sam Newman, and Humera Noor confirmed for LeadDev Berlin! 🙌
Essential reading

What is a Director of Engineering? The glue keeping engineering together
A director of engineering is responsible for keeping an entire engineering function humming. Find out what skills you need to climb the ladder to this vital position.
On our DirectorPlus playlist

Strategies to hone commercial awareness and drive business outcomes
Learn effective strategies for enhancing commercial awareness in tech teams, turning engineering into a business driver through alignment, impactful initiatives, and stakeholder engagement.

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.

Making the manager of manager’s mindset
Suzan Bond covers the difference between the two roles and the key mindset shifts leaders need to make to manage managers.

More for managers of managers
-
How Jit overcame developer resistance to shift to Cursor
Israeli startup Jit overcame engineer pushback and boosted productivity by transitioning from JetBrains to the AI-powered coding assistant Cursor.
-
AI, platform engineering, or DX? How to choose where to invest
With so many opportunities on offer in the market right now, how can leaders make sure they’re investing in the right thing?
-
Why developers and their bosses disagree over generative AI
How to fix the disconnect over generative AI adoption and developer productivity.
-
Build psychological safety in a world of layoffs
How engineering leaders can build trust, stability, and innovation in an era of tech layoffs and uncertainty.
-
Focus on improvement metrics that actually matter
It’s time to focus on “improvement metrics” and finally turn developer productivity data into real, measurable action.
-
Why leaders trust AI more than their colleagues
The rise of the AI executive advisor and what it means for how business decisions get made.
-
In partnership with DronaHQ
Don’t underestimate low-code in an AI world
A low-code platform can limit the drawbacks of AI-generated code.
-
How AI will change software engineering
No one can agree how AI will change software engineering. Here’s how to prepare anyway.
Videos for managers of managers
-
In partnership with Karat
Everything you need to know about hiring engineers in 2023
How has the tech job market changed, and what does your org need to do to keep up?
-
Challenges in transforming a multicultural local-only company to a remote-first
Felipe Furlan discusses the most significant challenges and the strategies we use to overcome them. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a strategy.
-
Facilitating Software Architecture: Andrew Harmel-Law in conversation
How can you ensure architects and development teams are working towards the same goal?
-
You will ship your org chart: understanding organization structure tradeoffs
Adam Berman talks about how your organization structure has a big impact on your workflows. Learn how to bolster your approach to drive more efficient product development.