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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
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“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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
The conference for engineering leaders shaping the future of software
Berlin • November 3 & 4, 2025
Featuring
More for managers of managers
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The 3 factors that drive great Revenue per Engineer returns
New DX benchmarking cracks open the black box of engineering departments.
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AI coding mandates are driving developers to the brink
Under pressure to embrace AI, developers are growing frustrated by misguided mandates and are left to clean up any collateral damage inflicted on their codebase.
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The importance of supervising your AI coding agents
And 3 other themes from the latest Thoughtworks’ Technology Radar.
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Bringing internal engineering projects to the world
Pia Nilsson, senior director of engineering at Spotify, on how they identify and externalize impactful internal developer tools like Backstage.
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95% AI-written code? Unpacking the Y Combinator CEO’s developer jobs bombshell
Garry Tan says YC startups are launching with 95% AI-written code. What does this mean for the shape and size of engineering teams?
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Executive communication tactics that work for all audiences
The way you communicate with executives – clear, direct, and to the point – should be the standard for all communication.
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Tech debt is an outdated concept
Tech debt is often overused as a blanket statement for all manner of engineering issues. What if we reframed our approach?
Videos for managers of managers
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Breaking barriers: Embracing neurodiversity in tech
Discover the importance of neurodiversity in tech, with actionable strategies to foster inclusivity and empower colleagues with hidden disabilities for a more supportive workplace.
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Feedback for intercultural teams – Where is the map?
Explore techniques for delivering culturally sensitive feedback, with practical tips to improve communication, foster growth, and boost performance in today’s diverse, intercultural team environments.
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How to talk to everyone: Connecting with your reporting chain
Explore effective ways to build trust and rapport in distributed teams, using strategies to maintain connection and support across organizational layers and remote setups.
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Level up the whole party, not just the hero
Optimize team dynamics by treating everyone as vital to success – not just the ‘hero.’ Discover how small, intentional choices drive equitable growth and organic leadership.
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Feeling the squeeze? GreenOps offers a sustainable solution for busy engineering teams
Discover how GreenOps empowers engineering teams to integrate sustainability into their workflows, building on FinOps and DevOps principles for efficiency and environmental impact.
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Leading through scarcity: Building capacity in the team you have
Discover strategies to lead effectively through scarcity. Learn how to build capacity within existing teams, maximizing performance amid constraints and fostering sustainable growth.
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Are we doing this right? Findings from the state of feature management and experimentation report 2024
Explore key findings from the 2024 State of Feature Management and Experimentation report, including trends, the engineering-product gap, and balancing optimization with safety.
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Becoming the leader you can be, in a changed technology industry
Explore how engineering leaders can navigate industry shifts, handle uncertainty, and rethink their roles in the evolving tech landscape through this reflective session on leadership.
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Beyond the headlines: Engineering leadership in 2024
Discover insights from LeadDev’s 2024 Engineering Leadership report, exploring how 1,100 engineering leaders feel about navigating industry challenges amid tech layoffs and AI hype.
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Build great engineering teams and have a positive social impact
On the back of working in the tech industry developing great products in highly competitive markets, how can we make society better? Germán and Seraphine will share the story of skills and talent meeting diversity and social impact.
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Transformed: Moving to the product operating model: Marty Cagan in conversation
Join us at the next edition of Bookmarked where Suzan Bond will be joined by Marty Cagan to discuss Transformed: Moving to the product operating model. In this episode, Marty discusses the reasons why organizatons need to transform and the practical ways that you can be successful in achieving meaningful…
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Transformed: Moving to the product operating model: Marty Cagan in conversation
In this episode, Marty discusses the reasons why organizatons need to transform and the practical ways that you can be successful in achieving meaningful change and innovation similar to the top tech companies out there.