Why can’t I focus?

Being able to focus, to do deep, meaningful work is a key skill for engineering leaders. Yet, oftentimes it seems hard to maintain a sustained high concentration level. I thought about my experiences when I struggled with this, and listed a few reasons I might have had trouble maintaining focus.

Becoming Staff Engineer

I prepared my thoughts about the Staff Engineer title in preparation for a podcast recording. These are my notes on the subject. A lot depends on the company. Hiring a Staff Engineer or promoting someone to that level is answering a company's need for technical leadership. It often

Celebrating Failure

A small mindset change from "tolerating" to "celebrating" mistakes can benefit the person and the organization through learning and system improvements, increasing innovation, transparency, and resilience – if it's done well, being mindful of all aspects and risks.

How to Drive Change Beyond Your Role

What can you do when you're not in a leadership role but want to push for a change in your team? What aspects are helpful in this situation, and what can managers do to encourage taking initiatives?

Homelabbing for Engineering Leaders

Homelabbing is not just incredibly rewarding but can build skills very relevant for Engineering Leaders in a professional context. I'm listing a few of those.

How to Prepare for an Engineering Manager Role?

A list of 50 concrete actions to help approach this career change, things Software Engineers can try today in their current role to grow the skills necessary for becoming a successful Engineering Manager.

How To Represent Decisions You Disagree With

How to stand in front of your team representing a decision you didn't agree with? How to keep your integrity and support the team going through the change? What approaches are useful and what's better avoided in turbulent times?

22 Signs That Point to an Engineering Leadership Career

A list of opinions, values, behaviors, and personal preferences that can hint at great Engineering Manager potential.

16 Reasons Not To Go Into Engineering Management

On the topic of the Individual Contributor to Engineering Manager transition, I collected signs that indicate if this might not be the right choice for someone. The list is a playful thought experiment, looking at the beliefs and traits that might show why being an EM could pose challenges for some.

📚 Oliver Burkeman: 4000 Weeks — Time Management for Mortals

This is not a typical time management book. It doesn't offer quick fixes, hacks, or techniques to squeeze more out of your day. Contrary to the traditional time management books that focus on doing more in less time, Burkeman urges us to recognize our limited lifespan instead, the