Steps I took to turn around a team struggling with low morale.
Debugging Team: Turning around a struggling team with low morale
Transitioning from big tech to a startup
Some years ago I left LinkedIn to take up a new leadership role at a smaller company. I went from an organization of thousands of engineers to one with a couple of dozens. The transition has had its upsides and some surprises. Today many engineers are making this transition, either due to layoffs or because … Continue reading Transitioning from big tech to a startup
The Creative Meeting: Applying lessons from Pixar Brain Trust to improve how we solve problems
Convert boring meetings into a highly creative session with lessons from the Pixar Brain Trust
How to Work on Legacy Systems
The first system I worked on, at my first job out of college, was a legacy PHP application. The code was like a piled up plate of spaghetti. Although it was an application used by tens of thousands internally, attempts at rewrites had failed. It was a critical system but there was on strategy on … Continue reading How to Work on Legacy Systems
How to Practice and Ace Coding Interviews
Do you still find Leetcode-style algorithmic coding interviews challenging? You are not alone. Algorithmic problems are tricky even for the most seasoned engineers. I won't debate the merits of such interviews here. The reality is many teams are still using them to determine your coding and algorithm skills. If you are planning to interview soon, … Continue reading How to Practice and Ace Coding Interviews
Top non-technical skills for Senior Engineers and Technical Leaders
As you progress in your engineering career, non-technical leadership skills become crucial.
Avoid these Interview Mistakes for your next Engineering Manager Role
I recently hired a new Engineering Manager to take over one of my teams. During the hiring process we received almost 200 applications. The overall quality of candidates looked good on paper; some were already at companies like Amazon, Twilio, Uber. The initial screen during our interview process is a simple 30 min chat where I … Continue reading Avoid these Interview Mistakes for your next Engineering Manager Role
7 Habits of Highly Effective Software Engineers
Stephen Covey's 7 Habits for Highly Effective People is a business book classic. What if we took the idea of 7 Effective Habits and applied it to Software Engineers? Here's my list based on common habits I have seen amongst top performing software engineers in my career. Actively prototype new ideas Ideas and new technical … Continue reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective Software Engineers
Learning Mindset for Software Engineers
For software engineers, constant learning comes with the territory. Learning is at the center of what we do, whether it's keeping up with new tech, or learning the architecture and codebase of a project you just inherited. Here are some thoughts on the learning mindset that can help keep you sharp. Adopt the Beginner's Mind … Continue reading Learning Mindset for Software Engineers
5 Mistakes Beginners Make When Learning Web Development
People getting started with web application development do so with the hopes of breaking into tech. Unfortunately, I often see many get on the wrong track and end up frustrated and dejected. There are a ton of tutorials and materials out there. But often many of these approaches don't work. This post will help you … Continue reading 5 Mistakes Beginners Make When Learning Web Development