Quick thought from a conversation with friends

It takes about 3 years to experience the consequences of your own decisions.

Let go of your legos and let others do the work.

Less talking more doing

Without reading their resume, you'll see if a candidate is fresh or has been doing this a while. And you'll know their blind spots and their strengths

Is the job to get things done or to memorize trivia and solve cute coding puzzles?

Quick note today to plant the seed of an idea I've always loved: The Tour of Duty.

The way you interview changes as you go through your career. If you're grinding leetcode 10 years in, something's wrong.

When you see a unicorn, you gotta hop on

Here are 6 books I'd buy every engineer who joins my team, if I ran a team. You might like 'em too.

Don't get stuck being a critical member of the team.

Is your resume a tech bingo card? Not great.

A reflection on engineering through The Hockeystick

Software engineering salaries come from one of 3 budgets. Which budget pays your salary shapes your day-to-day and influences your career trajectory

Position yourself as an expert and stand out in the job market

Transitioning from Senior to Lead Engineer isn't just about technical prowess, but strategic thinking, soft skills, and going beyond your role. And remember, strong individual contributions matter!

Success in your career doesn't come from relying on the market or job stability. It comes from trusting your own wings - having a clear vision, treating work as a value exchange, leveraging your skills, and owning your path

Regular writing is a secret superpower! Sharpens your thoughts, boosts your career, and helps you become an authority in your field. Don't pretend to be an expert, just share your experiences. Your insights are gold

Becoming a senior engineer isn't about clocking years, but about depth and breadth of experience. Work in diverse teams, stick with a codebase for 3+ years, and take on projects with real stakes.

Aa few readers wrote in with questions and objections to last week's Ownership makes careers email. Here's a few clarifications.

Own shit. At least put your name on things. Yes, before it's successful.

Unlock the secret to guiding your career with a powerful positioning statement. Learn to stand out in the job market and attract opportunities that align with your expertise and values.

Invest in your career growth. Seize the moment to develop new skills and prepare for a brighter future

Stand out in the job market with a strong positioning statement! Focus on the value you bring to organizations, not just tech skills. Be specific about what you do, for whom, and how.

Skills and experience matter more than prestigious schools and employers.

Swiz shares why he's not making the big bucks at a tech giant, from the soul-crushing grind of corporate to the funny money of tech compensation.

You can achieve more with your career by leveraging your experience, advice, and ability to clear blockers, rather than just working hard. This approach of "force multiplying" your team can create more value than working alone

For those wanting to stay hands-on, we recommend solving bigger better challenges with higher stakes and new problems.

Advice on how to prepare for potential layoffs, how to support friends and colleagues who have been laid off, and how to find a new job after being laid off.

Here's an idea that can take the pressure off your career: Yes, you can stay a senior software engineer forever. But how?

A few weeks ago I made tech lead, a type of staff engineer. Here are my thoughts on what that means, how it happened, and why you'd want such a thing.

Fellow reader Frank writes in with a question about career moves and I thought my answer could help you too

if you've been following tech news lately, things feel ... 😖 Between the layoffs, hiring freezes, investors suddenly caring about revenue, and whatever the heck stock markets are doing, we're in for a rough time. BUT!

How do you stand out as an expert amid tech layoffs?

Timing changes everything. Who do you think has better engineers? The team that built Google from 9 million daily searches in 2000 to 1 billion in 2009, or the team that launched Google's 10th chat app last year?

The difference in salary between a junior and senior engineer can be orders of magnitude. Many multiples at least. But what's the difference in mindset that gets you there?

Profit is not what's left after expenses, expenses are what's left after profit.

When I dropped out of college to focus on freelancing back in 2012, I set 3 ground rules:

High value experts use positioning statements to say what they do for whom. Most engineers don't have one. 🤨

You're not asking for a job, you're selling a service. The true question behind every interview is "How can you help us?"