Mentorship looks simple from the outside. You share what you know, guide someone along, help them grow. But anyone who’s done it seriously knows that it’s full of contradictions.
You have to care deeply, but not control. You have to teach, but not dictate. You have to protect, but not shield.
Continue ReadingIf there’s one thing you can count on in engineering, it’s that nothing stays the same for long. New tools, shifting priorities, acquisitions, reorganizations. Change is part of the job description. But as someone who has guided multiple teams through these transitions, I’ve seen firsthand how the way leaders handle these moments can either accelerate progress or derail it completely.
Continue ReadingOne of the responsibilities I take very seriously is hiring talent. While I’m not part of HR, I do care deeply about the recruiting experience. For most candidates, their first real interaction with your company isn’t a conversation with a recruiter or a hiring manager—it’s the application process itself. That means the recruiting experience doesn’t start with the interview, it starts the moment someone clicks Apply.
Continue ReadingAfter fifteen years leading engineering teams, I’ve learned that the most challenging and arguably most important hiring decisions happen when you need to build capabilities in areas where you lack deep technical expertise. Whether it’s expanding into machine learning, blockchain, mobile development, or emerging frameworks, every engineering leader eventually faces this challenge.
Continue ReadingAn “open door policy” is a staple of leadership vocabulary. Most leaders say they have one. Most employees know the phrase. But in practice, the efficacy and impact of that policy are far more nuanced than the phrase suggests.
Over the years leading engineering organizations of different sizes, I’ve seen the open door policy work beautifully. I’ve also seen it fall flat. The difference isn’t about whether the door is literally open. It’s about trust, clarity, and intent.
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