Patrick Kua is a seasoned technology leader with 20+ years of experience. His current mission is accelerating the growth of technical leaders through coaching, mentoring and training. He has had many years of hands-on experience, leading, managing and improving complex organisations and software systems as the CTO and Chief Scientist of N26 (Berlin, Germany) and as a Technical Principal Consultant at ThoughtWorks. He is a frequent keynote and conference speaker, author of three books including The Retrospective Handbook, Talking with Tech Leads and Building Evolutionary Architectures and runs the free popular newsletter for leaders in tech, “Level Up” (http://levelup.patkua.com) and the Tech Lead Academy, offering online training for technical leaders. You can find him online on Twitter as @patkua or running his very popular “Shortcut to Tech Leadership” workshop.
4 ways leaders can better prioritize their work
Learn hacks that go beyond the Eisenhower Matrix.
Finding a path through uncertainty
If you find yourself at a crossroads and unsure of which route to take, read through this list before you make a decision. Every leader can find themselves unsure of what to do. When I coach CTOs and VPs of engineering, I often hear phrases like, “I don’t…
Getting good at delivering bad news
Good conflict resolution is a hard skill to find. If you're finding yourself stuck on how to deliver bad news, we've got the scoop.
How to embrace the never-ending leadership journey
Leadership can sometimes feel like an endless uphill struggle. Here are somethings to keep in mind so you don't lose motivation.
Building remote relationships for more productive teams
Since the pandemic, the rate of remote working teams has shot up, despite efforts from CEOs to get people to return to an in-office environment.
Managing challenging people
Challenging team members are common, but managing them is anything but straightforward.
Tech debt traps to avoid
Tech debt is a term that often catches people out. Here are some ways to make sure you avoid falling into that trap!
How leaders can better prioritize personal to-dos
Stepping into a leadership role invites a whole host of new demands. In this article, learn how you can better prioritize them.
Exercising foresight as an engineering leader
Preparing for future eventualities may seem impossible without a crystal ball, but there are some things you can do as a leader to exercise good foresight.
Navigating power dynamics as a manager
Power differences are inevitable in teams. Here are some ways to reduce the power imbalance as a manager.
Building an engineering team that can withstand unexpected change
How can you plan for change and make sure your team feels secure in the face of uncertain times?
Three ways to make time for reflection as an engineering leader
Carving out time to focus, reflect, and plan as a leader
How to level up your reporting as an engineering director
A guide to building and delivering effective reports
Three things that are limiting your impact as an engineer
Common traps for engineers and how to avoid them
Using metrics to communicate the state of your engineering org
An engineering VP's guide to metrics
Engineering metrics at every level: An engineering director’s guide
How to use metrics as an engineering director
How managers can use metrics to improve planning and run better standups
Using metrics when managing teams
Imperfect processes: navigating the fuzzier parts
Challenges our panellists have faced and different ways they have overcome them.
What blocks you from listening?
Examining the common traps that negatively affect your ability to listen properly.
Navigating the challenges of being a tech lead
When you were just a developer, things seemed so simple. Sometimes it was a choice between using several libraries, or working out the right algorithm to solve a problem. Making decisions seemed really easy. When you are playing the Lead Developer role, decisions no longer seem black and white and you have several competing priorities.
What I wish I knew as a first time Tech Lead
The path from being a developer to a Tech Lead seems like a scary transition. As a developer, you could focus on constantly learning new tools, libraries, frameworks and programming languages.
Managing everyday BAU as a tech lead
As a developer you are used to certain constants in your life such as battling with a compiler/interpreter or debugging a production issue only to discover a single, tiny error.
Transitioning to a lead dev
The transition from a developer to a Lead Developer can be a rocky one. Yesterday, you were working as a developer and today, suddenly, you find yourself in the role of the Lead Developer.
Three habits to thrive in your first engineering leadership role
Find your north star, grow your support network, and practice inquiry before answer
How to uncover leadership opportunities
The steps you can take toward engineering management
Imperfect Processes: Navigating the fuzzier parts
It may sound clear cut, but we know that no process is 100% foolproof and it's much messier in the real world.
Changing attitudes toward legacy code
Legacy is an inevitability in any business - systems that were once cutting edge naturally age, but still require careful maintenance. And although it’s important work, it can feel less rewarding than working on shiny new features.
Reasons to step into a leadership role (and the reasons not to)
Thinking of becoming an engineering leader? Let Pat Kua help you with the first step of the journey.
Skills for first-time Lead Developers
The transition from a developer to a Lead Developer can be a rocky one.
Exploring the different types of technical leadership
Over the many years, Patrick has trained, coached and mentored many engineers into Technical Leadership roles. He is delighted by the way that everyone has their own style and "flavour" of being a Technical Leader.