Sign up to our DirectorPlus newsletter
Subscribers get the best engineering leadership content in their inbox every month.
Newsletter archive
AI agents and the missing link in DevOps
AI agents aren’t just assistants anymore – they’re making decisions. Are engineers ready for the shift or are they just too skeptical?
Carving out time for large-scale engineering chores
Determine what to prioritize, set out a path, and be prepared for some hiccups along the way.
Encouraging a passion for productivity
In this edition of DirectorPlus, Neha Batra, VP of Engineering at GitHub, explains how she creates a culture of productivity.
Framing AI rollouts in the right light
How can you introduce AI into teams in a way that doesn’t invite unrest within your org? It starts with presenting it in the right light.
Latest
-
AI coding trackers are here. Proceed with caution
Companies are finally starting to track AI usage within their engineering orgs. Should we be worried or remain cautiously optimistic?
-
Navigating the emotional rollercoaster of leadership
Any well-seasoned leader will know that it’s not always an easy journey. The key is to tackle the low moments with the right approach.
-
5 AI agent frameworks for developer teams
If you’re thinking of dipping your toes into the agentic pool, here are some frameworks you could explore.
-
Your go-to professional growth model
When you’re an engineering leader, finding the time to upskill is almost impossible. Following the S-curve model might keep you on track.
-
The right way to make AI part of your tech strategy
With everyone scrambling to bake AI into their technical strategy, leaders may be resorting to unreliable and unscalable methods.
-
The unions are (finally) coming for big tech
After decades of taking a back seat, the rise of AI, layoffs, and industry-wide burnout has led to a call for more prominent tech unions.
October 15 & 16, 2025
Agendas for New York events are live! 🙌
Essential reading
What is a Director of Engineering? The glue keeping engineering together
A director of engineering is responsible for keeping an entire engineering function humming. Find out what skills you need to climb the ladder to this vital position.
On our DirectorPlus playlist
Strategies to hone commercial awareness and drive business outcomes
Learn effective strategies for enhancing commercial awareness in tech teams, turning engineering into a business driver through alignment, impactful initiatives, and stakeholder engagement.
The path from Director to CTO: How to follow it, or how to mentor it
This talk is aimed at both aspiring Chief Technology Officers and those who are in a position to mentor future CTOs. Explore the journey from a Director of Engineering role to a CTO, focusing on the skills and experiences needed for this transition and how experienced leaders can guide others on this path.
Making the manager of manager’s mindset
Suzan Bond covers the difference between the two roles and the key mindset shifts leaders need to make to manage managers.
Agendas for New York events are live!
Lineup includes Addy Osmani, Kevin Goldsmith, Robin Bonatesta, and more…
New York • October 15 & 16, 2025
More for managers of managers
-
Why developers and their bosses disagree over generative AI
How to fix the disconnect over generative AI adoption and developer productivity.
-
Build psychological safety in a world of layoffs
How engineering leaders can build trust, stability, and innovation in an era of tech layoffs and uncertainty.
-
Focus on improvement metrics that actually matter
It’s time to focus on “improvement metrics” and finally turn developer productivity data into real, measurable action.
-
Why leaders trust AI more than their colleagues
The rise of the AI executive advisor and what it means for how business decisions get made.
-
In partnership with DronaHQ
Don’t underestimate low-code in an AI world
A low-code platform can limit the drawbacks of AI-generated code.
-
How AI will change software engineering
No one can agree how AI will change software engineering. Here’s how to prepare anyway.
-
The 3 factors that drive great Revenue per Engineer returns
New DX benchmarking cracks open the black box of engineering departments.
-
AI coding mandates are driving developers to the brink
Under pressure to embrace AI, developers are growing frustrated by misguided mandates and are left to clean up any collateral damage inflicted on their codebase.
Videos for managers of managers
-
Challenges in transforming a multicultural local-only company to a remote-first
Felipe Furlan discusses the most significant challenges and the strategies we use to overcome them. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a strategy.
-
Facilitating Software Architecture: Andrew Harmel-Law in conversation
How can you ensure architects and development teams are working towards the same goal?
-
You will ship your org chart: understanding organization structure tradeoffs
Adam Berman talks about how your organization structure has a big impact on your workflows. Learn how to bolster your approach to drive more efficient product development.