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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
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How to avoid nasty performance review surprises
How to give feedback consistently so that your reports don’t feel caught off guard by their performance review.
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Clear technical vision is the key for aligned growth
Technical visions are the guardrails that keep decision-making aligned across orgs.
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4 steps to speed up code reviews
The culture changes you need to make to stop code reviews from demoralizing teams.
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Interview tactics to find your footing in a chaotic job market
Navigating the current job market can feel daunting, but certain principles and internal guides can improve the process for you.
Deadline: January 4, 2026
Call for Proposals for London 2026 is open!
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.
The festival of engineering leadership
London • June 2 & 3, 2026
More for managers of managers
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How to push back when execs are all-in on AI
When AI is seemingly everywhere, how can you make sure your org takes thoughtful steps?
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A smarter way to evaluate LLM applications
LLM evaluations are the ultimate quality gate for your product.
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How Stack Overflow is innovating to keep up with AI disruption
Large language models, trained on public data, have pushed Stack Overflow toward an existential crisis.
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What the end of Section 174 means for software developer hiring
New US law brings in significant tax changes, which could change the face of hiring.
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How to communicate mandates (even if you disagree with them)
You may not agree with a mandate, but that shouldn’t affect the way you communicate it to your team.
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How to hire force multipliers (not 10x engineers)
Long heralded as the “brilliant jerks” of tech, their damage can run deep when it comes to team culture. Hire a force multiplier instead.
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“Vibe hacking” signals seismic shift for engineering leaders
Blackhat hackers have an addition to their armoury. Here’s how engineering leaders can safeguard their systems and stay on high alert.
Videos for managers of managers
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Beyond the headlines: Engineering leadership in 2024
Discover insights from LeadDev’s 2024 Engineering Leadership report, exploring how 1,100 engineering leaders feel about navigating industry challenges amid tech layoffs and AI hype.
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Build great engineering teams and have a positive social impact
On the back of working in the tech industry developing great products in highly competitive markets, how can we make society better? Germán and Seraphine will share the story of skills and talent meeting diversity and social impact.
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Transformed: Moving to the product operating model: Marty Cagan in conversation
Join us at the next edition of Bookmarked where Suzan Bond will be joined by Marty Cagan to discuss Transformed: Moving to the product operating model. In this episode, Marty discusses the reasons why organizatons need to transform and the practical ways that you can be successful in achieving meaningful…
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Transformed: Moving to the product operating model: Marty Cagan in conversation
In this episode, Marty discusses the reasons why organizatons need to transform and the practical ways that you can be successful in achieving meaningful change and innovation similar to the top tech companies out there.
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Think faster, talk smarter: Matt Abrahams in conversation
Watch the newest edition of Bookmarked where Suzan Bond was joined by Matt Abrahams to discuss think faster, talk smarter.
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The Software Craftsman: Sandro Mancuso in conversation
Learn how Sandro’s principles enable engineers to build the best software.
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How to completely fail at learning
Hywel Carver asks, are you being asked to do more with less? Are hiring ambitions lower than they were a couple of years ago? Are you finding it slow and painful to adopt new technologies? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, this talk is for you.
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In partnership with SabreHow enterprises can overcome the challenges of legacy code
How can enterprise engineering teams tackle the challenges of modernizing outdated codebases?
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I’ve got the power: Career growth, today and beyond
Lena Reinhard will help you not just celebrate and reflect on what you learned on this day full of practical advice from experienced leaders: She will also make space for you to operationalize turning these lessons into actions.
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In partnership with SplitFostering a culture of experimentation in your engineering teams
How can engineering leaders help their reports find joy in their work?
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Why can we still not measure team performance?
Scott Carey & Rebecca Murphey discuss findings from the LeadDev Engineering Team Performance report 2023.
