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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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Is AI code sabotaging its own ROI case?
Charity Majors, CTO at Honeycomb, argues that the biggest value from AI is from rethinking how teams operate.
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How the right workflow can catapult productivity
Do you find that your team constantly misses deadlines and feels miserable in the process? It might be a workflow problem.
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Tech CEOs reckon with the impact of AI on junior developers
CEOs are concerned that the rise of AI tools like Copilot and GPT is causing junior developers to lose touch with core coding skills.
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AI-first hiring is everywhere and it’s not slowing down
Engineers might start being penalized for not using AI in technical interviews.
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How Jit overcame developer resistance to shift to Cursor
Israeli startup Jit overcame engineer pushback and boosted productivity by transitioning from JetBrains to the AI-powered coding assistant Cursor.
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AI, platform engineering, or DX? How to choose where to invest
With so many opportunities on offer in the market right now, how can leaders make sure they’re investing in the right thing?
November 5, 2025
A unique one-day event for Heads, Directors, VPs and CTOs exploring core leadership challenges.
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.
November 5, 2025
A unique one-day event for Heads, Directors, VPs and CTOs exploring core leadership challenges.
More for managers of managers
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Learning to trust generative AI
Love it or loathe it, engineering leaders have to learn to live with generative AI, but can you ever really trust the model?
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Cooking up a culture of continuous learning
Continuous learning is an important part of building a collaborative culture.
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Understanding the ‘Cambrian explosion of generative AI tools’
And other themes from the latest Thoughtworks’ Technology Radar
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The quickly evolving role of QA
In fast-paced software development environments, the way you think about quality assurance needs to change.
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DEI is under threat, can you fight back?
Corporate DEI initiatives may be on life support, but there are steps progressive leaders can take to keep them on track and improve the health of their organizations.
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What UK engineering managers can expect to earn in 2025
Here’s what senior developers and engineering managers in the UK can expect to earn in 2024 and beyond.
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Breaking down the WordPress drama
A dispute has riven the WordPress community in half, how does this impact developers?
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How to craft a realistic technology roadmap
Technology roadmaps are difficult things to navigate. Having a realistic approach can save you a lot of time and energy.
Videos for managers of managers
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Ice, confusion, and the 38,000ft crash
Uncover the critical lessons from AF 447’s final moments – how small factors spiraled into disaster and what it teaches us about building resilient systems.
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Estimates as probabilities
This talk introduces a probability approach to estimations, aiming to transform delivery discussions into stress-free, trust-based conversations between tech teams and stakeholders.
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How games brought our Engineering Principles to life
See how games transformed Engineering Principles into memorable practices for engineering teams, offering ideas for engaging team-building activities.
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Launching a Gen AI powered travel companion: A case for tiger teams
Explore Booking.com’s journey in launching a Gen AI travel companion in 3 months, powered by a tiger team approach for rapid, focused product development and innovation.
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Why you’re doing service catalogs wrong
Learn why service catalogs often fall short and discover practical strategies for building incremental value, avoiding pitfalls, and driving impactful automation and insights.
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Decoding candidate experiences: A new era in tech hiring
Discover how tech hiring is evolving with insights on candidate experiences, market trends, and empathy-driven practices for creating an inclusive, transparent hiring process.
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On-call revolution: Building a culture of ownership and collaboration
Discover how innovative on-call rotations empower developers, foster team collaboration, and reduce complexity, creating a cohesive, ownership-driven culture that enhances service quality.
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In partnership with incident.ioManaging authentically across levels
Learn how to manage engineers at all levels with practical tips for adapting your style to support growth and foster a thriving, high-performing engineering team.
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Effective communication: Mastering growth-oriented feedback
Discover strategies for delivering feedback that builds trust and openness. Learn science-backed techniques to make feedback constructive, approachable, and growth-focused, helping teams unlock their full potential.
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Tackling tech debt
Learn practical strategies from a seasoned CTO on managing tech debt effectively – when to embrace it, how to prioritize it, and turning it into growth.
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Exhausted but not burned out: A manager’s story of how to get the team through a tough project
Discover strategies for leading high-stress projects without burnout. Learn how prioritising team well-being, resilience, and self-compassion fosters sustainable success even under intense pressure.
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Tech odyssey: The epic saga of a mega migration to temporal
Embark on a journey through the challenges and triumphs of a major tech migration, revealing strategies for scaling, continuous development, and operational excellence in platform transformation.