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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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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.
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Deloitte rolls out Claude to 470,000 employees
The consulting giant hasn’t been deterred by a recent embarrassing incident in Australia.
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The unseen fixes that boost engineering performance
At the intersection of toil and operational risk lies “perilwork.”
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What US engineering managers can expect to earn in 2026
Are there signs of life in the hiring market?
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Why I expect candidates to use AI in the hiring process
If you’re joining a team where AI use is commonplace, expect the interview process to test those skills.
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Crafting the perfect LeadDev talk submission
Crafting the best version of your talk proposal for the LeadDev stage with the help of ChatGPT.
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Harness acquires Qwiet AI to combat AI-generated code risks
This merger is set to help address hidden security risks with the help of AI-assisted coding.
Videos for managers of managers
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Make it count; A no-nonsense guide to engineering metrics for the busy leader
Gain practical insights on engineering metrics that help busy leaders prioritize effectively, address delivery challenges, and measure team performance to maximize impact and productivity.
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Alignment, autonomy, accountability
Explore essential management principles that build trust, enhance team engagement, and support smooth progress, equipping leaders with strategies to guide without micromanaging.
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It’s time to pay off your management debt
Explore management debt’s impact on organizations, uncovering inefficiencies and missed opportunities. Learn actionable strategies to identify, track, and eliminate management debt for sustainable growth.
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Culture, Clarity, Velocity
This session explores how leaders can examine proposed changes and prepare their teams to move from a culture that impedes progress to one that enables strategic change.
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From cost to impact: Leading through infrastructure investment decisions
This session explores tools like SLOs, KPI Trees, and the FinOps culture to make cost management a shared responsibility across the organization.
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Modernizing legacy systems: A technical strategy for evolving monoliths into modern architectures at HelloFresh
Gain insights into transforming legacy systems into scalable architectures, with practical strategies for balancing stability, managing technical debt, and enabling growth opportunities at HelloFresh.
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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.
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From engineer to executive: Leading the shift and inspiring business-minded tech teams
Explore the journey from engineering leader to CTO, with insights on bridging technology and business strategy, leading with influence, and fostering business-minded tech teams.
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What we talk about when we talk about leadership
Exploring key leadership themes from years in tech, this talk offers guidance and practical strategies to help engineers become the leaders they want to be.
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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.