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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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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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?
Videos for managers of managers
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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.
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AI and the future of software engineering
Hywel Carver talks focuses on the shape of engineering teams and how they work – including how they have changed over time with the advent of Agile and DevOps – and suggest how this will change as AI-generated code becomes mainstream.
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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.
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Master modern hiring: Win the race for tech talent through equity, empathy & efficiency
In this lightning talk, Karat VP of Content Don Gannon-Jones explains how a focus on job readiness will empower you to manage the overflow of applicants and interviews without resorting to outdated tactics that require candidates to do a lot of guess-work and game-playing.
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Tackling Software Engineering Leaders’ Dual Mandate
Operational excellence has been engineering leaders’ mandate since the beginning. But, success in the business world has shifted over the past two decades, making software delivery the key driver. This revenue generation change added a new mandate for the engineering leader: Driving Business Outcomes.
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In partnership with KaratEverything you need to know about hiring engineers in 2023
How has the tech job market changed, and what does your org need to do to keep up?
