Latest
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Will AI replace the agile coach?
Agile coaches are already using generative AI tools to help with key rituals and go deeper, quicker.
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7 steps to navigate onboarding as a software engineer
Joining a new team can be both exciting and overwhelming
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Should JavaScript really be split in two?
A radical new proposal for JavaScript has divided opinion over who stands to benefit.
Editor’s picks
What is a staff engineer? Technical leaders who aren’t managers
Staff engineers are technical leaders who have deep domain knowledge, walking the line between tech and the business.
London • June 16 & 17, 2025
A festival of engineering leadership
Essential reading
Who are staff, principal, and distinguished engineers?
Understand the differences between staff, principal, and distinguished engineers. Job description and salaries included.
On our StaffPlus playlist
How to master the four Staff archetypes and elevate your impact
While the specifics of the job can vary widely, Will Larson has famously categorized the Staff+ experience into four archetypes: Tech Lead, Architect, Solver, and the Right Hand.
Understanding the role as a Staff engineer
How to define, develop and deliver in your role on the technical track.
How to balance technical direction and leadership work
But as is often the case in business, priorities constantly shift and where you focus your efforts will too. So how do you strike the right balance between working on the technical direction of the business and those tasks that require you to put your leadership hat on?
Start with an exit in mind: How to be effective by being selfish as a staff engineer
Staff engineers often get overwhelmed by long-term ownership of critical projects. This talk explores how to avoid burnout by starting every project with an exit strategy—whether transferring ownership, pausing or bootstrapping a team.
A festival of engineering leadership
London • June 16 & 17, 2025
More for Staff engineers
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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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Understanding the ‘Cambrian explosion of generative AI tools’
And other themes from the latest Thoughtworks’ Technology Radar
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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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What US engineering managers can expect to earn in 2024
Here’s what senior developers and engineering managers in the United States can expect to earn in base salary during 2024 and beyond.
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Build a productive code review culture
Code reviews can be tense and stressful if done incorrectly. Avoid bikeshedding and set good cultural standards with these nine simple steps.
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Engineering leadership is not just about code
If you’re looking to move into an engineering leadership position, you’ll have to do more than brush up on code!
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Influencing influencers: Powerful strategies to scale your impact at work
If you looking to widen the breadth of your impact, you’ll want to brush up on some of these areas to see the best results.
Videos for Staff engineers
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Are we doing this right? Findings from the state of feature management and experimentation report 2024
Explore key findings from the 2024 State of Feature Management and Experimentation report, including trends, the engineering-product gap, and balancing optimization with safety.
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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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50 shades of PR dark matter
In this short and fun talk (yes it’ll be fun!) – Avishag Sahar laments about the top blockers of PRs, but cheer up – because I’ll also provide insights into how to unblock them.
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Leading through AI-powered complexity: Balancing business priorities, innovation and resources
João Freiras discusses how leaders are automating through complexity and finding the right balance between the pressure to innovate, business priorities, resources, and the promise of AI business value.
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Stress free onboarding as a Staff+ engineer
What can you do to create an efficient onboarding process for yourself stepping into a Staff+ role?
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Why observability needs to be treated as critical infrastructure
In this talk, I’ll discuss how I worked with my ICs to develop a space where the use of metrics felt less intimidating and more like a valuable tool for growth.
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How do you effectively manage senior ICs?
What does a good manager and direct report relationship look like for ICs?
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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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Understanding the role as a Staff engineer
How to define, develop and deliver in your role on the technical track.
