A big part of my job is helping other engineers grow their careers. I’ve collected resources that have personally helped me, and helped me help others.

Practical Career Advice

The Magic Loop by Ethan Evans
- Build your career by making a partnership with your manager that accelerates you both. This is the framework I personally use to grow.
- Longer form video version.
Don’t call yourself a programmer by Patrick McKenzie
- Frame your career as solving business problems, not building software. Work in profit centers not cost centers. An oldie but a goodie.
Three Things Blocking Your Promotion to Staff/Principal Engineer by Steve Huynh
- Your org, project and manager may not have the scope for you to grow (but they won’t tell you that).

Staff+ Engineering

What does it mean to be a Staff+ Engineer, and how do you get there?

Staff Engineer by Will Larson
- Mandatory reading for any Staff+ engineer. A comprehensive overview of what it means to be Staff+, how to get there and the different Staff archetypes. Also available as an audiobook.
Why and How to be a big-tech Principal Engineer by John Miller
- Specifically covers Principal and how it differs from Staff.

Leadership Stories

Inspiration from others can be hugely clarifying and motivating.

Peterman Pod by Ryan Peterman
- Long form candid conversations with engineering leaders.
- Highlights:
  - Instagram Principal Engineer on Promotions, Breaking Prod, Tech Leading
    - How to tech lead, manage risk and spend your time.
  - OpenAI & Meta Distinguished Engineer (IC9) On Working With Zuck, Carmack & Career Growth
    - Breakdown of the impact and scope expected from IC1 to IC9.
  - Amazon VP On Stack Ranking & PIPs, Working With Bezos, His Promotions Candid candid dive into how big tech promos and layoffs actually work.
  - Shopify Distinguished Eng (L10) on Principal+ Engineering, Career Story, Regrets
    - Great exploration of Principal+ engineering and the “specialized generalist”.
Staff Engineer Stories by Will Larson
- Stories from the Staff Engineer book.
StaffEng Podcast by David Noël-Romas and Alex Kessinger
- Interviews with Staff+ engineers across the industry.

Management

As a Staff+ engineer you should understand how your manager thinks, and be good at management-shaped work.

High Output Management by Andy Grove
- The canonical engineering management text, a must read.
An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management by Will Larson
- The engineering management counterpart to the Staff Engineer book.

Money

Money matters. With some minimal effort you can make a lot more of it.

Salary Negotiation by Patrick McKenzie
- The ROI on salary negotiation is absurd. Think in terms of fully loaded costs and the business’ goals.
The Trimodal Nature of Software Engineering by Gergely Orosz
- Why does the same role pay 2-4x as much as different companies? How can you earn an American tech salary while working in Europe?

I hope you find these resources as useful as I have. If there’s anything I’ve missed please reach out and let me know!