Hiring and developing engineering leaders
The 50-100 engineer transition breaks most engineering organizations. Here's the playbook for navigating this critical phase—org design, leadership, process, and culture.
Should you find a technical cofounder or hire a CTO? After analyzing 70+ startups, here's the data on which path leads to better outcomes—and when each makes sense.
Hiring a VP of Engineering is the most consequential engineering decision you'll make. Here's the complete playbook from 45+ VP-level searches—process, assessment, compensation, and closing.
How to hire a Director of Engineering: search process, interview questions, compensation benchmarks, and evaluation frameworks from 60+ Director searches.
How to interview engineering managers effectively: questions for people leadership, technical credibility, and execution. Includes rubrics and red flags from 150+ EM hires.
Principal engineers fail at a 40% rate within two years—not from lack of technical skill, but because interviews assessed the wrong things. Here's what actually predicts success.
Most engineering metrics measure what's easy to count, not what actually matters. Lines of code, story points, and pull request counts are vanity metrics that drive dysfunction. Here's what to measure instead.
Engineering culture isn't ping pong tables and free lunch—it's how technical decisions get made, how engineers treat each other, and what behaviors get rewarded. Here's how to build it intentionally.
OKRs fail in engineering when they measure outputs instead of outcomes. Here's how to set objectives that drive real impact without becoming bureaucratic overhead.
The first 90 days as an engineering manager set the trajectory for your entire tenure. Here's the playbook for building relationships, establishing credibility, and making an impact without stepping on landmines.
Engineering reorgs are often necessary but frequently botched. Here's how to restructure your engineering organization while maintaining trust, momentum, and talent.
Tech Lead and Engineering Manager are different jobs with different skills, yet companies blur the distinction constantly. Here's how to understand, define, and succeed in each role—whether you're hiring for them or choosing between them.
Hiring staff engineers requires evaluating scope, influence, and technical leadership—not just coding skills. Here's the complete framework used by top tech companies.
A practical guide to building your first engineering team as a startup founder. Learn when to hire, how to structure your team, and mistakes to avoid.