Promotions, Salary & Leadership: I Answer Your Toughest Tech Career Questions
You asked, I answered. In this Q&A episode, I tackle the toughest career questions you submitted: from getting promoted when the process feels political, to negotiating salary, to leading projects as an IC.In this episode, we cover:* Holding peers accountable when you're not their manager* Navigating promotions when the process is political or unclear* Increasing your salary with strategic job offers* Building real authority and getting noticed by leadership* Staying relevant in the age of AI without burning outThis is for software engineers who want practical strategies to level up their careers, increase their earning potential, and make real impact without the fluff.Join me at React Advanced and Tech Lead Conf in London:https://ti.to/gitnation/react-advanced-london-2025/discount/CODING20Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:19 - Holding Peers Accountable When Managers Won't Help00:03:58 - The Surprising Truth About Code "Quality"00:05:43 - Scaling Accountability Across Large Teams00:07:50 - When Climbing the Career Ladder Feels Political00:12:37 - How to Stay Relevant in Tech Without Burning Out00:14:49 - The Key to Learning Without Feeling Overwhelmed00:15:18 - The Real Difference for Engineers Working Globally00:17:44 - What to Do When You Get a Better Job Offer00:20:51 - Finding Motivation Beyond a Higher Salary00:21:41 - How to Build Real Credibility and Authority00:25:31 - The Advice I'd Give My Junior Developer Self00:29:05 - The Art of Effective Delegation00:31:47 - Why Delegation Is Really an Act of Trust00:32:21 - Team Player vs. Individual Star: A False Choice?00:34:43 - The #1 Personal Development Skill for Engineers00:37:11 - The Hidden Dangers of Relying on AI Tools00:40:08 - Is Volunteering at Tech Conferences Worth It?00:42:50 - My Personal Struggle with Embracing Change00:45:32 - The Career "Regret" I Don't Actually Regret00:46:45 - How to Stay Productive While Dealing with Grief00:49:08 - My Process for Finding Great Podcast Guests00:50:48 - The Secret to Making Guests Feel Comfortable00:52:06 - How Podcasting Transformed My Communication Skills00:53:35 - Handling Guarded or Difficult Podcast Guests00:56:11 - Final Thoughts & How to Support the ChannelGot questions for the next Q&A? Drop them in the comments 👇#SoftwareEngineering #CareerGrowth #TechLeadership
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57:10
What Separates Good Engineers from Great Ones
What's the real difference between a good software engineer and a truly great one? It’s more than just coding skill. It's a specific mindset, a disciplined approach to technology, and a deep understanding of core principles. This is the roadmap to leveling up your career.In this conversation with Sander Mak, Director of Technology at Picnic, we discuss the methods they use to train world-class engineers. You will learn:The "under the hood" knowledge that truly matters.Why great engineers often choose "boring," proven technology.The critical transition from being a coder to a product-focused engineer.The most common pitfall that holds good developers back.If you're a software developer looking to move beyond "good enough" and achieve greatness in your craft, this is the episode for you.Connect with Sander: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandermakTimestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:30 - Building Picnic's Tech Academy for New Engineers00:04:37 - The Key Mindset of a Successful Junior Engineer00:08:01 - A Look Inside the Engineering Training Curriculum00:12:19 - The Common Pitfall of Copying Without Understanding00:14:10 - How Deep "Under the Hood" Knowledge Should Go00:17:41 - Why Great Engineers Value "Boring" Technology00:21:44 - Improving Developer Experience and Team Productivity00:30:02 - The Transition from Coder to Product Engineer00:34:18 - Key Advice for Self-Taught Developers00:35:41 - Using AI for Learning vs. for Code Generation#SoftwareEngineering #DeveloperCareer #Coding
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From 6 Engineers to 2: Why Product and Engineering Are Merging
What if the standard 6-person software team is now obsolete? AI tooling isn't just a productivity booster; it's fundamentally blurring the lines between product and engineering, enabling smaller, more powerful teams to achieve what once took an entire department.We're joined by Kate Ivanova, a Product Manager with years of experience building AI products at Big Tech companies, to discuss this tectonic shift. She explains why the traditional handoff between disciplines is breaking down and what the new, merged "product-engineer" role looks like.In this episode, we cover:- Why AI enables smaller teams to have a massive impact- The merging roles of Product, Engineering, and Design- What skills make you one of the indispensable "2 engineers"- How to structure and manage a hyper-efficient, AI-native teamThis is a must-watch for founders building lean companies, and for engineers and PMs who want to understand their evolving role in the age of AI.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:57 - Are Agile Processes Obsolete in the Age of AI?00:02:46 - Why Product Managers Are Redefining Team Processes00:04:35 - The Mindset You Need for AI Product Development00:07:54 - How AI Is Forcing Product and Engineering Closer Together00:11:26 - Using AI as Your Personal Feedback Co-Pilot00:15:23 - The Critical Mistake to Avoid When Using AI for Product00:20:45 - The Ideal AI Product Team Composition of the Future00:26:10 - The New Expectations for Software Engineers in the AI Era00:32:05 - A Better Way to Manage Tech Debt and Developer Happiness00:34:46 - What Truly Makes Developers Happy at Work00:37:43 - Co-Creating a Vision That Actually Motivates Your Team00:40:59 - How to Receive Tough Feedback as a Growth Opportunity00:45:37 - The Painful Decision to Kill a Failing Project00:48:44 - The Most Important Skill for the AI Era
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49:24
How Hackathons Make You a Better Software Engineer
What if you could turn a weekend project into a core product feature at a major tech company? We sit down with Behrouz Pooladrak, a software engineer and hackathon legend at Booking.com, to uncover how these intense competitions can fast-track your skills, career, and impact. He shares the mindset and strategies that took his ideas from a one-day build to a real-world product used by millions.In this episode, we cover:How to treat your hackathon project like a mini-startup to guarantee success.The surprising skills you gain from short-term projects that your daily job can't teach you.How companies like Booking.com use hackathons to innovate and train new talent.Why personal projects are the secret weapon for career growth.This episode is for any software engineer looking to distinguish themselves, learn new technologies rapidly, and make a real impact in the tech industry.Timestamps:00:00:49 - The Mindset of a Prolific Builder00:02:42 - How AI Helps You Build an MVP in One Day00:06:26 - Why This Engineer is a Hackathon "Living Legend"00:07:41 - From Hackathon Idea to Real AI Product00:11:42 - The Secret to Winning: Treat it Like a Startup00:17:22 - How Booking.com Onboards Juniors with a 4-Week Hackathon00:20:25 - Why We Still Need Junior Engineers in the Age of AI00:26:57 - The #1 Struggle Teams Face in Hackathons00:31:04 - The Real Reason to Join a Hackathon (It’s Not the Prize)00:35:46 - How to Start and Finish Your Personal Projects00:40:12 - The Feedback Loop Between Your Job and Hobby Projects#SoftwareEngineering #Hackathon #CareerGrowth
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42:27
AI Startup CEO Reveals What Really Kills AI Projects
What if the biggest obstacles to AI innovation aren't what you think? Deeploy CEO Maarten Stolk shares his controversial but effective strategies for building successful AI products and ecosystems, challenging the common wisdom around bottom-up initiatives and regulation.In this episode, we cover:Why bottom-up initiatives fail without strong top-down vision.The surprising benefits of the EU's AI Act for innovation.How to build a thriving AI ecosystem from the ground up.The single most important metric for AI observability.This conversation is for tech leaders, founders, and engineers who want to move beyond AI experiments and build real-world, production-ready systems.Timestamps:00:00:00 - Intro00:00:45 - Why Maarten Started a Dutch AI Hub00:02:15 - The "Flywheel" Effect Crucial for AI Success00:04:42 - The Hard Truth: Why the Netherlands is Lagging in AI00:07:52 - A Controversial Take: The EU AI Act is Actually Good for Everyone00:11:26 - The Real Bottleneck to Innovation Isn't Regulation00:14:25 - From POC to Production: Why Top-Down Vision is Non-Negotiable00:17:13 - A Wake-Up Call for Inexperienced Leadership Teams00:20:30 - How Winning Companies Use AI to Dominate Their Market00:23:44 - The Right Way to Learn From Your Competitors00:27:30 - Maarten Outsourced Core Development to an AI Company00:31:59 - The #1 Metric You Must Track for AI Observability00:36:03 - Open-Source vs. Closed-Source: Which AI Model Will Win?00:40:23 - The Inevitable Crisis That Will Force Innovation00:42:19 - The Power of Having a Long-Term Personal Vision#AIStrategy #TechLeadership #Innovation
For software engineers ready to level up. Learn from CTOs, principal engineers, and tech leaders about the skills beyond coding: from technical mastery to product thinking and career growth
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