The post discusses the complexities of being strategic in a tech environment, emphasizing that good strategy is often executed quietly rather than discussed. It highlights the importance of context in strategy, the need for multip...
About:
Cate is an Engineering Director at DuckDuckGo, advisor at Glowforge, and a writer. She has extensive experience in mobile development and engineering leadership, and has lived in multiple countries.
Website:
Specializations:
Interests:
Incoming Links:
Subscribe to RSS:
The post examines how AI is reshaping software development roles and decision-making processes, emphasizing the need for new skills and budget strategies in engineering teams.
Effective team scaling hinges on optimizing people, projects, and processes while proactively addressing bottlenecks to ensure sustained growth and value delivery.
The role of an engineering manager is to balance immediate tasks with long-term planning while fostering team growth and accountability through clear communication and delegation.
A personality quiz for tech workers based on raccoon archetypes highlights the author's creative process and the role of AI in enhancing productivity.
The DRI Your Career course successfully fosters personal growth through an introvert-friendly format, emphasizing clarity and ownership in career decisions.
Performance reviews reflect your current value to an organization, not your worth as a person, and focusing on personal growth is essential for career development.
4.5Spring Cleaning in December
2026-01-13 • productivity content strategy update ai
The post details the author's experience updating their website, highlighting the importance of maintaining a personal online presence and the balance between content creation and site management.
4.5How I’ve Been Using AI
2025-07-15 • productivity writing ai
The author discusses their experiences using AI as a productivity tool in writing and reviewing work. They highlight the benefits of AI in refining drafts, generating feedback, and creating structures for projects. However, they a...
Tracking time through a spreadsheet and AI analysis revealed insights on balancing productivity and well-being, emphasizing clarity over busyness.
The post emphasizes the importance of intentional, outcome-driven learning strategies for personal and professional growth, especially in the wake of pandemic-induced stagnation.
4.4Q3 2025
2025-10-07 • 2025 events and projects life quarterly data release
The author reflects on their Q3 progress towards their annual theme of 'health,' discussing both achievements and setbacks. They highlight bureaucratic tasks completed, such as renewing their mortgage and submitting a citizenship ...
The Engineering Manager Survival Guide is an 8-week course aimed at helping engineering managers adapt to new expectations and enhance their effectiveness without burnout.
4.2Book: Decisive
2025-07-01 • definitive books
The blog post summarizes the key concepts from the book 'Decisive' by Chip and Dan Heath, which introduces the WRAP decision-making process: Widen your options, Reality test your assumptions, Attain distance before deciding, and P...
A personal reflection on Q4 achievements in health and creativity, highlighting reading, exercise, and cultural experiences while setting intentions for 2026 centered on freedom.
4.1Book: The Next Day
2025-09-30 • books melinda french gates the next day
The blog post reviews Melinda French Gates' book 'The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward,' highlighting its relatable vignettes from her life and the lessons learned. The author appreciates the book's down-to-earth ...
4Book: The Fax Club Experiment
2025-10-15 • books the fax club experiment
The Fax Club Experiment is a book featuring responses from 100 participants who received weekly prompts via fax, with 32 completing the project. The author appreciates the anonymity of the responses, which reveal deeper thoughts a...
Psychological richness, defined as varied and perspective-changing experiences, is essential for a fulfilling life, contrasting with mere happiness and meaning.
Frustration with capitalism's demands leads to the creation of a coaching course aimed at helping tech workers find meaning in their careers amidst challenging employment conditions.
3.9Announcing: DRI Your Career
2025-12-09 • technology engineering career coaching
The post announces 'DRI Your Career,' an 8-week course aimed at helping engineers take ownership of their careers with clarity and intention.
The author reflects on their quarterly review of their annual theme of 'health,' detailing their experiences and accomplishments in Q2. Highlights include organizing a memorable birthday party, achieving fitness goals, reading num...
The author shares tips on setting boundaries while working from home, including setting clear goals, defining what is 'enough', taking breaks, and creating a work-life schedule.
0Book: Careless People
2025-04-15 • books carelessness
Careless People is a book covering the period of 2011-2017, written by an author who worked at Facebook and was involved with governments. It discusses gossipy stories, Zuck and Sandberg's villain origin story, and the harm to dem...
0Q1 2025
2025-04-01 • 2025 events and projects life health purpose
The author reflects on the first quarter of 2025, which was challenging due to illness and the death of a friend. Despite this, the author made progress in various areas, including health, professional growth, and personal experie...