The rise of AI in coding has transformed the 'Coding Machine' archetype into three new roles focused on judgment and orchestration rather than mere output generation.
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Sidwyn Koh is the author of 'Path to Staff Engineer', a Substack publication. He provides weekly insights to accelerate software engineering careers, sharing the best growth techniques from his experience as a Meta staff engineer. The publication has thousands of subscribers.
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The post introduces the CARL method as an improvement over the traditional STAR method for structuring responses in behavioral interviews. It emphasizes the importance of context, actions, results, and learnings in crafting compel...
The author reflects on the journey to becoming a Staff Engineer, emphasizing that real growth takes time and cautioning against rushing through career advancements. They discuss the challenges of fast promotions, including increas...
In this blog post, Philip, a distinguished engineer at Meta, discusses the myth of work-life balance in relation to career advancement. He argues that rapid career growth is primarily driven by grit and hard work, rather than luck...
Dario Amodei's essay warns of powerful AI risks and advises software engineers to develop critical skills and choose between generalist and specialist roles to stay relevant.
A structured approach to technical reviews can transform chaotic meetings into clear decision-making sessions by prioritizing pre-meeting documentation and focused discussions.
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Deb Liu, former VP at Facebook and ex-CEO of Ancestry, discusses the importance of long-term career thinking, the impact of family choices on career trajectories, and the necessity of speaking up in professional settings. She refl...
Effective communication of tradeoffs in decision-making can be achieved through the use of a stoplight table, enhancing clarity and understanding among team members.
The post discusses the importance of framing discussions in meetings to prevent misunderstandings and defensiveness. It illustrates how poor framing can lead to tension and unproductive debates, using a scenario between two engine...
The article discusses the importance of influence in professional settings, particularly when working with multiple stakeholders. It outlines three core tips for effective influence: understanding stakeholders' goals, building pri...
The article discusses the STAR format, a method for structuring responses to behavioral interview questions. It highlights common mistakes candidates make when using this format and provides detailed guidance on how to effectively...
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The post discusses effective strategies for handling disagreements in the workplace, particularly for software engineers. The author shares personal experiences and outlines a five-step process: align on the topic, listen and ackn...
Effective communication is crucial for delivering value, enhancing reputation, and achieving positive outcomes through clarity and alignment.
This post offers essential strategies for navigating layoffs, including networking, internal mobility, and emotional resilience, based on the author's experiences at Meta.
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0Leveling Up Hacks - Active Listening
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The text discusses the importance of active listening in the workplace and provides strategies to become a better listener. It emphasizes the need to focus on the speaker, get comfortable with silence, reflect back to confirm unde...
The text discusses the importance of taking a step back to see the bigger picture as a software engineer. It emphasizes the need to understand the business impact, system interactions, and potential redundancies in projects. It pr...
0Leveling Up Hacks - Share Your Progress
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The text discusses the importance of sharing progress for software engineers to accelerate their careers. It provides a template for project updates and gives tips for sharing project updates effectively.
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The post discusses the importance of learning to say 'No' in order to avoid overcommitment and burnout. It provides four strategies to leverage the power of 'No' and shares personal stories to illustrate the effectiveness of these...
The text discusses the importance of public speaking for engineers, sharing personal experiences and tips for preparing and delivering successful presentations. It emphasizes the benefits of public speaking in boosting visibility,...
0Turn Side Projects Into Wins At Work
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The text discusses the importance of side projects and how to turn them into successful ventures. It provides a formula for increasing the chances of a side project succeeding, broken down into three key steps: starting with a pro...
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The text is about handling critical feedback well, especially in the context of a software engineer's career. The author shares personal stories and six tips for managing feedback gracefully and making it work for you. The main ta...