Resource Library

Dear CTO, It's Not 2015 Anymore

An entire generation of engineering leaders has never had to justify the existence of their orgs. The post-2023 reckoning means it's no longer enough to optimize for retention — CTOs need to own their narratives or someone else will write them.
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Junior Developers in the Age of AI

Companies are ditching junior engineers en masse. They’ll tell you it’s because AI writes better code. They’re right…but also missing the point.
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The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of AI Doom

AI prophets of doom aren't deep thinkers — they're people with deeply stunted assumptions about human worth. Their prophecies are self-fulfilling because they shape funding, policy, and culture. Don't let them win by default.
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AI is Going to Hack Jira

AI code gen absolutely excels at producing byproducts. In Big Agile, engineering = new features = byproducts. Combine the two and you get a CEO who fires their competent engineering team, watches EBITDA jump, and never sees the foundation cracking underneath.
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Junior Developers in the Age of AI

Companies are ditching junior engineers en masse. They’ll tell you it’s because AI writes better code. They’re right…but also missing the point.
Read more

Why the Wrong People Get Promoted

The skills that would make you good at the job don't help you get the job. People who hesitate over readiness lose to people who don't. Five patterns of self-sabotage to recognize — and a perspective shift that lets thoughtful leaders take the seat.
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The Act of Authenticity

Being yourself isn't expressing every passing emotion — it's acting in alignment with your values. Leadership requires a repertoire of roles, all rehearsed. The most 'natural' leaders are usually the most painstakingly practiced.
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Why Are My Stakeholders So Unreasonable?

Facts, in the face of big feelings, are completely useless. Engineering leaders who pride themselves on logic miss that emotion drives every decision around them — and theirs too. Why being emotionally attuned isn't a soft skill, it's how you see the whole truth.
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The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of AI Doom

AI prophets of doom aren't deep thinkers — they're people with deeply stunted assumptions about human worth. Their prophecies are self-fulfilling because they shape funding, policy, and culture. Don't let them win by default.
Read more

How to Lead When Leadership Won't

Dear Christine: I just stepped into a new engineering leadership role and I'm already seeing a forest full of red flags. Your problem isn't silos — it's getting your project done within a system of silos. A reply on how to be the imp.
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Explain the Business Impact and Other Clichés

Ask any engineer and they'll tell you The Thing that's slowing them down. The Thing doesn't get done because engineering's work is invisible — you can’t see what's bleeding. Technical accounting maps resourcing, architecture, and maintenance so everyone can see The Thing too.
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